Differences Between Male and Female Involvement in Motor Vehicle Collisions in Hawaii, 1986-1993

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of male and female drivers involved in two vehicle collisions in the State of Hawaii, over the period 1986-1993. Using comprehensive police crash data, characteristics of male and female drivers are compared in terms of seat belt use, human factors involved in collisions, risky behaviors (such as speeding and alcohol), and patterns in terms of collision involvement. Using odds ratios, the author demonstrates that male drivers are 1.4 times more likely than female drivers to be unbelted, 3.6 times more likely to be involved in alcohol related collisions, two times more likely to be involved in speed related collisions, and 1.3 times more likely to be involved in head-on collisions. In addition to examining the general differences between male and female involvement in collisions, relationship between age, gender, and collision involvement is also examined. A logit model, explaining driver fault as a function of age, gender, and other variables is constructed. A U-shaped distribution between the odds of fault and age categories is found to exist, with young males (15-24 years old) and old females (65+) most likely to be classified at fault in collisions in Hawaii. It has been established that changes in women's travel behavior have increased both travel by and their exposure to the risks of collision involvement. As pointed out in the NPTS (National Personal Transportation Survey) Demographic Special Reports (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1995), women are traveling longer and making more trips-and doing more of that in a car. Moreover, FARS (Fatal Accident Reporting System) data, collected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (1991), has shown, for example, a steady increase in the rate of female involvement in fatal crashes over the period 1975 to 1990, while the fatal crash rate among males over the same period has steadily declined (FARS, 1991). The purpose of this paper is to examine data for one state (Hawaii), over the period 1986-1993, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the relationships between gender and crash involvement. Following some background on collision research in Hawaii and discussion of data and methods used in this study, the results and implications of the analysis will be presented.