MALE-FEMALE DRIVER CHARACTERISTICS AND ACCIDENT RISK - SOME NEW EVIDENCE

Due to the high correlation that generally exists among driver characteristics, as well as the overall complexity of the factors involved, the role that gender plays in the relationship between driver characteristics and accident risk has been difficult to quantify using traditional statistical approaches. This paper attempts to provide some new insight by using hazard functions and a sample of University of Washington drivers. The subsequent empirical analysis uncovers important differences in the relationship between male and female driver characteristics and their respective accident risk.