78% of women consider aggression on roads ‘serious problem’
Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year celebrates International Women Drivers’ Day today (June 24th) by drawing attention to women drivers’ concerns about aggressive behaviour on the roads.
A survey led by Czech online magazine Zena v aute.cz for women drivers contacted 1,485 female drivers worldwide in an online questionnaire. It revealed that 78% of women drivers consider aggression on the roads to be a serious problem and 69% of respondents think that aggressive behaviour on the roads has been increasing.
The survey was carried out during May 2024 in 20 countries around the world (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, UK, and USA).
“Through a questionnaire, we analyzed how women-drivers feel, what they fear, how they behave behind the wheel, and on roads. The results of the survey are remarkable,” says Sabina Kvášová, Jury of the Czech Republic and editor-in-chief of the magazine Zena v aute.cz, conductor of the survey.
Concerns while driving
According to the study, there are three main topics about which women drivers have concerns: aggressive drivers (22%), accidents (20%) and driving in reduced visibility (20%), followed by skidding (13%) and collision with animals (9%). About 16% of those interviewed think there is to worry about.
It is interesting to look at answers from country to country. For example, aggressive drivers are more of a concern for respondents from USA (82%), Spain (31%) and Poland (38%) while accidents as a main fear was represented in answers from Italy (51%), Poland (35%) and Germany (31%).
Driving in reduced visibility is a subject of concern mainly for women drivers from UK (52%), Germany (50%) and Poland (20%). The survey also revealed that 78% of women drivers consider aggression on the roads as a serious problem and 69% respondents think that aggressive behaviour on the roads has been increasing.
According to to Sabina Kvasova the majority of women drivers worldwide sporadically encounter (55%) aggressive behaviour on the roads. Only 25% of respondents encounter aggressive behaviour every day and 20% several times a week.
What women drivers propose
When asked what measures should be taken against aggressors, women drivers worldwide support mainly strict penalties (45%), specialized psychological therapy program (27%), training of future drivers (20%) and prevention campaigns (6%).
Looking at specific countries, strict penalties against aggressive drivers are supported by women drivers the most in Denmark and Serbia (97%), followed by USA (54%) and Italy (50%). Obligation to undergo a specialised psychological therapy program for drivers and subsequent psychological assessment of a driver’s mental abilities have strong support in Denmark and Serbia (97%), USA (54%) as well as in Poland and Columbia (50%).
Future drivers must be made aware of the risks associated with aggressiveness on the roads during their training – as a proposed measure is backed in the UK (43%), Italy (42%), Spain (30%). Prevention campaigns on the dangers of aggression were mainly stated in the answers of respondents from USA (45%), Poland (37%) and Germany (24%).
With this study, the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year aims to publicize women driver’s perspective concerning driving behaviour. International Women Drivers Day also celebrates amplifying the importance of women expressing their opinions and experiences about cars on social networks.
