Most research shows women are safer drivers than men. They’re less likely to die on the roads or take risks, such as drink driving. They may even pay less for comprehensive insurance. But do women pay less than men for a green slip?
Do more men die in road crashes?
Yes. While women are over half of the NSW population (50.7%) and hold 45.2% of drivers licences, men are far more likely to die on the roads.
In the year to February 2026:
- 77% of road deaths were male.
- 79% were male drivers, 20% were female drivers.
- 20% of deaths were motorcyclists (95% of motorcyclists are men).
However, more road accidents cause serious injuries than deaths.
Do more men get seriously injured in road crashes?
Yes. In the year to March 2025, 11,423 people were seriously injured in road crashes in NSW:
- Two thirds (66%) with serious injuries were men.
- Motorcyclists suffered 28% of all serious injuries.
Overall, more men than women die or suffer serious injuries in road accidents. While women are more likely to be seriously injured than die, they have just as many minor injuries as men.
Is the difference in rates of road trauma caused by age as much as gender?
Is road trauma caused by age?
Young men are more likely to crash, and this risk persists even as they get older and become more experienced. In the year to December 2025 in NSW:
- 85% of deaths in the 17-25 age group were men.
- A 2024 study of drivers over 65 found men still indulged in risky driving.
However, men and women are currently similar in these age groups:
- Most deaths are among 25-44 year olds
- Most serious injuries are among 40-64 year olds.
If age is not a big factor, maybe men spend more time driving.
Do men spend more time behind the wheel?
Yes, some do. Men working as machinery operators, technicians or tradespeople all had the longest average commutes from outer suburbs. greenslips.com.au data show men who use the calculator on average are 11% more likely than women to travel over 20,000 kms a year.
Meanwhile, Budget Direct surveyed commuting habits in Australia in 2023. Men and women were equally likely to drive to work every day (61%) or sometimes work at home (38%).
However, the length of commute differed:
- Women did far more short trips of 0-15 minutes.
- More men had a 45-60 minutes commute.
Distance travelled affects the price of your green slip.
If distance is not a big factor, men may take more risks while driving.
Do men take more risks than women?
Western culture seems to encourage men to take risks. Masculinity is often associated with fast and powerful cars, utes, 4WDs or trucks. In fact, only 4.4% of truck drivers in Australia are women.
When men were asked if they thought they could drive a semi-trailer if they had to, 44% said yes. Men take more risks while driving because they feel confident:
- Around three quarters of men believe they are better than the average driver.
- Only 1% said they were ‘bad’ drivers and 22% admitted they were average.
Meanwhile, a UK study of gender and vehicle type found men posed a much higher risk to other road users in 5 of 6 vehicle types:
- For cars and vans, the risk for male drivers was double that of women per km driven.
- Risk to others was 4 times higher for male truck drivers.
- Risk was over 10 times higher for male motorbike riders.
It seems risk taking is part of the problem. Distraction may be another part.
Do men get more distracted than women?
Men and women get distracted while driving. But men overestimate their ability to control circumstances that are mainly influenced by external factors or chance.
For example, 15% of men, compared to 9.4% of women, say they are comfortable using a phone while driving. However, women were more likely than men to reach back to deal with children (and they would put on make up while driving).
Distraction is not measured as a factor in serious injury or deaths on the roads. But drink driving is measured.
Are men more likely to drink drive?
In Australia, the biggest drink drivers are usually men, but not always.
- Half of regional women 16-25 , said they drink drove in the past 6 months – the highest self-reported rate of all drink drivers.
- Most drink drivers in fatal crashes were male (90%).
- One third of all drink drivers (yet one seventh of all drivers)in fatal crashes were aged 17–24.
When men and women were questioned about drink driving, there were clear differences in risk taking:
- Have you ever driven knowing you might be over the limit?
17.7% of men, 10.6% of women said yes.
- Were there any passengers in the car at the time?
52.9% of men, 56.4% of women said yes.
- Do you know the exact amount of drinks you can have?
59% of men, 45.8% of women said yes.
Given the picture so far of road crashes, risk taking and drink driving, comprehensive vehicle insurance could be more expensive for men.
Do men pay more for comprehensive car insurance?
Yes, younger men are seen as the riskiest and pay the most for comprehensive insurance:
- Young male drivers under 25 have the highest premiums, averaging $3,020 per year.
- Drivers 25 to 29 pay around $2,176.
- Drivers 30 to 49 pay an average of $1,607.
Men make more motor insurance (not CTP greenslips) claims because they crash more often. In the last decade:
- Men made 54% of all AAMI claims.
- Motorists aged 65+ made 26% of claims.
- Women made 52% of all claims for minor injuries.
While some women generally pay less in car insurance, they can also pay more. For example, if a woman has made one or more claims, she’s more of a risk than a man who has made none.
If comprehensive insurance is cheaper, you might expect women to pay less for a green slip.
Do women pay less for a green slip?
No. There is no gender discrimination in the price of green slips.
greenslips.com.au compared a 45-year old male and female, good and ‘bad’ driver of a Toyota Hilux or Mazda CX5. (The ‘bad’ driver has one or more demerit points.) As at March 2026, men and women paid the same, as long as information about their vehicle and driving history was the same.
However, motorists with comprehensive insurance could pay less for their green slip. So a woman with comprehensive insurance may save money on the total cost of her insurances.
Women make more claims than men on their green slips:
- The typical green slip claimant in NSW is female (54%) and aged 25-39 (30% of all claims).
- In Qld, more women than men made CTP claims in all age groups except those over 56.
In fact, there is much more to pricing green slips in NSW than being a man or a woman.
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