Men account for roughly 2.6 times as many traffic deaths as women nationally, and are involved in fatal crashes at a substantially higher rate per mile driven, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2024 Fatality Facts report. Men also drive more miles per year on average, and have consistently higher rates of speeding and impaired driving in fatal crashes. Below is what the actual federal crash data shows, not the rounded-off version that circulates online, along with what it means for drivers in Chicago and across Illinois.
The National Numbers
Based on 2024 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data analyzed by IIHS:
- Total traffic deaths, 2024: 28,385 male, 10,764 female. Men account for roughly 2.6 times as many deaths as women.
- Fatal crash involvement rate (per 100 million miles driven, 2022): 2.8 for male drivers vs. 1.9 for female drivers, a 48% gap.
- Alcohol involvement, 2024: 34% of male drivers killed had a blood alcohol concentration at or above the legal limit (0.08%), compared with 24% of female drivers killed.
- Speeding, 2024: 20% of male drivers in fatal crashes were coded as speeding, compared with 12% of female drivers. The gap is widest among drivers under 30, where 29% of male drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding versus 17% of female drivers.
IIHS’s own analysis is direct about why: “Men typically drive more miles than women and are more likely to engage in risky driving practices, including not using seat belts, speeding and driving while impaired by alcohol.” Differences in exposure (miles driven) explain part of the gap; behavior explains the rest.
Why Women Face Real Injury Risk Even Though Fewer Die
Fewer female drivers die in crashes, but that doesn’t mean women are simply safer once a crash happens. Research cited by IIHS (Cronn et al., 2024) found that women are more likely than men to be killed or injured in crashes of similar severity, and that differences in the types of vehicles men and women drive, along with the circumstances of their crashes, account for much of that gap (Brumbelow & Jermakian, 2022). Vehicle safety systems have historically been tested and tuned primarily around male body proportions, which is part of why women can sustain more serious injuries, particularly whiplash and lower-extremity trauma, in a crash a man might have walked away from with less harm. That gap has been narrowing in newer vehicles as crashworthiness and restraint design have improved (Noh et al., 2022).
Age Matters as Much as Gender
The male-female gap isn’t uniform across every age group. Rates are substantially higher for young male drivers than young female drivers, the difference narrows through middle age, and it actually reverses among drivers 70 and older, where fatal crash rates are higher for women than for men, per IIHS. Drivers under 20 have the highest rate of speeding-related fatal crashes of any age group, for both sexes.
What This Means If You’re in a Claim
These are population-level statistics, not a rule for any individual case. Illinois determines fault crash by crash, under the state’s modified comparative fault rule: a driver more than 50% at fault recovers nothing, and a driver at 50% or less recovers damages reduced by their share of fault. No insurance adjuster or court assigns blame based on the driver’s gender; fault comes down to what actually happened at the scene, backed by evidence.
Where these numbers do matter is context. Multi-vehicle pileups, high-speed collisions, and alcohol-related crashes statistically involve more male drivers, and insurers know this. If you were injured by a driver who was speeding or impaired, documenting that fact (police reports, toxicology, witness statements) matters more than any statistic.
Need a Chicago Car Accident Lawyer?
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois, a skilled Chicago car accident lawyer can evaluate fault, protect your rights, and pursue full compensation for medical bills, lost income, and long-term harm, regardless of who was driving. Call (312) 346-4262 for a free consultation.
Related reading:
Car Accident Statistics: National and Illinois Data
Motorcycle Accident Rate vs. Car: Statistics & Safety Comparison
