CRASH INVOLVEMENT RATES BY DRIVER GENDER AND THE ROLE OF AVERAGE ANNUAL MILEAGE

The effects of four predictor variables-driver age, driver gender, tim e of day, and average annual mileage-on crash involvement rates were e stimated through the use of multivariate modelling techniques. Separat e models were developed for fatal, injury, and property damage only cr ashes. All four predictor variables proved to be highly significant in explaining variations in observed rates.-Rates predicted by the model s after substituting the mean average annual mileage value for all dri ver age/gender groups were also calculated. These 'adjusted rates' sho w men to have a consistently higher risk of crash involvement per mile driven than women for all six combinations of crash severity and ligh t condition examined. This contrasts with women's higher involvement r ates in non-fatal crashes compared with men in the observed data. The results of the modelling are consistent with the idea that women's typ ically low average annual mileage is a factor in their observed higher non-fatal crash involvement rates. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.