Women drivers

Employers are far more likely to offer driver training to male employees, new research shows.

According to a survey by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) the same proportion of men and women drive to their job or for their job (60%) but only 22% of these women been offered driver training by their employer, compared to 94% of men.

While only 47% of women described themselves as feeling safe on the roads the Department for Transport figures showed that in 2007, 530 females were involved in KSI (killed or seriously injured) accidents compared to 1,640 men.

Simon Elstow, head of training at IAM which promotes safer occupational driving said: “The poll suggests that women are missing out on beneficial driver training simply because statistically, women appear to be safer drivers overall.”

But although women have fewer KSI’s, they are most vulnerable at junctions and are involved in more low speed accidents.