Young Male Drivers Involved in Nearly Twice as Many Crashes as Females in New York, Study Finds
A new analysis of federal data reveals a significant disparity in car crash involvement among young drivers in New York.
Young male drivers in New York were involved in 58,182 car crashes in 2024, compared to 35,494 crashes involving female drivers in the same age group, according to a study by the law firm Levine and Wiss. This disparity reflects a broader national trend, where men accounted for 72% of passenger-vehicle driver deaths nationwide in the same year.
The study analyzed federal crash statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety from 2020 through 2024. Researchers calculated Risk Index Scores to identify traffic safety trends. The analysis found that the male driver fatality rate was 5.73 per 100,000 people in 2024, versus 1.51 for women.
Several factors may contribute to this difference, including speeding, alcohol consumption, distraction, and aggressive driving. Nationally, 39% of male drivers aged 15 to 20 involved in fatal crashes were speeding. Alcohol was also a significant factor, with 34% of male passenger-vehicle drivers killed having a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.08%, a figure that rose to 43% on weekends. Additionally, men accounted for 73% of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2024.
A survey cited in the study indicated that 55% of men admitted to road-rage behaviors, compared to 46% of women.
The findings emerge amid New York Governor Kathy Hochul's Speed Week 2 enforcement campaign, which ran from August 3 to August 9 and resulted in 58,815 tickets being issued, according to the New York State DMV.
The study also highlighted state-level variations. Wyoming was identified as the riskiest state for male drivers with a Risk Index score of 95.5, followed by New Mexico (87.0) and Montana (81.8). Conversely, Massachusetts was found to be the safest state for male drivers, with a low Risk Index score of 15.8, followed by New Jersey (18.0) and Minnesota (18.4). New York ranked fifth safest for male drivers with a score of 20.1.