Gender-related differences in distances travelled, driving behaviour and traffic accidents among university students

• Traffic injuries are a health problem where gender differences are more evident.
• The effect of gender on traffic injuries is not fully known.
• Male gender was more often associated with all risk factors of traffic accidents.

Although mortality from traffic accident-related injuries is known to be higher in males especially among young drivers, the influence of gender on each link in the causal chain that leads to this outcome is not well understood, particularly in Spain. The aim of this study was to analyse gender-related differences in distances travelled, driving behaviour and the frequency of involvement in traffic accidents in a sample of undergraduate students at the University of Granada.This cross-sectional study involved a sample of 1574 students recruited during three consecutive academic years from 2007–2008 to 2009–2010 who agreed to complete a questionnaire which evaluated patterns in distances travelled, use of safety devices, risky driving behaviours and involvement in traffic accidents.The results showed that men drove more kilometres than women, and described themselves as better and faster drivers than women. Male drivers used all safety devices less frequently than women, and were involved in risky driving behaviours more often. Although the crude analysis showed no differences between genders in reported accidents, the adjusted analysis showed a trend for men to report accidents less frequently than women.