Men Behind the Wheel: Three Times More Violations and Accidents than Women
Men are three times more likely than women to commit traffic violations while driving and to be involved in accidents. Moreover, they are more likely to create situations on the road that are highly dangerous to others. Men are also twice as likely to drive under the influence and nearly one-third more likely to receive a prison sentence for reckless driving. Perhaps it comes down to cultural norms and the different attitudes men and women have toward driving. These are the conclusions reached by Anton Kazun, Assistant Professor at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, and Research Assistant Mikhail Belov.
There is a stereotype that women are worse driver than men; female drivers are perceived to be less careful behind the wheel, more easily stressed, reacting poorly to unforeseen situations, and struggling with navigation. According to this stereotype, it is generally assumed that women are more likely to cause road accidents. Anton Kazun, Assistant Professor at HSE FES, and Mikhail Belov, Research Assistant at the International Centre for the Study of Institutions and Development, have examined whether this assumption is fair and whose driving is more dangerous.
The authors reviewed almost 160,000 published court decisions under Article 264 of the Russian Criminal Code (regarding violations of road rules and vehicle operation) issued between 2010 and 2022. It was found that in over 90% of these cases, the defendants were men. The authors performed normalisation and calculated the frequency of accidents considering the difference in the number of drivers of each sex (68% of men and only 22% of women drive). After accounting for the gender imbalance among drivers, men are 3.25 times more likely to be involved in accidents that lead to criminal cases.
The researchers hypothesised that the difference in driving behaviour between men and women is due to varying attitudes: men tend to drive faster and more aggressively. For example, men drive an average of 26% more kilometres per day than women yet spend only 10% more time behind the wheel. Additionally, men are more likely to drive under the influence: in a quarter of criminal cases, male drivers were charged with drunk driving. Among women convicted of traffic offenses, only 10% were charged with driving under the influence. Men are significantly more likely to cause road accidents that result in fatalities or injuries. Even after accounting for gender normalisation, three-quarters of those charged with offences involving significant public danger are men. In nearly two-thirds of cases, men are sentenced to imprisonment, whereas women charged under Article 264 receive a prison sentence in only 50% of cases.
According to the authors, this difference can be partially attributed to variations in gender socialisation, socio-economic factors, and regional cultural differences. In some regions, such as Primorye, Moscow, or St. Petersburg, the gap in the number of accidents caused by women and men is narrower than the national average. In others, such as Dagestan or Chukotka, the gap can be much wider, ranging from 6 to 10 or even 20 times.
In large cities, women are more likely to drive, whereas in the southern regions of Russia, driving is predominantly seen as a male activity. This regional variation suggests significant differences in driving styles across the country, which may be linked to local cultural factors. The state should consider cultural norms and work to enhance the driving safety of everyone on the road.
Anton Kazun
'The overall objective is to ensure that men and women have equal opportunities and rights in education, employment, and family life. At the same time, it can be assumed that having more careful and safer drivers, such as women, on the roads could generally improve driving standards and reduce the number of accidents. However, this process is likely to take time. It is also important to consider what measures need to be taken to ensure that men drive with the same level of caution as women,' according to Assistant Professor at HSE FES Anton Kazun.
See also:
For the First Time, Linguists Describe the History of Russian Sign Language Interpreter Training
A team of researchers from Russia and the United Kingdom has, for the first time, provided a detailed account of the emergence and evolution of the Russian Sign Language (RSL) interpreter training system. This large-scale study spans from the 19th century to the present day, revealing both the achievements and challenges faced by the professional community. Results have been published in The Routledge Handbook of Sign Language Translation and Interpreting.
HSE Scientists Develop DeepGQ: AI-based 'Google Maps' for G-Quadruplexes
Researchers at the HSE AI Research Centre have developed an AI model that opens up new possibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases, including brain cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Using artificial intelligence, the team studied G-quadruplexes—structures that play a crucial role in cellular function and in the development of organs and tissues. The findings have been published in Scientific Reports.
New Catalyst Maintains Effectiveness for 12 Hours
An international team including researchers from HSE MIEM has developed a catalyst that enables fast and low-cost hydrogen production from water. To achieve this, the scientists synthesised nanoparticles of a complex oxide containing six metals and anchored them onto various substrates. The catalyst supported on reduced graphene layers proved to be nearly three times more efficient than the same oxide without a substrate. This development could significantly reduce the cost of hydrogen production and accelerate the transition to green energy. The study has been published in ACS Applied Energy Materials. The work was carried out under a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.
HSE Researchers Offer Guidance to Prevent Undergraduate Burnout
Researchers at the HSE Institute of Education have identified how much time students should ideally devote to their studies, extracurricular activities, and personal life to maintain strong academic performance without compromising their mental health. An analysis of responses from 2,753 students, combined with their actual academic results, revealed several risk factors—such as excessive homework—as well as positive factors, including sufficient sleep, regular exercise, and moderate participation in projects. Based on these findings, the researchers developed practical recommendations for both students and universities. The paper has been published in the European Journal of Education.
Scientists Discover Why Parents May Favour One Child Over Another
An international team that included Prof. Marina Butovskaya from HSE University studied how willing parents are to care for a child depending on the child’s resemblance to them. The researchers found that similarity to the mother or father affects the level of care provided by parents and grandparents differently. Moreover, this relationship varies across Russia, Brazil, and the United States, reflecting deep cultural differences in family structures in these countries. The study's findings have been published in Social Evolution & History.
When a Virus Steps on a Mine: Ancient Mechanism of Infected Cell Self-Destruction Discovered
When a virus enters a cell, it disrupts the cell’s normal functions. It was previously believed that the cell's protective response to the virus triggered cellular self-destruction. However, a study involving bioinformatics researchers at HSE University has revealed a different mechanism: the cell does not react to the virus itself but to its own transcripts, which become abnormally long. The study has been published in Nature.
Researchers Identify Link between Bilingualism and Cognitive Efficiency
An international team of researchers, including scholars from HSE University, has discovered that knowledge of a foreign language can improve memory performance and increase automaticity when solving complex tasks. The higher a person’s language proficiency, the stronger the effect. The results have been published in the journal Brain and Cognition.
Artificial Intelligence Transforms Employment in Russian Companies
Russian enterprises rank among the world’s top ten leaders in AI adoption. In 2023, nearly one-third of domestic companies reported using artificial intelligence. According to a new study by Larisa Smirnykh, Professor at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, the impact of digitalisation on employment is uneven: while the introduction of AI in small and large enterprises led to a reduction in the number of employees, in medium-sized companies, on the contrary, it contributed to job growth. The article has been published in Voprosy Ekonomiki.
Lost Signal: How Solar Activity Silenced Earth's Radiation
Researchers from HSE University and the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences analysed seven years of data from the ERG (Arase) satellite and, for the first time, provided a detailed description of a new type of radio emission from near-Earth space—the hectometric continuum, first discovered in 2017. The researchers found that this radiation appears a few hours after sunset and disappears one to three hours after sunrise. It was most frequently observed during the summer months and less often in spring and autumn. However, by mid-2022, when the Sun entered a phase of increased activity, the radiation had completely vanished—though the scientists believe the signal may reappear in the future. The study has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics.
Banking Crises Drive Biodiversity Loss
Economists from HSE University, MGIMO University, and Bocconi University have found that financial crises have a significant negative impact on biodiversity and the environment. This relationship appears to be bi-directional: as global biodiversity declines, the likelihood of new crises increases. The study examines the status of populations encompassing thousands of species worldwide over the past 50 years. The article has been published in Economics Letters, an international journal.