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Men are four times more likely to die in traffic - a worrying trend!
The VCÖ analysis shows gender differences in traffic accidents in Carinthia from 2021 to 2024. Men cause fatal accidents much more often than women. Security measures and infrastructure improvements are urgently needed.
Men are four times more likely to die in traffic - a worrying trend!
In the period from 2021 to the end of November 2024, there were alarming numbers of traffic accidents in Carinthia and Upper Austria. In Carinthia, 40 women and 79 men died, while in Upper Austria the number of male traffic fatalities was significantly higher at 246. This is the result of an analysis by the VCÖ, which is based on data from Statistics Austria and highlights the dramatic gender differences in road safety.
The analysis shows that men are four times as likely as women to cause fatal traffic accidents. In 2023, men were responsible for 21 fatal accidents, compared to just ten for women. An alarming feature is that young men, especially those aged 15 to 24, are particularly likely to become victims: six times as many young men as women have had fatal accidents. According to VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky, risky behavior such as drunk driving and excessive speeds are common causes for these numbers, as they occur significantly more often among men, as also in the reports from meinkreis.at was detained.
Special risks for women and seniors
Another alarming result of the study shows the high proportion of senior women over the age of 64 who have fatal accidents. Almost half of female traffic fatalities belong to this age group. Katharina Jaschinsky calls for traffic planning that is suitable for seniors and more traffic calming in order to increase the safety of this vulnerable group. In addition, it is pointed out that women are more likely to travel as part of the so-called “mobility of care”, which means that they are often responsible for looking after children or relatives in need of care. These aspects must urgently be taken into account in transport planning, as also stated by ORF Carinthia was emphasized.
The analysis therefore highlights the urgent need to take targeted measures to improve road safety, not only for men but also for women and especially for older road users. Transport infrastructure should be made more pedestrian-friendly and safer to minimize risks for all groups.