South Africa is home to the most dangerous drivers in the world – here’s how we compare

 ·23 Jun 2023

A new study has revealed that the men and women of South Africa are among the worst drivers in the world, with an alarmingly high number of fatal road accidents.

This is according to a study conducted by a group of experts from Compare the Markets Australia (CMA), which ranked the safest and most dangerous nations by road mortality rates, as well as which gender is most at risk.

CMA noted that it compiled official statistics published by The World Bank and looked at the rates of fatal accidents involving the different genders in certain countries.

The countries have then been ranked by how much higher the accident rate is for men than women, with the country with the lowest difference being ranked first.

According to the data, the country earning the title of having the lowest road mortality rate is the United Kingdom (UK).

The report showed that, in the UK, the number of fatal male accidents stands at 4.8 per 100,000 people, while this number is even lower for females at 1.6 per 100,000. 

“With a national speed limit of 112 km/h, which goes down to 48 km/h in built-up areas, this could explain why, regardless of gender, British drivers are some of the safest in the world,” said CMA.

Japan has the second-lowest road mortality rate, followed by Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain making up the top five.

“Interestingly, when it comes to female drivers in Japan, they actually feature lower down, ranking fifth behind Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands.”

“Of all the countries in the index, Japan has the lowest gender gap difference between male and female accident fatalities, at 2.7,” said CMA.

Regarding female drivers, Spain comes in second with only 1.8 fatal female accidents per 100,000; however, male Spanish drivers came in fifth place on the index at 6.1.

South Africa

When it comes to which countries are worst for fatal road accidents overall, South Africa is the country with the highest amount for both genders.

The report shows that South Africa has a high number of fatal accidents, with the rate being significantly higher for males than females at 34.9 per 100,000 people and 9.9 per 100,000 people, respectively, leading to the country having the largest gender gap.

CMA noted, however, that the notable difference may be attributed to fewer women driving on the road in South Africa.

While Brazil stands second behind South Africa with 26.9 fatal accidents per 100,000 people in males, the rate for women is only 5.6. “This could be due to bad roads, such as large potholes, flooding, etc.,” added CMA.

The USA appears more prone to fatal accidents for females, with the statistics pegged at 7.5 per 100,000 following lower minimum average driving age of 16 years or varying driving requirements by each state.

Even so, male statistics at 17.9 per 100,000 appear to fare worse across countries included in the index.

Despite these statistics, CMA general insurance manager Adrian Taylor cautioned against assuming this meant that male drivers were automatically worse than female motorists.

“The bottom line is that while it may be a common debate when it comes to driving ability, it isn’t really a battle of the sexes, as individual abilities and experience can vary greatly,” said Taylor.


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