Research shows women drivers are less likely to involved in severe crashes compared to men

If you want to get home in one piece, you’re better off with a woman driver, research suggests.

Passengers were up to a third less likely to be involved in accidents if the driver was female.

‘Female drivers tend to be involved in less severe crashes than males,’ say the Spanish researchers from the University of Grenada, writing in the journal Heliyon.

Results showed that there was a 28 per cent lower risk of severe injuries in an accident when the driver was a woman (Stock image)

They analysed data from 171,230 accidents with more than 400,000 drivers and passengers. 

Results showed that there was a 28 per cent lower risk of severe injuries in an accident when there was a female at the wheel. 

That increased to 33 per cent where only one vehicle was involved.

But the study also found that women involved in accidents were 23 per cent more likely to be hospitalised. 

One theory is that women may be more physically vulnerable to injury.