According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), in 2025, men accounted for a significantly higher percentage of road traffic accident victims compared to women. The data shows that 58.2% of all accident victims were male (217,000 people), while women constituted the remaining 41.8% (156,100 people).
The disparity increases with the severity of injuries. Among those with minor injuries, the male percentage was 57.1%. This gap widens considerably for those with serious injuries, reaching nearly two-thirds (64.0%), and it approaches three-quarters (73.6%) among those who died.
In terms of general risk, the probability of being involved in an accident is much greater for men. Last year, there were 526 young men and men involved per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 369 girls and women-a difference of almost one-third. The difference is even starker when looking at fatal accidents: per 100,000 inhabitants, road traffic casualties involved around five male individuals, more than double the number of female casualties. Various factors contribute to this trend, including men’s greater participation in road traffic and their more frequent use of vehicles associated with serious accident consequences, such as motorcycles. Additionally, accident cause analysis suggests that women tend to display more cautious behavior on the road.
Overall, men are involved in accidents more often than women across all age groups, though the differences are most pronounced among young people, who are particularly vulnerable in both sexes. In 2025, 28,631 men aged 15 to 20 were involved in road accidents, representing a 70.5% increase compared to the 16,789 women in the same age bracket. Fatal accidents in this youth demographic were also disproportionate: 161 young men died, five times the number of young women (32).
In terms of modes of transport, men are more frequently involved in accidents on motorcycles or mopeds; 10.8% of male victims drove motorcycles/scooters, versus a much lower 3.0% for women. Regarding bicycles, 28.3% of male victims cycled, compared to 23.0% of women. Cars remain the most common mode of transport for both sexes (40.6% of males, 55.2% of females). However, even here there are differences: while four-fifths (79.5%) of men involved in car accidents were driving themselves, only two-thirds (66.2%) of women fell into that category. Conversely, the percentage of male victims walking (6.4%) was slightly lower than that of female victims (8.9%).
Men are statistically more likely to be the main cause of an accident than women. Among people involved in accidents resulting in bodily harm, 56.1% of the men were primary offenders versus 50.4% of the women. Vehicle occupants are the largest group involved in accidents, and driver culpability shows similar trends: 58.9% of drivers were frequently responsible for accidents they were involved in, compared to 53.8% of female drivers. Cyclists are also more likely to cause an accident (52.8% vs 48.4% for women). This pattern holds for e-scooter riders (65.3% vs 61.4% for women). Interestingly, while women are less likely than men to be involved in a two-wheeled vehicle accident, when they are involved, they are slightly more likely to bear the main responsibility (61.9%) than male motorcycle drivers (57.4%).
These gender differences are also apparent in the specific behaviors that cause accidents. In 2025, improper turning, reversing, entering, and exiting maneuvers were the most common cause of an accident for both male and female drivers, accounting for 14.4% of all behavioral errors for men and 17.6% for women. However, for men, a primary risk factor was insufficient distance between vehicles (13.2%), followed by inappropriate speed (12.9%). Among women, disregarding the right-of-way ranked second (16.4%), while insufficient distance was third (12.9%). Slowing down due to insufficient speed was less frequent among women (9.6%). Moreover, men are significantly more likely to be involved in road accidents under the influence of alcohol or drugs (6.8%) compared to women (2.4%).
