National statistics, such as those from the register of traffic accident victims for the Department of the Rhone, bring to light more frequent accidents, and higher mortality and morbidity among men compared to women. These differences are explained first by the greater mobility of men, secondly by the fact they use more dangerous means of transportation such as two-wheeled vehicles, especially those with motors, and finally because they take more risks on the road, as shown by, among other things, the high frequency of their legal responsibility for fatal accidents. The authors cite a rich international scientific literature in attributing the origins of these behaviours to the value men assign to risk taking on the road. According to them, this value is apparently largely cultural in nature. (Author/publisher)
Abstract