PEOPLE would say that women are worse drivers than men since they are less knowledgeable on how to handle cars on roads.
There were 487,277 licenses issued by the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas as of Jan. 23. But according to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), there were 3,165 traffic incidents based on the Statistics on Traffic Incidents on Male and Female Drivers in 2019. Two hundred of them were female drivers while 2,965 of them were male drivers who violated the traffic rules.
Based on the data of the CCPO, the top three incidents on the road in 2019 were reckless imprudence resulting to damage to property, 2,393 cases; reckless imprudence resulting to physical injury, 741 cases; and reckless imprudence resulting to homicide, 39 cases.
Republic Act 1790 amending Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code states that “reckless imprudence consists in voluntarily, but without malice, doing or failing to do an act from which material damage results by reason of inexcusable lack of precaution on the part of the person performing or failing to perform such act, taking into consideration his employment or occupation, degree of intelligence, physical condition and other circumstances regarding persons, time and place.”
A total of 170 female drivers and 2,223 male drivers were guilty of reckless imprudence resulting to damage to property.
For reckless imprudence resulting to physical injury, 30 female drivers and 712 male drivers committed the violation. Finally, 39 male drivers committed reckless imprudence resulting to homicide in the year 2019.
Rebecah Roberts, 22, a driver for almost two years, said most women knew the rules and regulations of the road since they underwent driving lessons.
“I know a lot of women who drive, and I feel safer riding with them than with men, who always overtake. Most drivers these days are women, and they’re much more educated on the road,” she said.
She added that women are more careful while driving compared to men and not prone to road rage since they are more patient.
It really takes proper training to have a license. That is what Riza Lapaz, 21, a driver for two years, said. She added that it boils down to the person’s discipline on the road.
“Sometimes, women are much more disciplined when they drive,” she said.