Men Go to Traffic Court More Often Than Women, Survey Says

A recent survey shows that men are more likely to go to court than women. In fact, according to the results of the survey, more than a third of Americans have been plaintiffs or defendants in court, including 44 percent of men and 31 percent of women.

These results, which were compiled from a representative population sample of over 1,000 adults across the nation, suggests that going to court is more common than commonly thought.

Survey respondents were asked why they went to court. Not surprisingly, traffic violations came in on top at 18 percent.

The next most common reasons for going to court were custody and divorce cases, small claims, bankruptcy and criminal matters. Ten percent of men said they were defendants in criminal cases, compared with only four percent of women. The results confirmed statistics compiled by the Department of Justice that men are more likely to engage in crime, despite making up a slightly smaller percentage of the population.

In a way, the study also led a bit of credence to the popular belief that men are more dangerous behind the wheel than women. A quarter of men reported appearing at least once in traffic court, compared with only 11 percent of women. Research data used by auto insurers also shows that men are about five percent more likely to receive tickets for speeding, passing and yielding violations.

The discrepancy is even greater for citations involving reckless driving and DWI. Men are over three times more likely to go to court for these violations, which automatically trigger a court appearance. These charges are often criminal traffic violations because they suggest disregard for the safety of others.