Men motivated by speed rather than safety

Aug. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Cars are safer now than ever before with side curtain air bags and active head restraints, however for over half of men (52%) a vehicles safety features aren’t the most important factor when purchasing a car.

According to new research carried out by Opinion Matters on behalf of national car supermarket Carcraft (http://www.carcraft.co.uk) almost half (47%) of men are more interested in a new vehicle’s speed, gadgets and image rather than it’s safety features. This contrasts with the 60% of women who felt safety was the most important factor when deciding on a new vehicle.

The research additionally discovered that women also favour the comfort of a vehicle’s ride (58%) and its fashion credentials (5%).

A spokesperson for Carcraft commented, “Men still look first at the 0-60 time when deciding on their new car, rather than looking at it’s Euro NCAP rating. Women however are more impressed by a vehicle’s internal attributes such as the safety features and the comfort of the ride.”

Michael Guttridge, business psychologist added, “Research shows that generally men are more likely to be risk-takers than women and young men in particular more aggressive. They also express their aggression in direct ways and become more competitive when driving – hence their interest in fast cars.

“Evolutionary psychology suggest that these behaviours would have helped a male survive and find a mate more easily.”