It is the age old question that has sparked arguments between men and women for decades.

But now the battle of the sexes in Hyndburn seems to have been won - by women.

Figures released to the Accrington Observer from the DVLA show how female drivers are less likely than men to have penalty points on their driving licences.

They also show how the oldest man in Hyndburn with a current driving licence is 99 years old and the oldest woman is 93.

Out of the 19,041 men with full driving licences in Hyndburn, a total of 1,909 - 10 per cent - have points on their licences.

This compares unfavourably compared to 15,145 full licensed women drivers in the borough - of whom just 798 have points endorsed, just over 5 per cent.

The DVLA figures show that in each of the age categories, there are at least twice as many men with points on their licences as women.

Ed Morrow, campaigns officer for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “Male drivers are consistently more likely than women to admit to all manner of risky and illegal driving behaviour, from speeding to drink driving.

“Male drivers, particularly young male drivers, are more frequently involved in crashes as a result, so it is not surprising to see more men than women with points on their licence.

“However, female drivers should not be complacent – all drivers have a personal responsibility to stay within the law and make sure they are doing all they can to look out for each other on the roads.”

In the 17 to 21 age band there are 21 male drivers with points compared to eight women, and in the 21 to 30 age band there are 351 men compared to 113 women.

The highest numbers of men and women with points endorsed on their licence is the 41 to 50 band with 480 men compared to just 238 women.

There are also more than double the number of men in their 50s and 60s with points with 531 male drivers aged 51 to 70 compared to just 197 women.

The DVLA figures also reveal that there are a total of 1,860 male drivers over the age of 70 in Hyndburn and 1,041 women.

Anyone aged over 70 has to renew their driving licence every three years.

They also have to continue to meet minimum eyesight requirements.

The figures provided by the DVLA reflect the position as of October 2014.