Automotive - Why is women's car insurance so much cheaper than men's?

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Why is women's car insurance so much cheaper than men's?

Samantha Crofts

Some drivers – usually the male half of the population – often tar all women drivers with the same brush: they can't park and they drive too slowly (which sometimes simply means within the speed limit). But, car insurance companies obviously recognise the merits of women drivers, because they offer them cheaper car insurance premiums.

But why should women pay less for their car insurance? Well, insurers haven't been charging the fairer sex lower premiums just out of the goodness of their hearts – they are rewarding them for having fewer accidents and therefore costing them less money in claims, eating into their profit margin less than their male customers.

And, not only do women cause fewer road accidents than their male driver counterparts, but when they do have a collision, it is much more likely to be less serious – a fender bender, rather than an expensive head-on collision involving other vehicles and a costly insurance claim.

Statistically, men have a higher number of serious accidents; they drive faster, they have more powerful cars that have more expensive parts to replace if they are damaged or stolen, and they get pulled over by the police for driving too fast on a more frequent basis. Research has also shown that men are more easily distracted than women, with their attention being taken from the road while they are driving, so there are plenty of reasons why women's car insurance is cheaper.

And we're not talking peanuts when it comes to the difference in cost between car insurance for men and women. Men have been known to get annoyed at the great disparity in price between a car insurance policy for a woman and the exact same cover for a male driver with the same driving experience and no claims bonus.

Some couples can save money by being on the same car insurance policy, especially if they live at the same address, but others have found this doesn't work for them, and find that the best quotes are to be had by going it alone and getting car insurance from two separate providers – and even then there can still be a dramatic difference in the cost for a male and female driver.

Women's car insurance has really taken off in recent years, especially with the emergence of specialist companies such as Sheilas' Wheels and Diamond Car Insurance which only offer car insurance for lady drivers. So, even though women might be more likely to hold you up at the traffic lights or take a few minutes perfecting that reverse park, there's good reason why the female of the species gets cheaper car insurance!

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Women can save hundreds of pounds on their premiums compared to the same cover for a male driver, as many a couple has found when applying for car insurance.

This news arrived on: 09/06/2008

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