Car Insurance for Woman

Why is Car Insurance for Woman Drivers Less Expensive?

Several studies have demonstrated that there are definite differences between male and female drivers in terms of driving behavior as well as accident and traffic violation rates.

Studies show that men tend to commit the majority of all serious motoring violations. They have also been shown to be involved in more car accidents. As a result, there is a higher probability that a male driver will file a claim than a female driver.

Insurance is priced to cover the cost of future auto claims. Insurance raters take this gender differentiation into account to calculate insurance premiums, often offering women lower auto insurance rates than men.

An Overview of Insurance Rating

Insurance rating is designed to ensure that the premiums that each driver pays reflect his or her risk as a driver. It is based on the statistical probability that the driver will file an insurance claim during the insurance period.

Aside from gender, certain other factors may be used to calculate this probability including:

• Age – The older, more experienced a driver, the lower the premium.
• Vehicle type – Certain vehicles are rated higher, or receive more discounts, than others.
• Driving record – The more accidents and traffic violations a driver has on their driving record, the higher the insurance premiums will be. Similarly, a newly-licensed driver will be charged more for their insurance than a more experienced driver.
• Marital status – Married drivers have lower insurance rates than unmarried or divorced drivers.
• Annual mileage – The more miles a drivers logs a year, the higher the insurance premiums that will be assessed.

Why Do Women Have Fewer Claims?

Both statistical and experiential evidence indicates that women tend to have fewer, less expensive claims, for a number of reasons:

• Women usually don't drive as fast as men, and are more cautious when driving, thereby incurring fewer violations, tickets and accidents.
• Women are less likely to file a claim, and when they do, it is more likely to be less expensive. In addition, they are less likely to file claims for relatively minor incidents such as a bump or scrape on their car.
• Women tend to choose cars with more safety features than do men. Insurers give a number of discounts for car safety features such as air bags and anti-lock brakes.
• Women tend to drive less than men, racking up a lower annual mileage. The more miles a driver drives, the greater the chance of an accident. This causes mileage to be a major rating factor. The lower the mileage, the lower the insurance premium will be.
• Drivers tend to be more careful when they have children in their car. Women drive with children more often than men do.

When Age Isn't Just a Number

The difference in insurance rates between genders is most significant among drivers under the age of 25. While youth - particularly teenagers - will typically be charged more by insurers, young male drivers pay even higher premiums than female drivers if the exact same age. Statistics, once again, are the basis for the higher rates, because these male drivers have been shown to cause more frequent and more costly accidents. For example, a study by the Pedestrian Safety Fact Sheet found that young male drivers are responsible for most pedestrian crashes. Female drivers in the same age group, on the other hand, have been found to have fewer accidents, speeding tickets and other traffic violations.

The Trends Are Changing

Although women are currently considered "safer" drivers than men, there are growing indications that women are getting to be more aggressive in their driving, getting more tickets for traffic violations and getting into more accidents than before. This trend has yet to be proven statistically. Until then, car insurance for woman drivers will likely remain less expensive than that of male counterparts.