Introduction
Do women pay too much for car insurance (you can find the answer at this cheap female car insurance site)? We’ve
all heard the jokes about women drivers; statistically however, females
have been proven to be safer drivers than their male counterparts. Due
to this, female drivers were once able to enjoy far lower insurance
premiums than males. However, this all changed with the 2012 EU Gender
Directive that ruled against insurance premiums being based on gender.
Women are statistically safer drivers than men Insurance companies had
previously based their insurance premiums on numerous statistics that
showed males were more likely to speed, be involved in dangerous
driving, and be involved in serious accidents:
•In 2002, the Home Office
produced a study that showed in 88 percent of driving offences and 83
percent of speed-related misdemeanours the offenders were male.
•In
2015, the DVLA revealed that 654,263 men were caught breaking the speed
limit, in comparison to just 267,290 women.
•The RAC found that men are
three times more likely than women to be involved in a fatal car
accident.
•92 percent of all UK driving convictions and 98 percent of
all convictions for dangerous driving are down to male drivers.
The 2012 EU Gender Directive
Despite the statistics, the EU Gender Directive, which was passed in December 21, 2012, ruled that no insurer within the European Union could use gender as a basis when calculating insurance premiums. The ruling was met with widespread criticism in the UK. Conservative MEP, Saijad Karim called the ruling “utter madness”.
But did it have an effect?
Women under the age of 25 were affected the most. Whereas before, men under the age of 25 had higher insurance premiums due to the likelihood of drivers in that demographic being involved in accidents, that demographic now covered all drivers under the age of 25; thus, the insurance premiums for young women increased to match young men's own premiums. According to confused.com, the average comprehensive premium for 17-20 year old women increased by 16.4 percent in the last three months of 2012. However, women in the older demographics were less affected. Female drivers aged 36 to 40 only saw a two percent increase; whereas, women aged 40 to 45 saw almost no effect whatsoever. In fact, women over the age of 50 had previously paid more than men, so they would have seen a decrease.
How can women react?
Many insurance
companies found new ways to favour safer drivers, meaning young women
could still find cheaper insurance. This was down to the fact that,
whilst gender was no longer a legal way to calculate insurance premiums,
there were still many other factors that could be used:
•Type of car.
This is based on price, maximum speed, and the type of car. Any
modifications made to the car will also affect insurance premiums.
•Number of miles.
•Black box policies. This is where the car is fitted
with a black box that monitors the driver’s speed, braking, and general
driving behaviour.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the 2012 EU Gender Directive had an effect on female and male insurance premiums. Women under the age of 25 saw their insurance rates increase massively. Nonetheless, insurance companies have been able to find a number of other ways to calculate insurance premiums. So women are still able to find a decreased insurance premium if they focus on buying cheaper, safer, more sensible cars and then continue to drive them in a safe and sensible fashion.