Your gender matters when it comes to car insurance. Men and women are charged different auto insurance rates. But wait, isn’t this gender-bias? How can this be tolerated?
Car insurance companies get away with the gender-bias because they can back up their reasoning with solid statistics. It has been demonstrated over the decades that men are more likely to file insurance claims than women. When a certain demographic is known to file more claims, then as a group they will be charged higher rates.
To explore this subject further, lets break down some instances where men are shown to be a more risky venture than women drivers.
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Men Drive More Than Women
Men on average spend more time behind the wheel than women. Since men happen to be on the road more, they have a higher chance of getting into accidents and filing insurance claims. It is a simple law of averages. The more miles you drive annually, the more chance you have of getting into a crash (which is why insurance companies also charge different rates based on your annual mileage).
Men Suffer More Driving Fatalities
In addition to driving more, men are killed more in car accidents than women. And not just a little more – a lot more. In fact, more than twice as many men died in car accidents in 2008 than women. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 12,969 men died in car accidents in that year, compared to 5,226 women.
These are tragic numbers, and they also demonstrate the greater risk men represent to auto insurance companies. Men made up 71% of driving fatalities in 2008, while women only made up 29%. These numbers do not reflect the general driving population.
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Men Are More Likely To Engage In Risky Driving Behavior
Men may drive more than women, but studies have also proven that they have more hazardous driving habits. Men are less likely to wear seat belts, they speed more, and generally drive more aggressively.
Also, men drink and drive more than women, which in turn leads to more car accidents and auto insurance claims. If you add all these up, the ultimate conclusion is that men are a bigger hazard on the road than women.
Men Drive More Risky Automobiles
What’s a “more risky automobile?” In the eyes of auto insurance companies, it means autos that have a higher rate of accidents, are stolen more often, and/or don’t have the most advanced safety features installed. Men, as a whole, prefer to drive cars that are more costly to insure and vehicles on average that see more insurance claims. For example, men drive more sports cars than women. For the reasons stated above, sports cars are more expensive to insure, and also see more instances of accidents and insurance claims.
Women have been known to be more conscious of safety features when purchasing an automobile. These features reduce the severity of bodily injuries in car accidents, and also help reduce medical payment claims. Car insurance companies offer discounts for safety features like anti-lock brakes and airbags. Since women more often look for these features, they tend to pay less for auto insurance.
Young Males Are A Particularly Risky Demographic
Part of the reason that men, on average, see higher insure rates is due to the premiums paid by young males, ages 16-25. This demo pays the highest auto insurance rates of any group because of their lack of driving experience and poor driving habits. They tend to drive more erratically and become involved in more car crashes than any other demographic. The good news is that with age, males will see their insurance rates drop.
Men, on average, have to pay higher auto insurance rates than women drivers. But if you’re a guy, that doesn’t mean you can’t do something about it. You can find ways to reduce your car insurance premiums. One effective tactic is to get an online car insurance quote. Fill out a form here at Cheap Quotes Car Insurance, and find the cheapest car insurance rates available.