Women Pay Less

By Author: Norris Rios
Total Articles: 572
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There's one rule for the men. They think they drive well. They praise their skills and refuse to allow women to drive them. Indeed, catch them in an relaxed moment with a beer in one hand and they will scorn women as drivers. But the facts are rather different. Insurance companies exist to make money. That's capitalism for you. The way they do it is simple. They estimate how much they will have to pay out as claims and collect more in as premiums. What could be easier than that? Well, it's actually quite a science. Based on probabilities, insurers calculate which driver they insure will have an accident and how much they will claim. To make the calculation as accurate as possible, they collect every possible piece of information about reported accidents, health insurance claims for treatment, and claims for vehicle repairs. They know who was driving, the make and model, the time of day, and any special circumstances, e.g. poor visibility, snow on the ground, a tree suddenly stepping out on to the road, and so on. Guess what. Women are involved in fewer accidents and, when they claim, the amount of damage is less than that claimed ...
... by men. Why is this?

Well, it's all about speed and the amount of concentration involved. Women drive more slowly. This has two effects. They avoid collisions more often. When there is a collision, there's less damage to the vehicles and the people inside them. If you look at the statistics produced by local and state police, they show men are more likely to pick up tickets for moving violations and, particularly when young, more likely to be caught for DUI/DWI offenses. Women are very law-abiding, keeping to the speed limits and driving safely. This is rewarded by lower premium rates. Really. Why is that?

In theory, everyone goes into the same group and the estimated cost of all the claims is divided among all the group members. That would seem fair. Everyone would pay the same. Except that gives no incentive to the bad drivers to drive more safely. So insurers reward the careful drivers and hit the bad drivers with premium hikes. That sends a real message to the bad drivers. You reap what you sow.

Here comes the message part of the article. If you are a woman, you should always get multiple auto insurance quotes from as many companies as possible. Make sure you get the discounts for lower mileages and off-peak driving. Report when you have taken certified driving courses. If your GPA is 3.0 or above, there's a discount for that. Buy a lower powered vehicle. Avoid getting a ticket. Now you are talking about premium rates a fraction of that paid by men of the same age and experience.

Men, if you want cheap auto insurance, drive like a woman. The longer you go without picking up a ticket and making no claim, the better your rates will be. Yes, it will be a strain. Yes, your friends may mock you. But, when it comes to saving money, this is not a time to be shy. Be safe. Pay less.