Car Insurance for Women

Female drivers drive less, pay less for auto insurance

What are the differences between car insurance for females vs. males?

The string of pay-as-you drive auto insurance policies popping up from various insurers may be most beneficial for female drivers, who on average drive significantly less than men.

Pay-as-you-drive policies appealing to female drivers

Men log almost 6,000 more miles per year than women do, according to statistics from the National Household Transportation Survey, which reported that in 2001 women drove an average of 10,174 miles. Pay-as-you-drive policies, which allow customers to receive discounts on their premiums for driving less, can appeal to women who drive minimal distances and are looking to have less expensive auto insurance rates.

Female drivers involved in fewer car accidents than male drivers

Women are also statistically involved in fewer car accidents and traffic violations than men, often leading to less expensive car insurance premiums. Men are more likely to violate laws for speeding, passing and yielding, according to MSN Auto News, which reported that men are 3.41 more likely to be cited for reckless driving and 3.09 more likely to receive a DUI charge.

“Men take more risks behind the wheel than women, and so men are more likely to get into serious crashes,” Anne McCartt, the senior vice president of research for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, told the news organization.

Less female drivers involved in fatal crashes each year

The IIHS also found that more men die in fatal car crashes each year, often due to factors such as not wearing seat belts, or driving under the influence of alcohol. Almost three times as many men were involved in fatal traffic accidents in 2009, with 11,902 dying in auto collisions compared to 4,887 women.

Female drivers pay less for auto insurance

INSweb reports that the national median rate that female drivers pay for auto insurance is $698 for a six-month policy, 9 percent less than the $765 that men pay. Women also usually own cheaper vehicles that are less expensive to insure, and are less likely to purchase a car insurance policy with multiple drivers or vehicles, also leading to less expensive rates.

Car insurance for women costs 20 percent less in the state of Wyoming, according to INSweb, the largest price discrepancy between the genders in the nation. On average, [six-month] premiums cost women $495 compared to the $621 that men pay. Washington, D.C. has the second-highest discrepancy at 16 percent, while Iowa is the only state where auto insurance for women is actually more expensive, with costs coming to $544 compared to the $533 that men are charged.