Reader’s Question:

Is it true that car insurance qoutes for male drivers are higher than those for female drivers?

Mark,

Washington, DC

Car insurance companies have different ways of computing for insurance policy rates. In general, they base it on how your experience with claims over a period of time. This experience pertains to both the claims that you have previously filed and your personal experience that could have led you to filing a claim. The latter could be in the form of an accident (whether it involves another vehicle or a natural phenomenon like a hail storm), a moving violation, or a theft/vandalism.

Typically, with all things being equal, female drivers between 18 to 25 years old would get lower insurance qoutes than male drivers of the same age bracket would. This is because, statistically, female drivers in this age bracket get involved in fewer accidents and traffic violations. Studies show that male drivers drive more than females do. This increases their odds of getting into an accident. Also, male drivers are generally risk takers when they are driving, making them commit more moving violations than female drivers who have more regard for safety.

The only time that you could get lower insurance qoutes would probably be when you get a bit older. Again, with all things being equal, you may get lower rates when you are older because companies expect that male drivers drove more than female drivers did when they were younger. Therefore, they are expected to be more experienced drivers as they reach adulthood.