Do Female Drivers Take Fewer Risks? Implications for Car Insurance

Some South African insurance companies are claiming that women are less hazardous drivers than men; they take fewer risks, and are therefore a better insurance bet. The views from the insurance industry are based on a recent study from the UK, along with other car crash data, that shows women tend to be participants in low-impact crashes more often than high-speed crashes, while men are more often implicated in destructive accidents when traveling at high speeds.

Generalisation or Fact?
According to data from many different studies, women tend to take fewer risks when driving. They stick to the speed limit more often, and they are not usually involved in incidents of road rage. Of course, everyone probably knows the exception to the rule – the woman who regularly speeds on the way to work, and the man who always drives carefully and has never been involved in an accident. But the fact is the data supports the general idea that – statistically – women are more careful drivers than men.

Women are involved in fewer accidents than male drivers. The accidents are different, too – the average cost for repairing a vehicle damaged in an accident where a women is driving is less than the cost of repairing a car driven by a man.

Male and Female Drivers: Study
The study from the UK looked at over 400,000 accident claims and defined the cause of the collision and whether female or male drivers were involved. Women were more likely than their male counterparts to hit a parked car, reverse into another car at low speed, and hit a car in a parking lot. Men were more likely to cause a multi-car crash, hit a tree, or hit an animal. Why are men more often involved in serious crashes? It could be due to testosterone, an enhanced tendency for risk-taking, or even higher levels of aggression.

Due to the higher risk of a male driver being involved in a serious crash, insurance premiums are typically higher for male drivers.

Other Factors that Affect Your Car Insurance Premium
Thankfully for male drivers, your gender is not the only thing to affect your car insurance premium – click here to find out more. For example, you can typically find lower premiums when you are an older driver – young drivers are more of a risk, while more mature drivers pay less for premiums. If you have a good driving history with no serious incidents on your record, you will also pay less. Installing good quality security features on your vehicle, keeping it in a garage, and having a well-maintained car help drive the cost of insurance down. You can also shop around for car insurance policies – the difference in price between companies can be large. Look at a number of different options before you settle on one insurance package – you will normally be able to find a good deal.