Car Insurance for Women

Cheap car insurance for women

Insurers are no longer allowed to take gender into account when quoting the cost of car insurance, thanks to a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that was enforced in 2012. Prior to the ruling, insurers could offer cheaper car insurance to women because, statistically speaking, female drivers were found to be safer than men and therefore less likely to make a claim.

And although insurers cannot offer car insurance premiums based on gender, some insurers still specialise in car insurance for women.

MoneySuperMarket data, showing fully comprehensive car insurance quotes for female motorists in January of each year. Correct as of February 2018.

Women drivers and the EU Gender Directive

Figures show that men account for a massive 92% of all UK driving convictions and a staggering 98% of all convictions for dangerous driving.

Furthermore, women have fewer accidents and make fewer claims. And when women do claim, it’s typically for minor bumps rather than complete write-offs and the claims tend to be less expensive than those made by male drivers.

While these statistics previously meant cheaper car insurance for women, now they can no longer be used to calculate premiums. When the ECJ’s EU Gender Directive came into effect, quotes for female car insurance increased by 30%.

How much is car insurance for women?

The average cost of a fully comprehensive premium for women was £487.20 in January 2018. You can compare the average cost of fully comprehensive car insurance for women over the last five years in the table below:

MoneySuperMarket data, showing fully comprehensive car insurance quotes for female motorists in January of each year. Correct as of February 2018.

Although insurers can’t give female motorists cheaper car insurance based on their gender, women actually pay 23.6% less for their premiums than men. That’s according to MoneySuperMarket data, which shows that women paid an average of £487.20 for their fully comprehensive car insurance in January 2018, compared with £602.56 for men.

The difference in car insurance quotes isn’t due to gender but a number of other factors that affect price, such as the trend for women to drive less powerful cars and fewer miles than men.

MoneySuperMarket data, correct as of February 2018.

Age is still a concern

While gender has been taken out of the equation, age is still very much a consideration when it comes to calculating the cost of women’s car insurance premiums, and it’s the under-25s who generally pay the higher prices.

Car insurance for young drivers under the age of 25 tends to be higher because they are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident and make a claim.

And it’s not just the number of accidents that’s higher, it’s also the severity: drivers under the age of 25 are involved in more than a quarter of all fatal crashes, despite accounting for just over 12% of the driving population.

Although male drivers under the age of 25 are considered to be the highest risk, young female drivers also face higher car insurance quotes since gender can no longer be taken into account.

MoneySuperMarket data, showing fully comprehensive car insurance quotes for female motorists in January 2018.

Find cheap car insurance for women

However, in spite of the EU ruling, there are still a number of ways to cut the cost of car insurance quotes for women:

• Keep mileage down: The number of miles you cover each year affects the price of your premium, so if you can keep your annual mileage to a minimum, this may bring the cost down.
• Secure your car: The likelihood of your car being stolen is another factor. Things like how desirable your car may be to thieves, the area in which you live, and the security devices you may or may not have fitted all affect your quote.
• Try not to park in the road: Simply parking off the road overnight – preferably in a well-lit driveway – or by fitting insurer-approved security devices could help bring the cost down.
• Build up your no claims discount: Just one year’s NCD can knock as much as a third off your renewal price.

Female drivers under the age of 25 should visit our dedicated page for more top tips.

Car insurance groups

The type of car you drive also has a massive impact on how much you pay for your car insurance and the general rule of thumb is that the bigger the engine, the higher the premium price.

However, other things such as the car’s specification and any modifications are also considered, as are the cost of parts and repairs. This is one of the reasons why cars made by more expensive manufacturers command higher policy prices, even if they have a relatively small engine.

Each car is placed into one of 50 insurance groups that are used to help calculate insurance costs. You can read more about this on our car insurance groups page, but the general rule is that the higher the grouping, the more pricey the policy. Find out what car insurance group your car is in with this tool.

Compare car insurance for women

The best deals can be found when you shop around, so make sure you compare car insurance for women and don’t just accept the renewal offer made to you by your insurer. Make a note of when your policy is set to renew and then check for a better deal.

When you compare car insurance with MoneySuperMarket, you can instantly review more than 100 insurance companies across the UK to get the best deal possible for you.

Always remember that when comparing car insurance for women, the cheapest quote may not always be the best value; the most important thing is to make sure that the level of cover matches your circumstances. And in some cases, it may even be worth paying a little extra to include additional features such as breakdown cover.

For more ideas on how save on car insurance for women drivers, visit our money saving tips page.