Battle of the sexes - Why women pay less for insurance

coco olorunfemi

August 6, 2015 10:14 AM

An age old question, who are better drivers – men or women?...

Man and woman symbol

If you were to ask this question to an equal number of men and women, the males would without a doubt single out women as terrible drivers. Whereas as women on the other hand would be more diplomatic and provide a well-reasoned answer –half would say females and the other half would declare males as the worst drivers in Naija.

Over the years, extensive research has been done on this topic: conclusively affirming men to not necessary be awful drivers compared to their female counterparts but more likely to be involved in accidents.

According to the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) , there is extensive evidence to show that men and young men in particular. Tend to be over confident and therefore more aggressive behind the wheel than women.

Men will on average exhibit higher levels of sensation seeking and risk taking. Due to these risky actions, there are greater numbers of fatalities of men than women.

Since, insurance companies determine insurance premiums by predicting who will be a greater risk, men are more likely to pay more for their insurance.

Insurance companies traditionally view women as more cautious when driving; and are more likely to be involved in low cost fender benders.

Here is four more reasons insurers view testosterone driven wild men as greater risks:

Greater risk of serious injury Men are 10% less likely to wear a seatbelt and in the case of an accident chances are greater that’ll be serious injured.

SpeedingThe likelihood of an accident increases when speeding. Unlike women, men are more likely to break road rules by speeding.

Driving while intoxicatedMen tend to be over confident and will more likely drive while under the influence of alcohol.

Vehicle preferenceInsurers charge higher premiums for vehicle that are faster and higher priced vehicle. Owners of fast cars are more likely to speed and expensive cars generally have higher cost of repairs.

Traditionally, women consider more functional factors when purchasing a vehicle. They are more likely to choose a vehicle based on factors such as fuel consumption and budget constraints. Most men will however prefer a faster vehicle and will more likely purchase a vehicle that is more expensive.

While insurers traditionally view men as more likely to speed, drive aggressively, and operate a vehicle under the influence. Women are catching up with their male counterparts. There is therefore neither a yes or no answer as to whether men are better drivers. But based on perception, men will pay higher insurance premiums.

coco olorunfemi