Gender and age "go hand in hand" for car insurance

Posted :07-08-2007

Car insurance does take gender into account but it goes hand in hand with the age of the driver, an expert has maintained.

Although a range of factors are considered when a car insurance premium is calculated, a female will not necessarily be offered a cheaper price as her no-claims bonus and type of car would also influence the cost, said Sainsbury's Bank communications manager Natasha Virtue.

However, research has discovered that women tend to drive fewer miles and have lower-speed accidents - resulting in claims which cost less and therefore less expensive car insurance, Ms Virtue continued.

"You would imagine then that women who are safer drivers would get a cheaper premium," she said.

"We know that men are slightly more dangerous. In terms of the age, it's the younger men which are the higher risk group in terms of insurance."

However, there are ways in which drivers can minimise the cost of car insurance, such as comparing prices online.

Ms Virtue said this week that Sainsbury's Bank had found more people were comfortable using the internet to shop around for insurance quotes.


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