Car insurance for women

Car insurance companies are not legally allowed to make any determinations on the costs of cover based purely on the gender of the applicant. In other words, women don't get lower premiums 'because' they're women. The lower premiums are based on several factors that differentiate between the way men and women drive.

Women, for example, are statistically likely to drive far fewer miles in a year, on average, than men. The fewer miles driven, the lesser the likelihood of an accident occurring, and the lower the premium. Men do considerably more miles, on average, which means they're more likely to get into accidents.

Women, of course, do get into accidents too and they do need to make claims. But statistically, it seems that the accidents women are more likely to get involved in are minor prangs and scrapes. These are so small that usually the insurance company isn't involved at all, as costs fall under the individual's voluntary excess.

Men, however, get into much larger and more costly accidents. So when they make a claim, it costs the insurance company considerably more money. This, in turn, will cause a small rise in everyone's premiums. So women, for the time being at least, generally enjoy lower insurance premiums.

The simple answer is - it depends!

Many things will determine the exact amount your cover will cost. The vehicle itself, how many miles you're driving, for what purpose (business or domestic/pleasure only), and if you have any years of no claims bonus built up. The only way to get a direct answer is to start gathering your information and compare car insurance quotes.

There are many different levels of car insurance available, and the level of cover you choose will determine how much you're going to have to pay. The legal minimum you need to have is known as "third party, fire, and theft". A comparatively basic level of insurance only covers the costs incurred by other people when you have an accident, and while it's cheap car insurance, it won't cover your expenses if you need to make a claim.

Then you have "fully comprehensive" insurance, which, as the name implies, offers a more comprehensive level of cover in case you need a claim. Fully comprehensive insurance will also cover the costs of your vehicle in the event of an accident that's deemed to be your fault. Also, and more importantly, it will cover your expenses in an incident where the fault cannot be reliably determined. This makes it a wise investment over basic car insurance.

There are also extras available for insurance policies, such as:

• Contents cover - insurance for the contents of your vehicles, usually up to a value of a few hundred pounds.
• Windscreen cover - protection for you windscreen in the event of it becoming chipped, scratched, or damaged.
• Hire car cover - your policy may not include the provision of a vehicle while yours is being repaired, hire car cover will.
• Uninsured driver protection - if you get into an accident with an uninsured driver, your no claims bonus won't be affected.
• Personal injury cover - covers certain injuries sustained by you or occupants of your vehicle in the event of an accident.

Take your time, and choose the best car insurance cover for your needs.

The first way is to shop around. Get quotes from a number of different insurers to find the best deal. Other methods include lowering the number of miles you drive in a year. Make sure you get an accurate valuation of your car; many overestimate their vehicle's value and pay too much to insure it.

If possible, park your vehicle safely off the road. Consider getting a dashcam or black box fitted. Go on a driver improvement or PassPlus course to improve your driving skills. Raise your amount of voluntary excess, namely the amount you are liable to pay in the event of a claim.

All of these things will help you to get lower car insurance quotes.