Compare car insurance quotes for women

When the European Court of Justice passed the Gender Directive in 2012, a number of insurers, including some that were already in the market, responded by raising their profile as pro-women car insurers. 

In some cases, the companies were driven by a feeling that the Gender Directive was unfair, given the far-safer driving record of women drivers. 

Some specific insurers for women regularly publish survey results that show how much safer women drivers continue to be. 

In short, apart from offering female-friendly policy benefits, such as handbag cover, they campaign on behalf of women drivers.

Insurers consider the age of prospective policyholders, just as they look at other factors, such as where you live and what you drive. When it comes to age, if you’re under 25 you’ll pay more because you won’t have much road experience. 

Drivers over 60 also tend to pay more because they are seen as more likely to have picked up bad habits in the many years since passing their driving test, and their reflexes might not be as sharp as they once were. 

Incidentally, the age issue is one that is shared equally between male and female drivers.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) made it illegal for insurance companies to take gender into account when calculating the cost of insurance (a man successfully challenged that women should not get cheaper insurance than him).

• The law came into place on 21 December 2012

• It made it illegal for insurers to use gender as a criteria when pricing insurance

But car insurance premiums did not rise dramatically for many female drivers (and they certainly did not drop for men). This was because the other criteria insurance companies use may mean many men still pay more for insurance.

Men tend to work in professions where more driving is required, or do more driving when not at work and insurers consider these factors more risky. In early 2020 research showed that of the nearly 15 million car insurance enquiries made, men paid £581 on average for their premiums, compared to women who paid £460 on average.

Insurance quotes are dependent on a multitude of factors such as age, area and driving history.

Women still get cheaper insurance because:

• Women have fewer accidents so make fewer claims

• Claims are generally for lower impact collisions, resulting in less damage and cheaper repair costs

• The cars driven are often low-cost models with cheap parts and fast repair times

• Fewer women drive prestige cars and insist on more expensive specialist repairers or parts

• Fewer women object to insurers choosing the repairer or setting write-off values

However, a ruling made by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) made it illegal for insurance companies to take gender into account when calculating the cost of insurance (a man successfully challenged that women should not get cheaper insurance than him).

The core levels of insurance – comprehensive, third-party, fire and theft and third-party only – are the same as those for men, and of course, it’s illegal to discriminate against anyone based on their gender. 

That doesn’t stop them from offering added benefits that are perceived as being more attractive to women looking for car insurance. These include cover for handbags and what’s in them, specialist telephone counselling services for policyholders following an incident and an emphasis on standard policy features, such as child car seat cover. Of course, some of these benefits will appeal to male drivers, although they’re unlikely to feature so prominently in marketing campaigns aimed at men.

• Age

• Occupation

• The type of car you drive 

• Your no claims bonus 

• Where you keep your car parked overnight

• How many miles a year you drive

It’s possible to add your partner or any other qualified driver to your insurance policy as a named driver. The only stipulation is that as the registered driver or owner you must do the majority of driving. 

This practice is a form of fraud called ‘fronting’. This is where you get another person, typically a parent, to buy car insurance and put you down as a named driver despite the fact that you’ll be doing most of the driving. Although this might seem a good way to get cheaper insurance, it’s actually fraud and could land both you and your ‘main driver’ in a lot of hot water. If caught, you could face criminal charges and struggle to find affordable insurance thereafter.

Black box insurance can help reduce your car insurance over a period of time. A small device is installed in your car that measures how fast you drive, when you brake, what time of day you drive, how quickly you accelerate and how you drive around corners. Some black boxes include an app which you can access on your phone.

If you drive safely you may be rewarded with cheaper monthly premiums.

• Be older and more experienced: Women and men who are experienced drivers and have a good driving record can still get a good deal on their insurance. Drivers under 25, women and men, pay far more than drivers 25 and over. If you are not an experienced driver you can cut car insurance costs by adding a named driver who is older and more experienced to the policy. 

• Change the type of car you drive: Another factor is the type of car you drive, with the car’s speed, security features, and value all playing a big part – read our guide to the cheapest cars to insure to find out which cars attract the cheapest insurance premiums.

• Increase your voluntary excess: Opting for a bigger voluntary excess may result in a cheaper monthly premium. But make sure you can afford any voluntary excess if you need to claim. This excess is in addition to the compulsory excess set by your insurer. This is what you will have to pay if you ever have to claim. However, you can also insure your excess, so that if your claim exceeded your excess it too would be paid. 

• Pay upfront: Pay for your insurance in one go if you can. Spreading the cost of your car insurance over 12 payments, monthly, may seem cheaper but remember you will be paying interest on top of the amount you pay towards your car insurance premium.    

• Drive less: Limiting your miles makes you less of an insurance risk. Simply because you are reducing your risk of having an accident. When you take out your car insurance policy the insurer always asks for an estimate of your maximum annual mileage. You need to try and you’re your mileage low, although you need to be realistic as to how much you will drive. 

• Install extra security: Having an alarm or immobiliser is considered a theft deterrent and by deterring car thieves you can reduce your car insurance. Not all insurers will offer this, so check first.

• Do an advanced driving course: Some insurers will offer a discount for drivers who have completed an advanced driving course. There are several recognised providers such as the Institute of Advanced Motorists and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

• Shop around: Shopping around, aim for a month before your car insurance renewal comes up could also save you money. It may be your current car insurance is the cheapest available but because pricing changes it’s always best to stay vigilant.

• Consider a multi car insurance policy: If your driveway is heaving with cars it may make more sense to try and include all those cars on one policy. Some insurers allow you to take out a single multicar policy. Reduce your insurance costs with a multi-car insurance policy.

• Don’t own a car: This might sound like a drastic alternative but if you don’t always need access to a car, maybe you can borrow a friend’s or family member’s car. Many insurers offer short term and temporary car insurance which, in some cases can be taken out for just a day. Compare quotes for short-term or temporary car insurance.