Your guide to car insurance for women

If you're wondering whether car insurance for women is cheaper compared to men, you're not alone. This is a fairly common question and if you have been on the road for a while, you may remember the days when women benefitted from cheaper car insurance deals.

Statistically, women are safer drivers than men, which was historically to their advantage in terms of insurance costs. However, since 2012 European law has prohibited insurance providers from using gender as a factor to calculate insurance.

Despite this, the good news is there are still plenty of ways to find cheap insurance deals for women. In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about car insurance for women, including types of cover, additional features that may benefit women, and how to get the cheapest car insurance.

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What type of car insurance cover do women need?

While insurers can no longer offer specific insurance for women, the basic three levels of cover remain the same, regardless of gender. These include:

• Third party - This is the minimum legal requirement of cover for any motor insurance, and it covers you for any damage caused to another person, their vehicle or their property.

• Third party, fire and theft (TPFT) - This type of cover includes everything covered by a third-party policy, as well as protecting you against theft and fire damage to your car.

• Fully comprehensive cover - This policy provides the most extensive cover, including all of the above as well as loss or damage to you, your car and your property, even if you're at fault.

Is there specialist car insurance for women?

You might have come across insurance companies online that seem to be specifically for women. This is because many such providers continue to skew their marketing towards a predominantly female audience to create this impression.

However, that’s not actually the case - since 2012, insurers have been legally required to serve all customers, regardless of their sex or gender.

Are there specific insurance companies for women?

There used to be certain insurers offering car insurance exclusively for women, offering discounted rates. However, in 2012, the European Court of Justice passed the Gender Directive, which ruled that the practice of offering discounted insurance for female drivers was discriminatory. Insurers then had to cease their discounted policies for female drivers, and even after Brexit, the UK continues to uphold this regulation.

A number of insurance companies already in this market at the time responded by increasing their branding as pro-women. These companies were motivated by the belief that the Gender Directive was unfair, citing the significantly safer driving history of female motorists.

While they can't legally offer cheaper car insurance for women, these providers offer policies tailored to female drivers and continue to campaign for female drivers.

These insurance policies often boast features they think will attract female drivers, yet in practice, they usually provide the same advantages as a typical car insurance plan.

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Is car insurance cheaper for women?

A question that gets asked a lot - is car insurance cheaper for females? Officially, the answer is no, but the reality is a bit more nuanced.

Women frequently pay lower premiums, but as you'll see, it largely comes down to the individual behaviours of the driver.

Women are considered a lower risk for insurers compared to men

Insurance companies rely on sophisticated statistical algorithms to determine premium costs. These models assess actual risk levels, and data indicates that women tend to be safer drivers than men.

However, this doesn’t mean every female driver is safer than every male driver—rather, statistics show that, on average, a higher number of male drivers are involved in accidents annually.

In fact, according to data from the Ministry of Justice*, in 2023 almost 80% of all motoring offences in the UK were committed by men, and men are more than twice as likely to make an insurance claim, even though they only drive an average of 75 additional miles per year.

Women are statistically less likely to make a claim, allowing them to keep their no-claims discounts for longer.

Men pay more for car insurance on average

Accordingly, men end up paying more for car insurance than women; recent data from Uswitch* suggests that on average, men pay 24% more for car insurance than women. The typical quoted price for male drivers was £826.51, while for female drivers, it was £664.16.

So, while legally men and women should be paying the same for car insurance, driving behaviours influenced by gender do tend to favour cheaper car insurance rates for women.

Men are also more likely to drive high-performance, expensive vehicles, which can lead to higher insurance premiums.

How much is car insurance for women?

There are a number of factors which can affect the amount you pay for your car insurance premium as a female driver. These can include:

• Driving experience.

• Age.

• Type of vehicle.

• Where you live.

• How much you drive.

• Criminal record and claims history.

• Marital status - if you’re married, you’ll be considered a lower risk, which could lead to reduced insurance premiums.

• Career - insurers consider a person’s job when calculating premiums. Male-dominated professions such as footballers, construction workers, and security guards often face higher costs, while female-led professions like clerical roles and teaching tend to attract lower premiums.

Choosing the right insurance can save you money, so it's important to explore different providers and options to find the most cost-effective solution.

How can I find the cheapest car insurance for women?

While you can no longer buy discounted car insurance for women, there are still a number of ways you can keep your premiums down, irrespective of gender. Some of these include:

Reduce your mileage

Generally speaking, the less you drive, the less you pay for insurance, as reduced time on the road decreases the likelihood of an accident. Some insurers also offer limited mileage policies, which is a type of car insurance designed for drivers who don't drive much each year. It typically offers lower premiums in exchange for agreeing to stay within a certain annual mileage limit.

Drive carefully

The longer you are on the road without making a claim, the more you can build up your no-claims discount, often resulting in cheaper premiums.

Drive a safe car in a lower insurance group

Opting for a car in a low insurance group is a practical way to keep premiums affordable. Cars in group 1 are the cheapest to insure, while group 50 is the most expensive. Smaller, less powerful vehicles with modern safety features generally fall into lower groups and are more budget-friendly to insure.

Improve your car's security

Keeping your car in a locked garage or private driveway is ideal, but if that's not possible consider fitting your car with safety features such as an immobiliser or alarms to reduce risk of theft.

Avoid modifications

Generally speaking, it's best to avoid modifying your car, unless it's for safety purposes - vehicles equipped with aftermarket stereo systems or alloy wheels, for example, tend to attract thieves and are more likely to be stolen.

Some insurers outright refuse to provide cover for modified cars, and those that do may charge much higher premiums.

Pay annually

If possible, paying your policy annually rather than in monthly instalments avoids paying interest meaning you will pay less for your insurance overall.

Consider using a telematics device

A telematics device, also known as a black box, records and transmits data about a vehicle’s driving habits, such as speed, acceleration, and braking, to an insurance company.

Taking out black box insurance can reduce your premium rate when its time for renewal - given that you drive safely and sensibly - as it shows your insurer that you are a responsible driver, potentially leading to lower insurance premiums.

Increase your excess

Choosing to add a higher excess to your policy can also help reduce the cost. In general, the larger the excess you choose, the lower the premium. Make sure you choose an amount you'll be able to afford in the event of a claim.

Add a named driver to your policy

Young women or learner drivers can lower their car insurance premiums by including an experienced older driver, like a parent, on their policy as a named driver. This can help lower the risk because it shows that a more experienced driver will also be using the car, reducing the average cost of the policy.

Car insurance for women: quickfire summary

• Historically, women benefited from lower insurance rates compared to men. However, since 2012, insurers can no longer factor gender into insurance rates. Age impacts both male and female drivers equally, influencing their car insurance costs.

• Types of car insurance for women are not gender specific, and cover remains the same for everyone, including third party, third party, fire and theft, and fully comprehensive cover.

• Some companies market their policies towards female drivers, offering additional features like handbag and child car seat cover. However, legally they must serve all customers equally.

• Women pay less for car insurance on average. This is because women are statistically safer drivers, making fewer claims. Men are also more likely to drive high-performance cars, increasing their premiums.

• There are many factors that could affect the cost of premiums, including driving experience, vehicle type, location, mileage, claims history, criminal record, career and marital status.

• There are still a number of ways to reduce insurance costs and find cheap car insurance.

*Sources: Uswitch, Ministry of Justice