Men and Woman drivers...?

I just had a debate over car insurance rates being based on gender.It seems woman have lower rates because statistics show that men are worse drivers.His side of the argument was that men being testosterone fueled mammals had higher instances of road rage(which I do not contend)but that road rage had a significant impact on any statistics compiled and the outcome of the higher rates for men.

He also insisted that a multi-million dollar insurance company simply could not have faulty statistics/parameters to calculate the rates provided to their clients....

Any input on this?

I actually think that is changing now... Yes men (well 16 - 25 year olds) have been proven to have more accidents and claims than older males, and women..

But more and more girls are driving now... times are changing.. and I have seen just as aggressive women out there as men when it comes to driving.

I don't know how insurance company base statistics.. based on all claims? If so, I think that there are just alot more men on the road and women tend to only drive when they are not driving with a man. When I was married, my husband drove like 99% of the time when we were in the car together. So any accident we were in... he was driving.

I suspect that shifting demographics, and cell-phone usage are tilting the stats toward a more equal representation between the sexes. Ditzoids gabbing on cell phones are oblivious to their surroundings whether they're male or female. Here in Calgary, drivers have little training, and way too much aggressiveness. I've seen pyrotechnic displays of road-rage unleashed by both men and women. Couple that with a collection of the worst-designed interchanges in North America, and a lot of Calgarians are introducing themselves to each other as they exchange insurance info. I hear things are deteriorating everywhere, but its scary to compare Calgary today with Ottawa as it was when I left in 2000.

{rant}
I usually listen to the radio when I drive to and from work each day. In Ottawa (admittedly 6 years ago), it was quite common to hear the traffic reporter congratulating drivers on another accident-free rush hour commute. I have never heard that here in Calgary! More typical is a long list of collisions and the related traffic jams. Its just wrong.

Driving involves a lot of different skills, but the important stuff is mental. Planning & Courtesy. If drivers plan ahead, they can avoid making the kind of frantic last-second maneuvers that cause a lot of crashes. And simple courtesy goes a long way to promoting smooth traffic flow. Drivers of both sexes are coming up short on both counts these days.

{/rant}

Thanks for letting me vent.

Originally Posted by: chucklivesoninmyheartHe also insisted that a multi-million dollar insurance company simply could not have faulty statistics/parameters to calculate the rates provided to their clients....

False.
Nearly every insurance company uses a certain score relating to paying off loans. I don't think it's your credit score, but something similar. So someone who's borrowed money gets a lower rate than someone who hasn't, regardless of their income. So for instance a person who makes $800,000 a year prolly doesn't need to borrow money, so that score is zero...making them a supposed higher risk, while someone in middle income gets lower rates.

I hear you. Just to be a secondary driver on my parents vehicles is $950 a year. If I was a female it would be....$280/year. :mad:

Originally Posted by: ericthecableguyI hear you. Just to be a secondary driver on my parents vehicles is $950 a year. If I was a female it would be....$280/year. :mad:

I'll get the scissors.

Originally Posted by: earthman buckI'll get the scissors.

:eek:


"Server Message
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to earthman buck again."

It's not actually that women have lower insurance because it's been 'proven' that they have fewer accident. Women actually have more accidents than men, but the thing that changes the insurance premiums is the cost of the claims.

(Generalising) Women have been shown to have more minor accidents, but when a man crashes it's more likely the car will be written off. This is down to the strengths and weaknesses of each gender. for example, women in general have less spatial awareness than men, so they bump things when parking etc. Men generally like to drive faster, so when they hit something it's a hell of a repair bill. generalising as I say.... some women can park and some men don't speed...

I got annoyed recently - my missus passed her driving test after 6 years of lessons and failed tests, and I've got 5 years no claims discount. The day she passed her test I added her to the insurance and it brought the premium down by £50! You telling me a woman with no driving experience is less of a risk than a guy who has had a license for 10 years, and never made a claim since owning his own cars?

As an answer, my insurance company wouldn't protect my no claims discount and in the 3 months that followed my no claims got whittled down to zero - all her. She even crashed the courtesy car they gave her from when she crashed hers the week before.... MAN!!! Less of a risk my ass!

The only other thing I'd like to say on the subject is that I find 'women only' insurers on thin ice. I suspect that if there were a 'men only' insurer it would be deemed sexist and closed down... double standards. Not sure...

ooh, on this topic, I was involved in a pretty big accident on Sunday morning/Saturday night.

was 2 am and I was leaving a friends 21st with my brother and a female friend of ours...my brother was driving...we got to a pretty big intersection and as the light was green, entered the intersection with caution...another car, just sped through the intersection from our right, not even slowing down at the red light, we collided, wrote of both the cars, and sent him to hospital, as well as his passengers...the guy was incredibly drunk...I think he fell asleep at the wheel, because he didnt even attempt to slow down before he hit us, or at the red lights...what a tit!

anyway, atleast we were all ok, we heard from him yesterday and he is fine as well, and so is his injured passenger, so that is good...

Still, he deserves to be in prison, and hopefully he'll be making a stop there soon.

Glad you're fine Andrew :) .

I had no idea insurance companies were so discriminatory.

Yet another reason for me not to get a car.

Originally Posted by: earthman buckI'll get the scissors.

HAHAHA LMAO :D

Originally Posted by: zreynoldsp... women in general have less spatial awareness than men, so they bump things when parking etc. Men generally like to drive faster, so when they hit something it's a hell of a repair bill. generalising as I say.... some women can park and some men don't speed...[/QUOTE]
Some sense to that...

[QUOTE=zreynoldsp]... in the 3 months that followed, my no claims got whittled down to zero - all her. She even crashed the courtesy car they gave her from when she crashed hers the week before....

:eek: And she still has her license? :confused:

Originally Posted by: Lordathestrings... :eek: And she still has her license? :confused:

Yes... she just doesn't have my car! It's too late for my insurance premium, but at least I can keep my car safe(r)!

To be fair, she hasn't crashed since she had this run of accidents... still turns the wheel the wrong way when reversing though - scary. I assume she won her license in some kind of raffle, or the examiner so bored of seeing her (or so scared for his life again) that he just passed her anyway!

Originally Posted by: zreynoldspIt's not actually that women have lower insurance because it's been 'proven' that they have fewer accident. Women actually have more accidents than men, but the thing that changes the insurance premiums is the cost of the claims.

That sounds reasonable. My experience is that women are generally worse drivers as far as overall skill and politeness on the road goes (more tailgating, not waiting for their turn in traffic), whereas guys will take bigger risks, but do so infrequently.

Sorry to sound so mean to any girls reading this. I'm just being blunt.

i hate driving altogether

Originally Posted by: zreynoldsp
... still turns the wheel the wrong way when reversing though - scary.

That unbelievable :eek: . Holy smokes, learn to drive if you're going to drive.

Meh I'm a slow safe driver. I don't want to die in a car wreck. Tail gating... I could kill someone for that. Those of you who do it, if you ever tail gate me I'm going to slow. Sooooooooo if you ever are driving behiind me in Virginia, don't try anything.

Meh guys tend to drive faster, atleast all the guys that I know.

I pay $24/month for the required insurance i.e. liability insurance. It would have been higher but I guess guys who are married and have kids are safer than a single guy.

I don't know.. I think as a woman driver.. speed wise I'm in the middle of the road. I don't drive slow, but I'm not an overly aggressive driver either.

I do love to drive. I'm the only person I know with a four door sedan that is a manual transmission. I love driving a stick... they are definately alot more fun.