Male drivers pay more for car insurance

Male drivers will fork out almost £17,000 more for their car insurance on average, compared to their female counter-parts, according to latest research from moneysupermarket.com.

The UK's leading price comparison site analysed over six million car insurance quotes for the full year of 2008; it reveals the average car insurance premium for men across all ages is £743 a year; considerably higher than the average for females which stands at £454 annually - £289 more expensive per year or an increase of almost £17,000 over a lifetime of driving.

The research also reveals a distinct difference in car insurance costs across different age groups, especially for younger drivers. The average premium for an eighteen year-old male is just over £2,200 a year - £1,905 more expensive compared to an average car insurance premium of £294 a year for male drivers in their forties. Furthermore, when it comes down to men versus women, the average premium for a twenty-something male is £997 - almost double that for a female of the same age at £576.

Steve Sweeney, head of home and car insurance at moneysupermarket.com, said: "It's clearly careless versus cautious as the car insurance battle of the sexes lives on, and it is shocking to see the extent of the extra cost to a male driver for a lifetime of being behind the wheel. Men are seen as the riskier sex in the car insurance industry across all ages, especially the younger generation where we see the biggest differences. The gap in price between the sexes narrows to a mere £21 by the time drivers reach their seventies."

moneysupermarket.com also reveals if a newly-qualified eighteen year old male sees out his first two years of driving accident-free, he will see a significant reduction to the cost of his premium - it will be £1,203 cheaper by the time he reaches the age of twenty; the average premium reduces by more than half from £2,200 to £997 a year.

Steve Sweeney continued: "Quite obviously sex and age discrimination continues to be rife in the car insurance industry, and it comes as no surprise policies for the ‘riskier' younger generation, and ‘boy racers' are pricier. Furthermore, despite the Equality Bill coming into force in April 2009 it seems drivers will continue to face a rough ride as insurers are permitted to continue using age and sex as a legitimate way to calculate the price of premiums. Finding affordable car insurance can be tricky, and at a time when every penny counts it's crucial to shop around for the best deal to suit you."

moneysupermarket.com offers the following tips to younger drivers to cut car insurance costs:

Shop around - The Association of British Insurers says you can save 35 per cent by comparing as few as five insurance providers.

Buy online - Many car insurance providers offer discounts to customers that buy online.

Mileage limit - Consider a mileage limit or to only drive at certain hours of the day.

Car security - Make sure you have an alarm and immobiliser.

Drive a car with a smaller engine - A newer, more reliable car that is less likely to be used by 'boy racers' will have a cheaper premium. Aim to drive a car like this for at least two years after passing your test - and forget about turbo-charged cars, with big spoilers, fat tyres, alloy rims and other "sexy" extras.

Parents - If at all possible, avoid being added to a parent's insurance policy. It prevents you from building up your own no-claims bonus. And if you are the main driver or registered keeper of the car, DO NOT insure it in your parents' name and put yourself down as a named driver. This is known as "fronting" and in the event of an accident it could mean the claim is not paid. Moreover, the younger driver can be charged with driving without insurance.

Pass Plus - This is a certificate where a young driver who has already passed his or her driving test receives specific lessons in night, motorway and town traffic driving; achieving Pass Plus can earn significant discounts (as much as 35%) on your car insurance.