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92% of motorist in a recent survey voted no to the European
Commission's plans to abolish sex discrimination in car insurance.
Diamond, a direct insurer specialising in car insurance
for women, carried out the survey to find out motorists' opinions on the
controversial EU proposals to remove gender as a factor in calculating
car insurance.
Diamond is concerned that ruling out the use of statistical
evidence on the differences between men and women's driving records, will
mean women paying for men's more reckless driving.
92% of women and 65% of men surveyed, strongly agreed that
the use of gender should remain a factor when determining car insurance
premiums.
Sian Lewis, managing director at Diamond said, "Our
survey results show motorists think the current system of calculating
premiums is fair and gender should continue as a factor. Introducing this
law will not create equality, instead women will end up paying for men's
more expensive claims costs."
Diamond's premiums currently reflect the fact that women
have a different driving pattern to men. In insurance terms women, particularly
young women, are better drivers than men because they have fewer expensive
accidents. This is reflected in the lower premiums which women pay.
Table 1 is based on an analysis of the past two years driving history
of two thirds of a million motorists, and shows the substantial difference
in average claims costs.
Table 1:
|
Age
|
Average Claims Cost Men (£)
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Average Claims Cost Women (£)
|
|
17-19
|
2770
|
2012
|
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20-25
|
1607
|
1346
|
|
26-30
|
1982
|
1650
|
|
31-40
|
1791
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1649
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UK insurers set premiums based on a number of factors including,
age, type of car driven, and postcode areas as well as gender.
Table 2: Shows the average premium cost for an 18 year
old male and female, driving a Vauxhall Astra 1.6 LS 2000, with a £100
policy excess, working as a bank clerk, living in postcode area RG14 6PR.
(male quote provided by Admiral Insurance, female quote by Diamond.)
Table 2:
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Age
|
Average Premium Cost Male (£)
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Average Premium Cost Female (£)
|
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18
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£1,619.10
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£1,004.85
|
|
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Source: Admiral Insurance
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Source: Diamond Insurance
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Diamond's survey results show that with 92% of the vote,
UK motorists consider gender to be the most important risk factor when
calculating premiums, along with the type of car driven.
This compares to 81% who agree age is an important rating
factor, 68% for postcode area, 45% for occupation as a risk factor and
just 10% who felt marital status should be taken into consideration.
Issue date: 13-04-04
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