Why is the cost of car insurance higher for teenage boys than teenage girls? (Male vs. Female Rates)

If you are the parent of a teen, you might be dreading adding them to your policy. If you’re looking into it for the first time, you might be wondering, “Why is the cost of car insurance higher for teenage boys than teenage girls?”

Is it true? Do boys pay more for insurance? You might be blown away by the price to ensure your son versus your daughter, as age and gender affect car insurance rates in a major way. How different are male vs. female car insurance rates?

In this guide, we are going to cover why car insurance costs more for males than for females. We will go over what discounts you can get and how you can lower your insurance rates.

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Why is car insurance more expensive for males?

We know that rates are higher for male drivers, but why do females get cheaper car insurance? And why do males pay more for car insurance? Let’s start with which gender causes more car accidents. Statically, males drivers have more car accidents than female drivers. A higher percentage of males under 25 have the following offenses on their records compared to females of the same age:

• arrested for DUIs
• have more accidents
• engage in reckless driving
• don’t wear their seatbelts

Females take fewer driving risks than males.

Statistically speaking, teenage males are simply higher risks for the insurance company than are their same age female counterparts.

The insurance company sees the statistics.

Once a male hits the age of 25, the statistics in regards to reckless driving drop. Thankfully, as males get older, they also mature and become aware of how important driving safely actually is.

Fatalities by Gender

This is a major factor that insurers use to justify the rate increase for males. The following data comes from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA).

From 1975 to 2018, male fatalities from car accidents were twice that of females. Over the years, female fatalities have decreased by 10 percent, while males fatalities have decreased by 21 percent.

This number may sound great, but in 2018, 71 percent of driver fatalities were male. The table below is the number of driver deaths by a passenger vehicle as reported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Below are the IIHS-reported fatalities that involved alcohol.

Male drivers have more fatalities than female drivers. In 2018, males had 2,847 more deaths than females. It is safe to assume that both male and female drivers speed, but male drivers might speed more often. From 1982 – 2018, according to the IIHS, speeding contributed to a large number of deaths for males drivers a.

Since male drivers are more likely to take more risks, it is no surprise that they have more fatalities by speeding.

DUIs by Gender

Men are more likely to be convicted of a DUI than women. Men are also more likely to be drunk in a fatal crash. In 2018, 21 percent of men that were in a car accident were drunk.

How long will boys pay high rates?

Although teenage boys are likely to object to driving the old man’s car, doing this saves a bundle on car insurance. A teen boy (of legal age) can drive a car under his own policy name but must expect to pay a much higher monthly premium. When does insurance go down for males?

The good news is that as long as the driver has a good clean driving record, the rates are likely to decrease when it is time to renew his insurance policy.

Later on, a young man may even find it economical to change to a single policy instead of adding a car onto the family policy.

Even though boys have higher rates now, once they are into adulthood, their rates will decrease. Rates for adults are lower than rates for teenagers. Most rates for young adults decrease once they turn 25. Once drivers are married and get past the age of 35, their rate will decrease even more. Do married couples pay more for car insurance if they’re under 25? Which group pays more for car insurance married or single? Young married people do enjoy lower rates, but age makes the most difference.

Driver’s education courses may also help lower insurance rates, as well as safety devices like an anti-theft alarm system and anti-lock brakes installed on the car.

Is car insurance expensive for a 22-year-old?

If you still have your son on your policy, you might feel that since he is closer to 25, his insurance rates will drop. They actually can, but they may not drop. Males will get a break from high rates for every year they drive safely. Car insurance companies will decrease insurance rates when teens turn 20. Rates are not guaranteed to drop when males turn 25, it can happen between 25 and 27.

Auto insurance for young adults, however, is cheaper than for teenagers. The car insurance cost for a boy vs. a girl will also become more similar over time. Car insurance at age 16 for a male vs. a female will show a much larger gap.

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Which states ban rates by gender?

Does gender affect car insurance rates everywhere? Although some states allow car insurance companies to base rates on gender, some states have laws in place to prevent car insurance gender discrimination. These are the states that ban the use of gender to factor car insurance rates or require that both genders have the same pricing.

• Hawaii
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• California

California is the most recent state to pass a law against basing insurance rates on gender. If you are fortunate enough to live in one of these states, you can pay a lot less for your car insurance.

Which states do not ban rates by gender?

All other states in the nation use gender as a factor when discerning rates. Below is an example of this, as Florida still allows discrimination by gender for car insurance.

In Florida, the rates are greatly different between males and females. If you look at the difference between a 17-year-old male and a 17-year-old female, you can see the males pay anywhere from 9% to 54% more than their female counterparts.

If you were to look at states such as California and Hawaii — two states that have outlawed this practice —you’d see a difference by age but not by gender.

But if you live in a state that still allows it, that’s where it really helps to shop around. Companies determine their rates differently, so it’s good to see what rates multiple companies come up with for you.

What are the safest cars for teens?

Getting your teen their own car is a great idea. The hard part is finding the right car for them. Just like your car, you will want something safe and reliable, and that can get your child where you need them to go.

Even though you don’t have to get your teen an old car, you don’t have to get them a brand new car either. Having a male on your car insurance is already going to increase your rates. Getting them an expensive car will increase your rates even more. A sedan would be a great first car.

Below are recommended cars under $20,000.

Here’s what you need to know about cars for young drivers.

• A car with high horsepower can tempt teens to drive recklessly.
• Bigger and heavier vehicles are safer: If your teen is in an accident they will be better protected. Small cars are not recommended.
• Cars should have electric stability control (ESC). This can help teens maintain control of the car.
• Vehicles should have the best safety ratings.
• Be sure to check for recalls. You can use the vehicle identification number to check for recalls. You should check for recalls before purchasing a vehicle. The NHTSA recommends you check for recalls every six months.

Check out this video on choosing the best car for your teen.

There are many car options for your teen, and you don’t have to overspend to ensure your teen has a safe ride. If you don’t want to buy your son a car, you can share a car with him.

Do I have to get car insurance for my teen?

Even if you don’t want to pay high rates, you should still put your teen on your car insurance. If your child is driving without insurance and is in a car accident, the cost of repairs and other things involved will be a lot more than the rates you were not willing to pay.

If you have minimum liability insurance, you will have to increase your coverage because it may not be enough to be able to cover your teen to avoid lawsuits if they are in an accident. This will keep you from being sued.

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What can you do for a better price on teen insurance?

Unless you want your son to hitch a ride on the bus, you have to learn how to deal with insurance companies and play the statistics game.

If you are a young man disgruntled by high insurance rates, try to understand that car insurance companies aren’t the “bad guys.”

There is really no way to get out of paying higher rates for your son unless you refuse to add him to your car insurance, but that wouldn’t be wise. Making sure that your teen has a good driving record and avoids traffic violations can help lower your insurance. Since male teens are considered high-risk, it might also take some time for you to see the lower rates take effect.

What is the cheapest way to get car insurance for a teenager? There are a few ways to get your insurance rates down.

Shop Around

There are hundreds of car insurance companies in the United States. One of the best ways to be sure you are getting a good rate is to shop around with different companies. Getting multiple free car insurance quotes online is now easy to do.

If you have gotten various quotes and still don’t like the numbers you are seeing, there are a few ways you can lower your own or your teenage son’s insurance premiums.

Find Teen Driver Discounts

An insurance company might not come right out and tell you all the ways to save on rates, but something as simple as asking about a discount might make those totals a little smaller. Many companies are now offering premium discounts for good grades. Your son would have to maintain a B average in all his classes to get the discount.

Boys with higher grade point averages are statistically more responsible drivers, and that can lower their rates. Stay awake in math class, kids. It really pays off.

Completing a defensive driver’s course can also decrease teen car insurance rates. Not only will your teen be prepared to drive, but you will also get a discount for doing so. Your rates can decrease by 10 percent. The class can even be taken online or in a classroom.

Ultimately, a young person starts out driving under their parents’ insurance policy. Still, they can pay his fair share of the bill by contributing towards a combined family car insurance policy or “multi-policy.”

Instead of creating his own insurance profile for his own car, he joins the policy already in progress by his parents.

Give Your Teen Safety Tips

Don’t be afraid to give your teen plenty of safety tips. They will need these tips to become better drivers and to avoid driving convictions.

• Let your teen know the risks of driving on public roads.
• Encourage them to always wear their seatbelts.
• Enforce your own rules. You may want stricter rules for your teen than what the state regulates.

These are a few examples of ways you can keep your teenage son safe while driving. Make sure your teen drives safe to avoid raising your rates.

We hope you learned about why boys pay more than girls for insurance. Hopefully, you save on insurance with a teenage boy on your policy. Use our car insurance rate quote tool right now and find a policy that is affordable for your family and a teenage son.

How do insurance companies determine rates?

What factors influence the rate someone pays for their car insurance? Car insurance companies have several ways to determine car insurance rates. They will use your location, age, gender, marital status, credit score, car, and driving record. These are a few of the factors that affect car insurance rates. Each factor plays an important part in determining what kind of rates you will receive, as the video below explains.

Since teen drivers are new on the road, they will automatically have higher rates than adult drivers. Older, more experienced drivers have fewer accidents. Which age group pays more for car insurance? Car insurance companies will charge drivers under 25 more than any other group.

Do females pay higher insurance premiums than males? True or false? It’s false, and it’s the opposite. Even with that being said, insurance companies will still give higher rates to a boy vs. girl for car insurance.

Who pays the most for car insurance? What are the best insurance companies for young drivers? And just how much more do males pay for car insurance? Below are the annual average car insurance rates by age and gender for the top insurance companies in the country.

As you can see teen girl vs. teen boy rates differ. Males drivers 25 and under pay more for insurance than females and other age groups. How much is teenage car insurance per month? Based on the table above it ranges from $400-$1143 a month for a 17-year-old. As you can see, the question of “How much does it cost to add a teenager to car insurance” with USAA is a much cheaper answer. Geico’s teenage driver insurance cost is also on the lower side.

Why is car insurance higher for teens? Drivers who are just starting out have less experience and are therefore considered higher risk than drivers who have spent more time on the road.

Teenage males especially fall into a high-risk profile automatically and are usually stuck with higher rates than are females.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Why is the cost of car insurance higher for teenage boys than teenage girls?

If we haven’t answered all of your questions on age, gender, and insurance yet, here are a few more common questions and answers.

#1 – Do male vs. female health insurance rates differ like car insurance?

Gender can influence health insurance, but as a general rule age and health are more indicative.

#2 – Why is car insurance more expensive for females in some cases?

Cheaper car insurance for ladies is not always the case. Gender is only one of the factors, so age, driving record, ZIP code, and more can impact whether car insurance is cheaper for a male or a female.

#3 – Are men better drivers?

When it comes to men vs. women, driving skill doesn’t really follow gender but rather experience. But, as we’ve noted, young males do have more accidents.

#4 – How much does car insurance go up when you add a 16-year-old?

How much does it cost to add a 16-year-old to your car insurance? That depends on the type of car they will drive, where you live, and the driver’s gender. How much does it cost to insure a 16-year-old male? Unfortunately, a lot. You can expect the highest insurance rates for a 16-year-old male driver.