Marry your way into car insurance happiness
A report by Park Insurance Services in Bristol found that for young men, putting a female partner on their car insurance can bring down the cost. Company spokesperson Marc Loud, says it's all about social responsibility: “A married man is seen as more of a safe bet for insurance purposes than a single man,” he says.
The issue had come to the fore as the industry prepares for the EU Gender Directive, which will mean that gender can no longer be considered a factor when determining car insurance prices. Traditionally, young men have been charged more for their insurance as statically they were more likely to have an accident, but from December 21, this practice will be prevented from happening, resulting in hefty price rises for young females, of up to 25 or 30%.
Graeme Trudghill, Head of Corporate Affairs at BIBA, advises:
“There are dozens of factors affecting ratings. You can't change your gender or your age but you can change things like the engine size of the car you drive, its value and its security.”
Restricting the use of your car, using telematics to monitor your driving and taking advanced driving courses are all ways potentially you can reduce your risk of being involved in an accident and therefore reduce your insurance premium.
ChipsAway CEO, Tim Harris agrees with Graeme’s sentiments:
“During these difficult economic times, drivers are looking at ways to reduce their car insurance premiums. Using an independent specialist such as ChipsAway, to repair any minor damage sustained to car body work, will save drivers having to claim through their insurer and therefore losing their no claims bonus. Plus a ChipsAway repair typically costs less than the average cost of the excess paid to the insurer when making a claim.”