Motorcycle Insurance Articles
Comparing Motorcycle Insurance Rates Between Men And Women
2010-03-28
As a motorcycle driver, you probably crave the freedom of the open road, the wind in your hair, and the alluring rumble of a classic bike. Those pleasurable drives on the highway, however, can quickly become a distant memory if high insurance rates make you keep your bike off the road. There is nothing sadder than a bike that is not being ridden, or a rider who must stay off their bike for financial reasons. With a little bit of insider knowledge, however, you can find out the factors that are used to calculate your motorcycle insurance premium. One of the most important factors that you need to know is how your gender affects your motorcycle insurance rates.
In the classic image of the motorcycle rider, as popularized by James Dean, an outsider male figure satisfies his need for speed by driving a motorcycle. While James Dean is no longer the icon he once was, the image of the male motorcycle driver as a reckless speed demon lives on. Male drivers often have to pay more for their motorcycle insurance simply because of the popular notion that males speed. Insurance companies interpret this myth to mean that males will get into more accidents on the roads than their female counterparts. They then charge higher premiums to offset the potential future costs of covering masculine drivers.
Women drivers, on the other hand, can often find a lower motorcycle insurance quote because of the stereotypes that exist about their gender. The stereotype of women drivers is that they are more cautious on the road and far less likely than males to get into speed-related accidents. Statistically, women actually tend to get into more accidents than men, but their accidents are of the low-cost fender bender variety. Insurance companies do not think that they will have to pay out large sums to women, so they will charge a motorcycle insurance premium that reflects the limited risk that they take on with a female rider.
One of the most important factors for any motorcycle rider, is the cost of the insurance that allows them to take their bike on the road. To know why you are charged a certain amount, you need to know how to think like an insurance company. For an insurance company, women and men offer different financial risks. What you are charged for your motorcycle insurance is often a result of your gender more than your riding style. While you can't change the stereotypes that go into the math, you can at least understand why your rates are at the current level. In this case, stereotypes about gender are still alive and well.