Factors Which Can Affect Your Car Insurance Premiums

Finding car insurance online is a relatively simple process, however you will need to be aware of the different factors which are taken into consideration when the insurers calculate the cost of your quotation.

Your age, gender, occupation, driving history and having a criminal record will all influence the amount of the premium.

* Women Drivers
Statistics have proved that women are safer drivers than men, and whilst this may rile male drivers the statistics are calculated by the number of incidents and accidents which occur when a women is driving. Other factors which are seen to make women less of a risk by insurance companies include that on average women drive less miles than men and that they are more cautious drivers particularly when transporting the children. Insurers are also very aware of their competitors who only provide insurance for women and of course they want to offer similar competitive deals in order to maximise their customer base.

* Older drivers
In much the same way and for similar reasons insurance companies often view older drivers as less of a risk, as such they are offered lower premiums once they reach 50 years and over. The main reasons for this is that older drivers typically have more years driving experience, are more cautious and less likely to drive recklessly than younger drivers. However, there are often upper age limits imposed by insurance companies as such once people reach this pre-set limit they may well see a sharp increase in their insurance premiums, despite ageism legislation many insurers view elderly drivers as a great risk.

* High performance and classic cars
These types of cars may well need to have specific policies as such the premiums are likely to be much higher than for an average vehicle. Those who fall into this insurance category should search around for the most competitive offers they can find which meets their needs.

* Points on driving licenses or a criminal record for driving related offences.
There is little you can do but to shop around for the best deals you can find from the few insurance companies who offer insurance for these offences. The worst thing you can do is to lie or not disclose your endorsements as this will automatically make your insurance invalid.

* Young drivers
Those who have just past their test and are under twenty one years old will face high premiums as they are considered to be the highest risk drivers to insurance companies. This is due mainly to their inexperience in driving as well as studies showing that young people are more likely to get behind the wheel after they have been drinking alcohol or taken drugs. There is the option of having a young driver added to their parents insurance if they are fortunate enough to be given this option by their parents. However, this does not enable the to drive any car, only their parents vehicle!

* Students
There are some insurers who specialise in offering student car insurance, the premiums may be high if the student is young, however mature students can reap the benefits of the discounts being offered.