It is good to be a woman – for so many reasons. In fact, taking the long view, now is just about as good a time as any in history to be of the female persuasion.

This is true when it comes to buying car insurance, too. We women can in many cases qualify for lower car insurance rates than our male counterparts. This is surprising and even counter-intuitive to anybody who follows popular culture: women are supposed to be bad drivers.

News Flash: Women Are Actually Safer Drivers

Well, insurance company actuaries do not lie (they are genetically programmed to stick to the numbers, no matter what) and they say that, indeed, women are safer drivers. In fact, women, while getting into about as many accidents as male drivers, actually cost insurance companies less money (on average) than do men. Why is this?

The answer is simple: when a woman gets into a car accident, the amount of damage caused is usually less than when a man gets into an accident. The reason may be hormonal or it could be that we just have different values, but women on the average speed less and drive less recklessly. In other words: guys take more stupid risks and cost insurance companies more money.

And, insurance companies know this!

So, just by being a female, put a check in the “save money” column for yourself. Now, let’s see how else we can save you money on your car insurance.

Understand Your Discounts

The next important thing you can do – besides just being a woman – is to know your discounts. More specifically, almost every insurance company uses a system of discounts to essentially make car insurance cheaper. The list of possible discounts is different with every company. But, they generally fall into two categories:

a. how responsible of a person you are (are you a good student? are you a member of a professional organization? do you have few or no tickets?)

b. how safe your car is (do you have side air bags? anti-lock brakes?)

So, when you start asking for insurance quotes, be sure to ask for what types of discounts they offer. Speaking up could save you hundreds per year in discounts.

Car Insurance Quote: Women’s Car Insurance Money-Saving Tips

Finally, the key to getting the cheapest car insurance quotes is knowing how to shop for a quote. Here are 3 tips:

1. Check with your current or most recent insurance provider last: When setting out to shop for the cheapest car insurance quotes, you may be tempted to go to your current (or most recent) insurer first to ask for a quote. However, do yourself and favor and contact them last. Reason: they will believe they have an advantage in getting your business and may not offer you the lowest rate.

2. Search online for at least 5 providers: Your first step is to put together a list of 5 or more insurance providers. Use the Internet or ask friends about who they use.

3. Apply with all 5 of the providers: Now, be sure to follow through in applying to each and every provider on your list. You may be tempted to stop after contacting one or two, but follow through. It could translate to a much-cheaper quote.