With the advent of the forthcoming EU Gender Directive next month, up to a quarter of all female drivers could be forced off the road as a result of higher insurance premiums according to a survey from USwitch.com.
The directive comes into force on 21st December 2012 prevents insurers from discriminating on a gender basis and could leave a proportion of women unable to afford motor insurance, some may even be forced to sell their cars as a result.
Premiums for female drivers, which have traditionally been lower than those for their male counterparts, are widely expected to rise by up to 25%. How are we to afford this increase at a time of higher living and fuel costs?
The survey found that 18% of men felt they had been discriminated against paying the lions share of premiums, whilst 45% believed they had been unfairly discriminated against. However, only 18% of females surveyed through the changes to come with the Directive are acceptable and 25% thought they would effectively be footing the bill for more risky drivers.
The moral of the story is if you are female and your premium is due for renewal before the Directive comes into force, you are one of the lucky ones, however if your premium is due for renewal after, you may have to dig deeper into your pocket this time around to pay for your motor insurance.
By associate executive, Rebecca Dawber
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