Women tend to be more responsible drivers. Compared to men, they drive less often, get into fewer car accidents, and are more likely to wear seatbelts. But in many cases, women pay just as much — if not more — for car insurance than men.
That’s where Metromile comes in. If you’re a safe driver who doesn’t get behind the wheel very often, you might be able to save money with one of our personalized pay-per-mile car insurance policies.
How much do women drive?
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, women drive about 40% fewer miles than men.
The average driver logs 13,476 miles each year.
Now, take a look at how those miles are split up between men and women:
You’ll notice that in every age group, men outlap women in total miles driven each year, and the disparity only grows with age.
So by default, women drive less than average.
Why does it matter that most women drive less than men?
When it comes to insurance, the fewer miles you drive, the less risk you carry. With a pay-per-mile policy, the insurance company passes the savings onto you.
So you can reap the benefits of driving less often.
What’s the difference between regular car insurance and pay-per-mile insurance?
Most car insurance companies charge drivers a large flat rate. But if you don’t drive very much, that’s sort of like paying for an all-you-can-eat restaurant buffet when you’re only hungry enough for a small salad.
You’re overpaying to compensate for other people who drive more than you.
The way pay-per-mile car insurance works, by contrast, is you pay for the miles you drive. It’s fairer and can be more affordable.
At Metromile, you’ll pay a base rate, starting as low as $29 per month, plus a few cents for every mile you drive, which is measured accurately through a secure device you plug into your car.
Because you get charged by the mile, a pay-per-mile insurance policy could make sense for women who drive less often than men.
How much could Metromile save women drivers?
Low-mileage drivers who switch to Metromile save hundreds of dollars on average:
Are women better drivers than men?
Not only do women drive less often than men, but they’re generally also more responsible on the road.
“Women tend to be better drivers than men — much better, judging by the number of deaths they cause on the road,” Nicholas Bakalar wrote for The New York Times.
But it gets worse: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety claims “crashes involving male drivers often are more severe than those involving female drivers.” According to the institute, male drivers are more than twice as likely to be killed in a car accident.
If you look at the causes of those fatal car accidents, male drivers are about four times more likely than women to be caught speeding, or drinking and driving.
As you might imagine, the safer you drive, the more you can save on car insurance. In some states, Metromile even offers good drivers a discount on their car insurance premiums.
5 reasons why Metromile makes sense for women
Whether you’re a college student who walks to class, a young professional who commutes to work, or a stay-at-home mom who drops her children off at school, if you don’t drive very often, you could probably save a bunch of money with pay-per-mile car insurance.
1. You’re a student
Students put fewer miles on their cars than most other drivers, and this is especially true among women.
If you’re in high school, your parents might only allow you to drive to school or a part-time job, or you might be getting around mostly by carpooling with friends.
While some college students who live on campus might not bother taking their cars with them to college during the school year, choosing to take public transportation or ride their bike when classes are in session.
Either way, if driving is more of an occasional task than a necessity, you could save money with pay-per-mile car insurance.
2. You’re a young professional
After you graduate, you might rely on your car more often to get to work.
Young professionals, especially women between the ages of 20 and 34, drive more than any other group of women. But they still put fewer miles on their cars than the average driver. After all, chances are the office is accessible by public transportation or isn’t too far away from home.
That means they could save money by switching to pay-per-mile car insurance.
3. You’re a stay-at-home mom
If you’re a stay-at-home mom, you might not get behind the wheel that often.
Whether you’re dropping your kids off at school, sports practice, or picking up groceries, if you’re not the primary driver in your family, you could probably save money with a pay-per-mile car insurance policy.
4. You’re a grandma
If you enjoy driving once in a while to visit your grandchildren or only get behind the wheel to run occasional errands, you might save money with pay-per-mile car insurance. Women who are over the age of 65 drive less often than any other group of female drivers.
And because you can control how much you want to spend each month with pay-per-mile insurance, you can reduce the chances of any surprises on your bill, especially helpful if you’re on a fixed budget or income.
5. You’re married
Regardless of your age or gender, married drivers tend to be safer drivers. They take fewer risks on the road, so they’re cheaper to insure.
If you haven’t done so already or recently got married, consider letting your insurance company know about the major milestone. You could be due for a discount or a lower rate.
What’s more: If both you and your partner drive your own cars, you could save money by adding both vehicles to the same insurance policy to take advantage of the multi-vehicle discount Metromile provides.
What’s next?
If you only drive once in a while, you might be able to save a small fortune with pay-per-mile car insurance.
Find out how much you could save with a free quote from Metromile.