Why Do Married People Pay Less for Car Insurance?

It’s a relatively well-known fact that everyone will pay differently for their car insurance, depending on several factors. It varies from provider to provider, but you may expect to pay more or less for your auto insurance depending on things like your insurance history, your past accidents and traffic violations, where you live, your age, what you use your car for, how far you drive it…etc. The list is extensive.

The insurance system is complicated, but it all boils down to stats. Different insurance providers may use different stats. As an example, men are statistically more likely to be in more severe accidents. In fact, in accidents where there were casualties, a 2015 study revealed that men accounted for over 70% of the overall accidents. As a result, men – especially younger men – tend to pay more for their car insurance than women. By the same token, married people tend to pay less for their insurance than their single counterparts. Why is this the case? We’ll dig a little deeper.

Breaking Down the “Married” Insurance Deduction

Not all insurers will reduce your insurance rates if you are married, but you might find that many do. We all know that having more insurance claims may raise our rates, in addition to being under 25, living in high-crime areas, etc., but not everyone knows about the fact that being married may result in lower insurance premiums, and even less understand why that is.

The reason why insurers may charge less per premium for married couples is that married people (statistically) are older, have more experience driving, and may even have children in their vehicles – which encourages them to drive even more safely. There are plenty of stats backing that married people are less likely to be involved in accidents, more likely to obey the rules of the road, and are just generally trying to set better examples for their children.

This isn’t a hard rule for every insurance provider. In fact, there are a few “lesser known” demographics that may result in you paying less for your auto insurance. Note that not all providers will consider these factors eligible for lower premiums, nor will you be guaranteed lower rates – especially as insurance is calculated based on combined factors.

Driving in the country

If you recently made a move from the country to the city, you may have noticed a spike in your insurance rates. This is because city driving is considered far riskier than driving rurally or even in the suburbs. There are more cars in a smaller space, likelier far more impatient drivers and drivers rushing to get to work, and generally the stats are against you. Moving from the city to a rural or suburban area may cause your rates to go down.

Driving a hybrid vehicle

Driving an electric vehicle may qualify you for a special discount, but note that the overall value of these vehicles may cost you more to insure than a regular vehicle. However, a hybrid vehicle may qualify you for a “zero-emission” vehicle discount. Insurance isn’t charged based on the gas consumption so much as it is based on how much it would take to replace the vehicle, and the more costlier the vehicle, the more you may be expected to pay for your premiums.

Having good grades

This is not a commonly known factor in your insurance rates, and it certainly won’t apply to every provider, but some insurance providers have stats that correlate with good grades (above 80%) with a clean driving record. You may receive up to a 10% discount on your insurance rates if you have good grades, even if you are a graduate and have already finished school. The discount applies until you are 25.

Reducing Your Auto Insurance Rates

Suffice to say, no one wants to pay more than they have to for their insurance, but you don’t have to get hitched to qualify for reduced premiums. Whether you’re a single driver or a married person with kids in the backseat, you can follow the tips below to qualify for reduced rates:

• Drive less – opt for public transport, biking, walking, or carpooling.
• Take a defensive driving course, especially if you are a younger or new driver.
• Use a telematics program to qualify for behaviour-based insurance premiums.
• Drive safely and keep your record as clean as possible.
• Invest in insurance-approved car alarms or anti-theft systems.
• Have an Excalibur insurance broker help you shop around for lower rates.
• Obtain a multi-policy discount through a single provider.
• Increase your deductible.
• Work on your credit score.

As you can see, there’s a couple of ways you can reduce your rates without having to get hitched. There are some variables we can’t change off the bat, like if we’re male or female, where we live, or even the type of car we drive.

The bottom line? Yes, some insurers will charge less for married people, but that’s not the be-all and end-all for us single people. We can still have affordable auto insurance. For more tips on reducing your auto insurance premiums, contact an Excalibur Insurance broker today.