Do lady bikers get a fair deal on motor insurance?

The number of female drivers on the UK roads has risen dramatically over the past 30 years and now ladies and men take to their cars in almost equal numbers. This has allowed many women to become more independent, giving them the option of travelling more conveniently for both work and leisure.

However, the increasing number of women drivers has not only had a marked effect on the ladies themselves but also on the market for car-related products. There are now car kits aimed at women and cars being made with ladies in mind. Female drivers are big business.

Women's growing presence on the roads has also come to the attention of motor insurance companies. There are now a number of firms who specialise in women-only car insurance in order to capitalise on this. These companies give ladies the option of choosing a motor insurance policy that feels more personal than those policies offered by a generic insurer, and some firms even offer features such as handbag insurance to further appeal to their customers.

However, women are not only taking to the roads on four wheels. Two wheelers - from low-power scooters to high-performance motorbikes - have also started to grow in popularity with ladies in recent years.

The benefits of two-wheeled vehicles make them a very attractive option for some women. They are useful for zipping through city queues and don't take up much room to park and, with parking becoming more and more of a problem in towns, this is a big plus. These practical advantages are less important to the ladies who simply enjoy the freedom of roaring down the road with the wind in their hair.

Admittedly, motorcycles have not reached anywhere near the level of favour as cars. They aren't practical for carrying shopping or the kids and they are notoriously dangerous, which puts many women off. However, it is estimated that women now make up between 10% and 15% of the two-wheeled vehicle population, significantly more than used to.

Women's car insurance rates are well-known for being lower than men's, mainly as a result of ladies' lower accident rate. They crash less often and are less likely to have serious accidents that result in motor insurance firms having to pay a lot of compensation and high repair bills. As a result, companies that specialise in women's car insurance usually have lower outgoings than those who insure both men and ladies. They can thus afford to offer cheaper car insurance quotes to women.

Female drivers have become accustomed to enjoying low car insurance rates. But is this motor insurance privilege for safer driving carried over to women bikers too?

It is difficult to find any motorcycle insurance companies that specialise in women's insurance. This is probably because there are just too few female riders to make a company this specialised a viable option. There are approximately 150,000 lady bikers in the UK and much of the leisure riding population cancel their insurance for the winter.

However, this is not to say that ladies are not catered for at all by bike insurance firms. Most motorcycle insurers credit women with a lower accident risk and advertise discounts of up to 30% for lady riders.

There are surprisingly few female motorcycling fatalities considering the number of ladies riding on the roads. There are a number of reasons for this which relate to women's typical riding habits.

Most female riders own scooters or mopeds and use them for commuting rather than for leisure or sport. There are two important aspects here; the choice of vehicle and the way it is used. Accident statistics show that lower-power bikes, like scooters, are much less likely to result in serious injury or death when crashed. Similarly, people who use bikes for commuting are far less likely to die in a motorcycle accident than people who ride bikes as a leisure activity.

Tied into most women's choice to use mopeds or scooters is the distance they travel, which also affects their chance of having an accident. Statistics show that both ladies and scooter-owners tend to do far fewer miles per year than those who own sports bikes and in so doing reduce their risk of having an accident. As a result, most motorcycle insurance companies love to insure ladies and feel justified in giving them a discount.

However, women's interest in motorcycling is still relatively new and there is much that could change in the future. Perhaps more ladies will take up riding bikes for fun. If so, it will be interesting to observe any adjustments that the motorcycle insurance industry make to the discounts given to female riders.

*A replacement car can normally be arranged under one of the following conditions: (1) Comprehensive policyholders – a replacement car may be available under the terms of your insurance policy. Please check your policy details for more information. (2) Non fault accident – where we have the name, car registration number and insurance details of the person who caused the accident, we can supply a replacement car. This is done on a credit hire basis which means the costs for this service will be passed onto the insurance company of the person who caused the accident. We may not be able to arrange a replacement car where we are unable to get an admission of liability from their insurance company, or where the driver is untraceable or uninsured. (3) Repair garage – if your car is booked in for repairs following an accident, the repair garage may be able to provide a replacement car (subject to availability).