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Does gender affect auto insurance rates?

Because it's impossible for auto insurance companies to individually rate every customer's driving ability, auto insurance actuaries have to make generalizations about groups of people to help them determine auto insurance rates. Your gender (along with other factors like age, ZIP Code, etc.) can generally predict how you'll perform behind the wheel and thus how high your auto insurance rates should be.

Unfortunately, if you're a young male, this can mean bad news for your wallet. Generally, males between the ages of 16 to 25 pay more for auto insurance than females the same age. Here are some gender behaviors auto insurance actuaries predict will occur behind the wheel:

• Males typically drive more than females. The more miles you drive, the higher your chances are for accidents and auto insurance claims.
• Young males take more risks behind the wheel. (Insurance companies charge inexperienced drivers — both male and female — higher auto insurance rates since they're more likely to file an auto insurance claim or get a speeding ticket sometime during their young driving careers.)
• Young adult males push their limits behind the wheel. As a result, they're more likely to drive when tired and fall asleep behind the wheel. (Read about driving tired and its effect on auto insurance for more information about this serious topic.)

There's a light at the end of the tunnel, however. Male drivers can look forward to auto insurance rates more on par with their female counterparts as they mature. So as their driving experience grows, males will find that they pay less for auto insurance — especially with a good driving record and few to no auto insurance claims.

Regardless of whether you're male or female, Esurance offers many ways to save on your auto insurance rates. Get a free quote from Esurance and find out how much you could save on your auto insurance rates today!