A question I get a lot from people who write in is, does car insurance for woman drivers have a different rating system? Well, the answer is no, it doesn’t have a different system, but we ladies do have some luck (or is it skill) that often sets us apart from the boys in the rating game–we’re better drivers. Sorry, guys, I know it hurts, but as much as you like to propagate the myth of the crazy woman driver, statistics hold us out as the best and the brightest of the road, so maybe you should be checking the plank in your own eye, eh?

Still, the difference in rates for car insurance for woman drivers isn’tso pronounced as many people think it is. The difference can be as much as 50% during the teenage years, but as drivers grow older, the gap begins to close until they’re pretty much even. And it may not be that way for long, either–some research shows that women are actually catching up to men when it comes to bad driving, and guys are getting better. Whether they’ll eventually reach equal standing or do a complete flip remains to be seen.

In some countries, such as the UK, entire companies have been made just to sale car insurance for woman drivers exclusively. For those who would be interested in seeing similar things happen here in the US, here’s a warning–those companies actually charge much higher prices, so watch what you wish for!

Q: I’m looking at a female car insurance quote online for a car I’m thinking about buying, and it’s very high. Why is it so high when I’ve checked the safety ratings and everything and it came out clear?

A: There may be many more factors than just the safety rating which affect your online female car insurance quote, and a lot of the time the safety rating doesn’t tell the whole story. I mean, safety rating for whom? Your gigantic Hummer might be very safe for everybody inside its steel cockpit, but anybody outside will crunch into a ball even touching it. Some cars are safe for passengers and not for surrounding cars and pedestrians, while others are the other way around.

You also have to take in the price and newness of the car when you’re getting your female car insurance quote online. If you’re getting an expensive car, then you pay more because it costs more to replace and repair. The same goes for a new car; if you were to get the same model a couple years older, it would probably be much cheaper to insure.

Keep an eye on such things as the size, safety features, and price tag on your car when you go buying. Remember that it might not be best to always get the new car.