Irish Insurance broker MissQuote.ie has said Ireland’s women drivers are paying €500 more than they need to per year for their car insurance.
Experts at MissQuote.ie, an Irish insurer which specialises in policies for young women drivers., say that thousands of young Irish women are losing out because they are not as likely to sit and pass their driving test as their male counterparts.
The statistics indicate that women have a safer track record on Irish roads than men.
Men have a slightly higher pass rate than women, with 57% of men passing their driving test in 2020 compared to 52% of women, Road Safety Authority (RSA) figures for 2020 show.
Women are statistically safer driving on roads than men, according to the research.
Manager at MissQuote.ie, Deirdre McCarthy, said: “Almost 200,000 – or 14 per cent - more men than women hold a full driving licence in Ireland – even though there are more women than men living in Ireland. The disparity is even greater for younger drivers.
"Almost 60pc more men than women aged between 17 and 20 had their full licence in 2020.
"As this age group often pay through the nose for car insurance, it’s likely that tens of thousands of young Irish women are paying at least €500 more for their car insurance than they would if they sat and passed their driving test.
"There is clear evidence that women have a safer track record on Irish roads, particularly if you look at the number of men with penalty points on their licences – so more needs to be done to encourage young female drivers to come forward for their driving test.”
The latest driving test statistics from the CSO - show that 48,887 men and 38,693 women sat their driving test in 2020 while 28,061 men and 20,141 women passed their driving test.
More than twice as many male drivers as female drivers died on Irish roads in 2021 with 50 male drivers dying at the wheel that year compared to 20 female drivers, according to the most recent road casualty and collision figures from the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
In 2020, 22,412 men aged 17-20 held a full driving licence compared to 14,195 women aged 17-20, according to the CSO.
Overall, 1,509,482 men held a full driving licence in 2020, compared to 1,324,588 women.
The cost of learning to drive in Ireland has gradually become more expensive in recent years, and to take into account rising fuel and energy costs.
The average cost of running a family car for a year is €10,691.12 according to the AA's annual survey of motoring costs.
To begin with, the various fees and charges for tests, learner permits and lessons can easily mount up to around €700.
On top of that is the extra cost of insurance.
There is no set charge for EDT lessons and each driving instructor sets their own price.
This does not include any extra lessons outside of the 12-hour mandatory lessons or any extra insurance premiums which would be needed if you were to drive your own car or a family car.
Other costs to be considered are parking, fuel, tax, tyres, maintenance, and NCT.
READ NEXT:
Fine Gael TD slammed for describing O'Connell Street as 'full of druggies' during Dail discussion
Gardai make fresh appeal for info on bomb that killed two teens 50 years ago
Chicken fillets and beer among things you should chuck out due to safety risk amid recalls
Ireland weather live tracker shows where and when thunder will hit as Met Eireann issue warnings
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
