Somebody keyed my beautiful car.

[StokeBloke]

Wrong...!

Why do you think so many insurance companies only insure women?

By the way...I have never been in an accident...I only see them happening in my rear view mirror.

Women have far more accidents than men do. But they are mainly at lower speeds - bumps and knocks in car parks, low speed urban crunches, etc. Therefore the payouts as a whole are less than that of guys, making them a better gamble than guys. When guys wipe out, the accidents are usually bigger (read: costlier). So although men have a lower average accident rate than women they are a worse gamble than women, because collectively the payouts are higher.

Remember; insurance is just gambling

[TurboTomato]

Women have far more accidents than men do. But they are mainly at lower speeds - bumps and knocks in car parks, low speed urban crunches, etc. Therefore the payouts as a whole are less than that of guys, making them a better gamble than guys. When guys wipe out, the accidents are usually bigger (read: costlier). So although men have a lower average accident rate than women they are a worse gamble than women, because collectively the payouts are higher.

That's what I've heard as well - women are more likely to have a low speed accident involving another car with little damage where men are more likely to have a high speed accident on their own and total their car. Not taking that as fact, just what I've heard.

[Barry Shnikov]

First problem: in an accident, there is by definition no party at fault. That what accident means, chaps. What we are talking about is incidents involving vehicles where somebody was negligent.

The last time I saw any statistics they were to the effect that fewer incidents were caused by negligence of women drivers than that of men. But a closer analysis showed that women were involved in more accidents per mile travelled. I never did learn whether that was 'all miles travelled by women' or 'miles travelled by the women causing the incidents'

[drathzel]

First problem: in an accident, there is by definition no party at fault. That what accident means, chaps. What we are talking about is incidents involving vehicles where somebody was negligent.

the police in NI no longer call them accidents instead they say Road Traffic Collision or RTC for short.

Quote from a police person is "there is no such thing as an accident"

[Dreadful Scathe]

Because statistically women do far, far fewer miles per year than men and so therefore they represent a much lower risk for insurance companies.

i've always thought thats quite sexist. Women only insurance...how discriminatory!! Statistically, per mile traveled* black people are safer drivers than white people - but they have yet to introduce a black only insurance company. Wonder why ?



* A direct quote from the "Big DS Book of made up statistics" which is 82.5% accurate. Higher than any other statistics book in the UK.

[Barry Shnikov]

the police in NI no longer call them accidents instead they say Road Traffic Collision or RTC for short.

Quote from a police person is "there is no such thing as an accident"

That's interesting, about RTCs rather than the more traditional 'RTA'

Of course, there are accidents; for example a burst tyre could cause the driver to lose control of the car and cause a collision. But most collisions are due to carelessness.

[Shodan]

Why do you think so many insurance companies only insure women?

Because then all the ladies are kept away from the rest of the society, leaving all the better insurance companies for us guys. (*joking*)

If it helps, I actually find this kind of action to be rather discriminating. I mean I'm a good driver and I'm being picked on because of other people.

And if it helps, from *MY PERSONAL VIEWPOINT* from what I have observed over the years - men are faster and thus more dangerous drivers and get into big proper crashes, but women seem to have more "not paying attention" type moments on the road and cause more minor accidents like parking scuffs, dents and so forth.

So guys go on the insurance as their cars are written off in big accidents, whereas the ladies go home to their blokes with their dents and scuff. The blokes then go "bl00dy hell woman! what have you done to the car?!?!?!?!!". Then end up fixing it themselves or getting a mate to fix it dirt cheap - hence stays off the insurance.

Please note the tongue in cheek style humour used here.

[Barry Shnikov]

The basic principle of insurance is that everyone reduces the risk to themselves as individuals by contributing to a fund that pays out whenever one of the contributors suffers loss.

Of course this was voluntary; started with fire insurance in the 17 century after the great fire of London. When it is compulsory - as in car insurance - the pure principle is diluted.

The idea that anyone is penalised by insurance is looking at things backward.

One quite minor accident can ruin a life. The danger of loss to any individual as a road user in a country where insurance was voluntary would be stupendous. Because most people would choose not to insure, those who wanted stress-free driving would pay enormous premiums, because there would be much greater levels of risk spread amongst far fewer insureds, and insurers would still have to make a profit.

One problem of the cherry picking that insurers have been scrambling to do for the last 30 years is that it erodes the principle altogether.

Here's what I think will happen. Take life insurance. Insurers want more and more medical information so that they can reduce the risk they are accepting; added to that more and more medical information is becoming available - genetic dispositions, better understanding of illness, and so forth - and so there may come a point where insurers are superfluous.

Those who need insurance won't be able to get it, because the insurer's risk is very high and the premiums therefore prohibitive; those who can afford the premiums - because the risk is low - won't buy insurance because they don't consider themselves at risk. The only risk worth insuring for will be accidental death, and the risk of that is so small that few people will insure against it, especially since most accidental deaths are car-related.

This is, of course, over simplification because many investment and pension vehicles are based on life-policies.

In order to get a short-term benefit (viz increased market share) insurers are acting in a way which substantially increases the possibility that insurance for individuals will become a thing of the past. It's an interesting application of game theory.

Of course, far more money is involved in the commercial insurance markets - airlines will still have to insure planes, cargo shippers insure vessels, and construction companies insure their building projects. So we won't be shedding any tears for Swiss Re, will we?

[LMC]

Of course, there are accidents; for example a burst tyre could cause the driver to lose control of the car and cause a collision. But most collisions are due to carelessness.

I worked for a mining company which had a bad year for health & safety (and mining is intrinsically more dangerous than office work).

So, a health & safety putsch followed: which came to the conclusion that 99.9% of accidents had human error as the underlying cause somewhere along the line. Clarifying responsibility - i.e. 99.9% of the time, *someone* is responsible (combined with introducing a culture of people 'challenging' or resolving unsafe practices as SOP) really improved H&S across the organisation. Plus, accidents are expensive - improved H&S leds to improved costs.

Getting back to cars - a burst tyre could be owing to driver error - poor maintenance or failing to avoid a hazard. Or Highways Agency/Environmental Services error - poor road repairs/not clearing sharp objects respectively. Etc. Accidents don't "just happen".

[Barry Shnikov]

{snip stuff about attribution}

I accept what you say right up until the end. Accidents do happen.

I was drawing attention to the difference between accidents and negligent driving. A burst tyre may be the result of inadequate car maintenance, bad roads, a manufacturing error, or a number of other things.

Humans are not perfect. That is why before you can charge someone with an offence or make a civil claim against them you have to be able to show that they deliberately committed the error or that they were negligent as to whether it would happen or not.

Sometimes, accidents are just accidents. An incident no-one could have predicted - even if it's clear to everyone in hindsight.

[Caro]

This weekend somebody has keyed all down the drivers side a great big scratch. I am inconsolable and feel abused and that i have been personally attacked.

Somebody keyed my car last night. A big scratch all the way along the left side. My care isn't particularly beautiful but it's my car and I liked it the way it was before. Plus if I want to sell now I'll have to get it fixed

I have no idea who did it but I too feel abused. Why would anybody do that???? :puke smiley:

[ducasi]

Somebody keyed my car last night. A big scratch all the way along the left side. My care isn't particularly beautiful but it's my car and I liked it the way it was before. Plus if I want to sell now I'll have to get it fixed

I hope you don't go on to copy Trouble's method of getting it sorted.

[Caro]

I hope you don't go on to copy Trouble's method of getting it sorted.

euh... thanks for that Ducasi, that really helps

[Msfab]

Well this morning I found a large splodge of White Paint on the left side of my front windscreen + lots of other splodges in the surrounding area!
Not Impressed!

[Gav]

A couple of years ago I found my car had developed tiny green spots all over.
Strangely, my neighbours fence had a nice new green paint job too

Fortunately he was more than reasonable about it and booked my car in for a clean, T-cut and wax the following weekend.

[TurboTomato]

A couple of years ago I found my car had developed tiny green spots all over.
Strangely, my neighbours fence had a nice new green paint job too

Fortunately he was more than reasonable about it and booked my car in for a clean, T-cut and wax the following weekend.

No problems like that with the new job. Just buy a new car

[Mezzosoprano]

No problems like that with the new job. Just buy a new car

Plus the small convertible I'm assuming that he's purchasing for DT?!?

[TurboTomato]

Plus the small convertible I'm assuming that he's purchasing for DT?!?

Small?! Small?! If I was DT and he bought me a small convertible, I would not be happy. I would want a big expensive one

[Double Trouble]

Small?! Small?! If I was DT and he bought me a small convertible, I would not be happy. I would want a big expensive one

Convertable? I don't think so. You do realise me and Gav have 6 children between us.

Even a people carrier is too small.

[the whale]

Convertable? I don't think so. You do realise me and Gav have 6 children between us.

Even a people carrier is too small.

So maybe an open top bus GTI???