AA Insurance: Men streets ahead of women for motoring convictions

Findings from the AA’s portfolio of over one million insurance customers has found that male motorists are almost one-and-a-half times more likely to have a driving conviction that their female counterparts.

Overall, 18% of motorists have at least one conviction to their name while 4% have two or more. This compares with 14% in a similar AA survey carried out a decade ago.

The AA’s research also shows that 85% of total convictions are for speeding offences, with jumping traffic lights coming in a distant second at 9%. Meanwhile, 2% are convictions for drink-driving offences – and men are more than twice as likely to have a drink-drive conviction as women.

The next two most common convictions are for driving without insurance and driving whilst using a mobile phone, coming in at 1.5% and 1.3% respectively.

The survey’s results also shows that men are far more likely to break the motoring law than women in every single region of the UK.

The UK’s most law-abiding motorists are in Northern Ireland with just 9% of men and 6% of women with motoring convictions. Those in the Midlands top the league table – with 31.5% of men and 16.6% of women having been caught on the wrong side of motoring law.

So far as age is concerned, younger drivers are most likely to have convictions, at least when it comes to men. Almost a quarter of men in the 25-34 age-bracket (23.4%) have at least one motoring conviction. Men aged 25-34 and 35-44 are equally likely to have two or more convictions (6.3%). But for women, those aged 35-44 are more likely to have picked up a motoring offence with 18% overall having done so, 4% with two or more to their name.

Simon Douglas, Director, AA Insurance said:

“It’s noticeable that the gap between men and women with convictions is closing. A decade ago, 11% of women had convictions; today it’s 15%, a rise of 4%. And today 20% of men have a conviction, a rise of 3%.

“Ten years ago, speed cameras were starting becoming more widespread and have increased dramatically in numbers since then, so perhaps the rising number of convictions isn’t surprising.”

The changing difference between men and women is also reflected in motor insurance premiums. While teenage male drivers still typically pay twice the premium than their female counterpart, the point at which premiums become more expensive for women has been becoming progressively younger.

“In 2003, the point at which premiums for both sexes became similar was at about age 60, now it’s between 45 and 50. This is because more women are becoming car owners, they are driving more often and further and are thus more likely to be involved in accidents – as well as commit driving offences,” Douglas says.

“But whatever your age or sex, insurers take notice of driving offences, especially multiple offenders and this is reflected in premiums. That’s because regular offenders are much more likely to make an insurance claim than those who have a clean license.

“Keeping the right side of the law is one of the best ways to keep your insurance premiums in check.”