It has been a topic of conversation for years and often the butt of many a joke, but are women drivers better than male drivers?

Womens car insurance has now reached a new level with many companies specialising solely in the sale of womens car insurance and offering deals solely for the woman driver, so we ask the question again, are women drivers better than male drivers?

A recent advertisement offended many individuals as it clearly publicised the fact that women drivers got a better deal on car insurance by purchasing one of these specialist womens car insurance policies. The complaints were investigated by the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) who then held that the advertisement was in fact valid because of statistical fact.

In 2004 the European Union proposed to harmonise car insurance for men and women. The new directive stated that insurers were not to take gender into consideration when providing a car insurance premium. Had the new directive become legislation women drivers would have been forced to pay significantly higher premiums than they currently with these specialist womans car insurance policies.

The Gender Directive forbids men and women to be treated differently by businesses. Insurance companies would have fallen fowl of the directive as the current rating system includes gender. However, legislation has been rewritten following campaigns by the British Government. Statistical evidence was used to prove women drivers are safer drivers than men. As a result insurance companies are allowed to continue to take into account gender when setting premiums.

It has long been proven that women are less likely to be convicted of driving offences and their accidents are less severe than those involving men.

The British Insurance Brokers Association said that premiums could have risen by up to 30% under the new EU laws with women under thirty being the worse affected.

The ABI (Association of British Insurers) welcomed the news and said "We support equality but believe that insurers should be free to use factors such as gender when it is relevant in assessing risk".

A lords EU committee opposed the ban and commented that it would be wrong to penalise younger female drivers just for the sake of removing sex differentiation when younger males have far worse accident claims and convictions records.

So are women drivers better than male drivers? Whatever your opinion it is clear that female drivers are favorite customers with the insurance customers.

Again another victory for the female driver and stability of the womans car insurance industry.