The statistics show that female licensed drivers outnumbered their male counterparts in 2016, and yet men were involved in 80% of car crashes in the United States.

Auto insurance carriers are aware of this fact, making them naturally biased against male motorists when it comes to charging premiums. Fair or not, this reality puts men, especially fathers who are already under tremendous financial pressure to begin with, at a disadvantage.

While male drivers are doomed to spend more money for insurance, there are effective strategies to save on this necessary expense. Below are the five ways you should consider doing the most.

1. Drop Unnecessary Coverage Options

As you probably know, not all types of auto insurance coverage are mandatory. Optional products are worth having only when they make sense to your situation.

For example, physical coverage options (comprehensive and collision) are usually useless when your vehicle’s value becomes lower than $4,000. Since these insurance products are removable once you finish paying your auto loan, ponder dropping them to lower your premium.

2. Do Business With One Insurer

To put yourself in a better negotiating position when shopping around for discounts, get your policies from a single company. Bundling is sound practice, and it can save you anywhere between 5% and 15% per policy.

3. Participate in a Usage-Based Insurance Program

Retrofitting your vehicle with telematics devices can convince your auto insurer to give you a reasonable discount. These technologies will monitor your driving performance, generating reliable data you can use as a basis for an objective rate reduction a couple of months after installation.

If you think you are a responsible motorist but have undesirable non-driving qualities, such as being a single parent or living in a bad neighborhood, telematics can be your way to a lower premium. Joining a usage-based insurance program can earn you a discount of up to 25%.

4. Agree to a Higher Deductible

Raising your deductible lowers the risk your insurance carrier has to take to have you as a customer. As a result, you may be allowed to pay a smaller premium as incentive.

This move is, of course, a gamble, for it increases your out-of-pocket expense when you file for a claim. Your bet will pay off, though, as long as you do not get involved in any accident at least in the next few years.

5. Do Not File a Claim at Every Chance

An at-fault accident may compel your insurance company to increase your rate as a penalty for bad behavior. As much as you want to get paid by your auto insurer to cover a loss, think about the short- and long-term financial consequences of filing a claim when you are (fully or partly) responsible for the incident.

Be strategic to avoid being hit with a double whammy. Not only your insurance premium may increase over a considerable amount of time, you will also have to pay the deductible (if applicable).

Saving on car insurance does not always mean paying fewer dollars; rather, it is about getting more value for your money. If you get your family adequately insured for less money than you would pay, you could feel less pressure as a dad because of greater financial security.

By Tony Arevalo

Co-Founder, Carsurance