VOTE NOW: Should women have cheaper car insurance?

The European Court of Justice has decided that using gender as a factor in setting premiums is sexual discrimination - meaning women drivers, who are a safer insurance bet than men, will have higher bills.

From the end of next year, they will have to pay the same premium as men the same age but young men are likely to see their premiums fall as a result of the ruling.

The British Insurance Brokers’ Association said the current cost of the average car claim by an 18-year-old man is £4,400 but for an 18-year-old woman it is £2,700. However, a male driver under 21 is twice as likely to have an accident as a woman under 21.

Maggie Craig, of the Association of British Insurers, said: “This gender ban is disappointing news for UK consumers and something the UK insurance industry has fought for the last decade. The judgment ignores the fact that taking a person’s gender into account, where relevant to the risk, enables men and women alike to get a more accurate price for their insurance.”

North West Tory MEP Sajjad Karim said: “This is a victory for boy racers and a major blow for democracy and careful women drivers.”

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