"

These days, many Americans are looking to save money in a number of ways when it comes to their auto insurance coverage, and some may not be having as much success as they might want. However, it seems that in some cases, those people could actually have a little more trouble if they're men, because they tend to pay more for car insurance plans than women do. This could possibly become an issue that some insurance agents have to deal with overall, but those who do as much as they can to smooth over these issues and find clients other types of discounts may potentially be able to save a little bit more.

For years now, men have been paying more for their auto insurance coverage than women without even realizing it, according to a report from Bloomberg Businessweek. For instance, the latest information suggests that when comparing premiums for 25-year-old male and female drivers in Oakland, California, with similar backgrounds, the man will pay about $358 more annually.

The reason for this isn't that men get into more accidents than women; in fact, women tend to get in more fender-benders than men do overall, the report said. However, there's another factor at play that generally worries auto insurance providers.

What's the issue?
While women get into more accidents, men typically get into more severe ones, the report said. Data from a number of sources shows that men drive more miles every year, drive faster, drive ""aggressively,"" and drive under the influence more often. Consequently, some 71 percent of all drivers killed in the U.S. in 2012 were men. The payouts that insurers have to make when taking medical bills into account are much higher than those for mere damage to a vehicle itself or minor injuries. And, as such, men typically represent a far larger risk, thus the higher premiums.

""That's why the auto insurer is looking at gender,"" Michael Barry of the Insurance Information Institute told the news organization.

Insurance agents may, at some point, be to required to explain all this information to male drivers who are looking to cut some of their coverage costs, and clients might not like to hear about these realities of the business. However, those professionals who might be able to have the most success when keeping retention rates and customer satisfaction high are those who can strike the best balance between being able to get discounts on occasion, but also continually providing strong service.

"