Beat the rising cost of car insurance with our helpful tips

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With recent statistics from the AA estimating that car insurance premiums have risen by 15% in the last year, pushing the average cost of a comprehensive car insurance policy up by £128.71 a year to £971.40 for an annual policy, here are our top tips to help you get the very best quote for car insurance to help beat the rising cost of cover.

At the top of the list for tips for cheaper car insurance is, shopping around. Comparing quotes from a range of providers, as opposed to just letting your current policy renew automatically, is the first piece of advice an insurance expert will give you. Head to an insurance price comparison website to compare a range of quotes in one go.

If you know your premium is coming up for renewal, try to save up so you can pay it off in one lump sum as paying off your premium month by month through a direct debit can add approximately 11% to the overall cost of your cover compared to paying outright at the start.

Increasing your voluntary excess is another way to help lower your insurance quote, however don’t be tempted to set your excess at too high a rate as if you are involved in an accident, this is the amount you will have to pay before your insurance covers the cost.

If you’re a young driver, consider adding an older driver to your policy as a named driver if they also use your car, or look into taking out a telematics insurance policy. These policies work by placing a box in the car which records data that is then used to calculate the cost of the driver’s policy. If you’re a careful driver and you don’t use your car at peak hours and rack up high mileage, you could benefit from lower premiums with these types of policies.

Follow our top tips to find the very best rates on annual car insurance.

Spy-in-the-car box could bring an end to high insurance rates for young drivers

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Thanks to a new device known as the spy-in-the-box, sky high insurance premiums for responsible younger drivers could become a thing of the past.

Several years ago car insurance provider Aviva trialled the technology, but promptly dropped the scheme as the equipment was too costly. However over the course of the last few years, the devices have become more sophisticated and affordable and so a number of insurance companies are now looking into introducing the technology to help lower the cost of cover for younger drivers.

Drivers under the age of 25 have borne the brunt of the car insurance premium increases as recent figures found that in some circumstances, the cost of cover rose by 50% over the course of the last 6 months for young motorists.

The introduction of spy-in-the-car boxes could put an end to high premiums for careful young drivers. The device, which is the size of approximately two cigarette cartons, is installed in the engine and monitors the driver’s ability.

The device measures average driver speeds, the times of day or night they tend to travel, and their braking and acceleration habits in order to create a picture of what kind of driver they are.

It’s been reported that six UK car insurance companies are currently looking into the possibility of offering spy-in-the-car box car insurance policies.

High number of motorists would consider lying to their provider

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A recent survey conducted by the Association of British Insurers found that a high number of UK motorists would consider lying to their insurance company, and withhold information, if it meant they could get a cheaper deal on their annual cover.

The practice known as fronting was found to pose the biggest threat to car insurance providers. Over half of those questioned as part of the survey admitted they would consider naming themselves as the first name driver on a car insurance policy to get cheaper cover, when in fact the vehicle is driven by their child on regular basis. Despite the fact that this is illegal, and would invalidate the policyholder’s insurance, over half of motorists questioned by the ABI said they would consider fronting.

A fifth of those questioned said they would be tempted to exaggerate how many years it had been since they’d made a claim on their car insurance in order to receive a cheaper premium, while 12% admitted they would consider trying to hide a motoring conviction for the same reason. Plus 10% of those who took part in the survey said they would possibly conceal important details from their insurer.

Worryingly, all of these practices are illegal and would invalidate a car insurance policy, however this doesn’t seem to deter people from considering them as viable options which would lead to cheaper cover.

Tips on how young drivers can keep the cost of insurance low

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The cost of insurance is the biggest hurdle facing young drivers according to a study carried out by I-Kube who specialise in the provision of cover for new drivers. 90% of those questioned as part of the survey said that the cost of cover was the biggest barrier to getting on the road, the expense of buying a car was voted as the second biggest obstacle. With the cost of car insurance proving an issue for young drivers, here are some helpful hints to keep the cost of cover down.

Shop around to find the best deal. Use price comparison sites, but also seek out companies which specialise in cover for young drivers. Finding a policy which is most suited to you personally will help to bring the cost down.

Go with an insurer which recognises Pass Plus. By undertaking this driver training course, which is aimed at those who have recently passed their test, you could see your insurance premiums drop by up to 35%

Buy a car which you can afford to insure. As your first car, it’s a wise decision to opt for a vehicle which is in the lowest possible insurance group in order to keep your cover low. Before you actually buy your first car, get a few insurance quotes so you can determine whether or not you can afford to insure it.

Add another driver to you policy. By adding a more experienced driver to your car insurance policy such as a parent, you could see your premiums decrease. However you must remain as the main driver of the vehicle not the older driver. Falsely naming a parent or more experienced driver as the main driver on a policy is known as “fronting” and is against the law.

Follow these tips in order to find the cheapest car insurance policy for your first car.