Provisional licence holders as well as older drivers with decades of experience behind the wheel regularly turn to Quotezone.co.uk. Our independent and unbiased insurance comparison platform allows you to compare car insurance quotes in a matter of minutes. Our expertise and panel of UK based insurance specialists mean that finding the right car insurance for you has never been easier!

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In short the answer is it really depends, as the price of your quote will essentially reflect the risk the insurer will face if they offer you coverage. Whilst there are multiple factors which will impact the cost of your car insurance, here is a quick overview of what the average UK car insurance policy costs.

Many types of insurance are optional, but car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK. You can face stiff penalties and fines if you are caught driving without it. The only exception is if a car has a Statutory Off-Road Notice (SORN), which means that by law the car can’t be driven on public roads and therefore doesn’t require insurance.

However, while you can’t avoid the cost of insuring your car you can often take steps to increase your odds of finding very cheap car insurance.

First and foremost, an understanding of the factors insurance companies take into account when calculating your insurance premium can help you reduce how much it will cost you.

Firstly you’ll want to consider your level of coverage:

Third party (TPO): This is the minimum level of car insurance required under UK law, and is essentially intended to protect other drivers when you take to the roads. To that end third party insurance covers the cost of damage to a third party’s vehicle if you’re involved in an accident and you were at fault, but it isn’t always the best car insurance policy (even if it is occasionally the more affordable car insurance option) because it will not cover the cost of repairing or replacing your own vehicle.

Third party, fire, and theft (TPFT): This is similar to third party insurance, but will also pay out if your own car is stolen or damaged by fire.

Comprehensive cover: As the name suggests, fully-comp is the most comprehensive level of cover a driver can take out in the UK, and as such it’s generally the best car insurance option. This type of policy includes everything that’s covered by TPFT, but will also cover the cost of repairing or replacing the vehicle of an at-fault driver. This type of insurance will also pay out if you’re involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, which isn’t covered by lower levels of cover.

Most policies have two separate excess amounts. One is set by the insurer and is an integral part of the policy. The second is one that the driver may set themselves, and is usually known as a ‘voluntary excess’. To reduce your premium, then, you could agree to a higher voluntary excess, which could reduce the upfront cost of your policy even if it doesn’t ensure you’ll get the very cheapest car insurance quotes. However, it’s important to bear in mind that this does mean you’ll have to pay more of the costs yourself if you ever need to make a car insurance claim, or if a third party driver claims on your insurance because you were at fault.

Your insurance provider will take a number of factors relating to your vehicle into account when calculating your premium, including:

• The car’s make and model

• Its security features (for example, a car alarm or an engine immobiliser)

• Its engine size (a high performance car will cost more to insure than a smart car, for example)

• Its insurance group

• Its age

• Its mileage

• Whether or not it has been modified

• Whether or not it is an import car

When it comes to your vehicle’s insurance group, it’s worth bearing in mind that every car is assigned to a group from 1 to 50, with vehicles in lower groups generally cheaper to insure. A range of factors are used to allocate vehicles to a particular insurance group, including the car’s value and performance level, the cost and availability of spare parts for the vehicle, and the average time required for repairs.

Your occupation can obviously impact your car insurance premiums if you use your car for work, because it will mean higher mileage, more time on the road and an increased risk of being involved in a road traffic accident at some point. However, even if you don’t use your car for business your occupation can still influence the cost of your insurance, because some insurance providers use it as a proxy for your risk appetite.

It probably goes without saying that some job roles are riskier than others and involve more driving. This includes roles such as recruitment consultant who naturally do a lot of driving from client to client. Roles such as nurses, teachers or doctors have lower premiums but are still not in the lowest car insurance premium bracket. Quote data reveals that Paramedics, firefighters and police officers rank the best occupations for lower car insurance premiums. Based on our findings, paramedics pay an average of £452 annually for private car insurance closely followed by ambulance crews at £469, firefighters at £492, and police officers at £565.

For more information on how emergency service personnel benefit from lower premiums, check out our emergency service car insurance guide.

Car crime is an important consideration for insurance providers, so your area’s crime rate can have a significant impact on whether you’re offered very cheap car insurance or a much more expensive car insurance premium. Crime rates are generally higher in big cities, which is why car insurance in London, Manchester, Birmingham or Leeds will often cost more than an average car insurance premium in a rural area. Beyond crime, if you live in a heavily built-up area you are also more likely to be involved in a car accident than if you live in the countryside, which is another reason why it’s usually more costly to insure your vehicle if you live in city, even if it’s a relatively small one like Aberdeen or Bristol. Finally, where you park your vehicle will also be a factor when you’re trying to find the best car insurance quotes – parking the car in a garage or on a driveway reduces the risk of accidents, vandalism and theft, which can in turn result in cheaper insurance.

Your driving history has two elements – how long you’ve held your full licence, and whether or not you have any points or driving convictions on that licence.

If you’re a provisional licence holder your policy will usually be much more expensive, although it might be possible to reduce your costs by opting for temporary learner insurance instead of taking out an annual policy. Given the fact that many learner drivers pass their test in less than a year this is certainly worth considering. If you’re a full licence holder you will likely find that your insurance is prohibitively expensive when you first get your licence, but gradually becomes more cost effective after you’ve held your licence for a few years…provided you don’t receive any driving convictions or have points added to your licence, of course.

If you are given penalty points for speeding, running a red light or some other driving offence your insurance will almost certainly be more expensive until the points are removed from your licence.

Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk states the following, “While the complexity of insurance premium calculations makes it impossible to put a pounds-and-pence figure on it, on average, three penalty points could result in a 5% jump in a driver’s car insurance premium, while six penalty points could see the cost of their insurance rise by an eye-watering 25%.”

The main driver on a car insurance policy can earn a No Claims Discount (also known as a No Claims Bonus) for each consecutive year they hold insurance without making an insurance claim. In practice this means drivers can often build up a very sizable discount on their annual premiums if they are safe drivers and never have to make a claim on their own insurance. In fact, some older drivers are able to build up a No Claims Discount of 20 or 30 years, which could amount to a 60% or 70% discount on their premiums. Quotezone.co.uk has found that over three million UK drivers could be benefiting from significant discounts on their premiums from no claims discounts.

There are a number of medical conditions that could impair a person’s ability to drive, and if you were diagnosed with one of them you would need to declare that diagnosis to both the DVLA and your insurer. The full list of conditions that need to be declared is fairly extensive, ranging from diabetes to alcoholism to Alzheimer’s, but some of the conditions are age-related which means your medical history is likely to be a more important factor as you get older.

Our experts have identified some surprising conditions which need to be declared to the DVLA by law.

• Diabetes

• Vertigo

• Miscellaneous operations

• Prescription medications

One in four brits also suffer from hay fever, with many requiring medication to elevate symptoms. This can pose problems for your insurance coverage however along with potential fines and penalty points. Many hay fever medication promotes drowsiness and can qualify as drug driving when under the influence. It is highly recommended that you opt for non-drowsy alternatives and always check your medication before driving.

You can check here to see if you have a condition which needs to be disclosed to the DVLA.

Most insurance providers offer policyholders a range of optional extras that can be added to their policy, such as breakdown cover, windscreen cover or legal expenses cover. While these extras can prove convenient, and in some cases may be cheaper than taking out separate cover, they will usually increase your insurance premiums a little. Some motorists may also decide to take out a car warranty, which can sometimes be taken out with your existing insurance provider as well although it will usually be a standalone policy rather than a car insurance add-on.

The list above is not exhaustive however it should provide you with a good knowledge of what sort of factors will influence your insurance premiums. If you are interested in finding out what practical steps you can take to get your insurance premiums down read on to see our top data driven tips on how to save.

Looking for Cheaper Car Insurance? Here’s How You Can Save:

Getting cheaper car insurance is on the top of every savvy policy holders mind and with comparison sites like Quotezone.co.uk It’s never been easier. Comparing multiple insurance providers will always increase your chances of finding cheaper deals.

In addition, the following factors could help you to reduce your premiums:

• Opting for a car in a lower insurance group: If you haven’t yet purchased a car, it is worth noting that if you opt for a car in a lower insurance group you can significantly reduce your premiums.

• Parking in a garage or on a private driveway: If you park your car on the side of the road it will probably cost more to insure, because there’s an increased risk that your vehicle will be involved in an accident or targeted by thieves.

• Installing additional security features: If your car doesn’t have an alarm, engine immobiliser or GPS tracker then installing one could result in cheaper insurance. Installing a dash cam can also help keep your premiums down.

• Opting for a higher excess: It’s important to weigh up whether a cheaper premium is worth the increased risk that you’ll have to fork out a significant lump sum if you’re ever involved in an accident, but if you are determined to reduce the upfront cost of your insurance you could opt for a higher excess.

• Paying annually instead of monthly: While you may have the option to pay for your insurance on an ongoing monthly basis, opting to pay for the full year upfront could reduce the cost a little.

• Keeping your Insurer updated over changing circumstances: Survey data indicates that 26.4% of policy holders don’t update their policies throughout the year with changes to circumstance. If you have also changed jobs and are not driving as much, such as with a remote role, notify your insurer as you could save significantly on your premiums.

• Avoid getting penalty points: Having three penalty points can increase your premiums by 5 per cent for the duration of the four years an infringement stays on your license. Our data shows this figure jumps to 25% when you accumulate six penalty points, so avoid these whenever possible and always observe the road rules.

• Opting for more comprehensive cover: Quotezone.co.uk has revealed that drivers aged 21 or younger could save an average of 11% by opting for a fully comprehensive policy. This is due to more risky drivers opting for third-party only so Insurers reflect this in their pricing.

• Don’t mod you car: modifications such as tinted windows, neon lights, exhaust modifiers and even stickers can increase insurance premiums Quotezone.co.uk has found. Some modifications can even void your insurance policy so check that any modifications made are compliant. A shocking 15% of policy holders are also not aware that their insurance can be made void by violating the terms of their policy.

• Putting a more experienced driver on your policy: If you are a younger driver without many years behind the wheel, putting a more experienced driver under your policy can help reduce your premiums. Quotezone.co.uk has found that this helps reassure insurers that you will not be the only one using the vehicle and so your risk factor is reduced.