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What affects the cost of car insurance?

What affects your car insurance cover?

Where you live affects your car insurance.

If you live in a city where car crime is high then this will affect the cost of your own insurance, even if your car has never been damaged or broken into.
You need to give them your address and post code.

Where you keep your car. A car which is locked up in a garage at night should have a lower premium than one kept on the driveway which in turn should be cheaper than the cover for a car left on the street.

What security measures you have. Whether you have an imobiliser, alarms, extra locks, glass etching, coded audio equipment, high visbility VIN (Vehicle Identification Number )etc.

The car itself has a big bearing on how much it'll cost to insure.

There are 20 main groups for insurance purposes but some insurers are now breakikng this down into 50 groups ensuring that cars are more accurately put together.

If a car is likely to suffer more damage in an accident then it's likely to have ahigher insurance group. If parts and repairs cost more then this will also affect the group. Unusual paint finishes can also increase prices of repairs.

A new car is going to cost more to replace than an older one.

Cars made on a standard car body (eg a C1 car is used for many types of car) then this will make it cheaper to repair and therefore insure.

The performance of a car, it's acceleration and top speed are also important. A high performance car is statistically likely to be more frequently involved in accidents.

The driver is another factor. An experienced driver is less likely to have accidents than newly qualified drivers and younger drivers.

If you have attended courses such as Advanced Motorist training from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), then this may well get you a discount.
Likewise the Pass Plus test for new drivers can also reduce insurance costs.

If you don't have accidents and build up a claim free history you will pay less for insurance. Discounts are given according to the lenght of no-claims - generally up to 70% discount is available.

What you do for a living - partly perhaps for times of day you'll be driving - eg: working late at night.

What is the excess - some companies offer discounts if you increase the excess.

Always report people trying car door handles or acting suspiciously around cars. This information can help the police catch car thieves and ultimately reduce car crime. This will reduce car insurance.

The police do a "25" scheme whereby cars normally driven by only those over 25 can carry a special sticker. Then if they're seen being driven by someone under 25 the police can quickly be alerted to the fact something is wrong!