You are looking for the best, cheap car insurance and you have a have a clean driving record with no convictions or accidents. Where should you get your policy from?
Well: you could start by comparing up to 120 policies!
Insurance Providers on the panel include these great companies:
Should you automatically get cheap car insurance because you have a perfect driving record?
It would be reasonable to assume that the cheapest policies should go to those who are the best and most careful drivers. Unfortunately car insurance is not that simple! Insurance Providers are more interested in the possibility of your making claim in the future; and whilst your past record may hold you in good stead there are other factors that providers take into account when calculating premiums.
Even the best driver in Britain could still be involved in an accident that was someone else's fault; experience vandalism; or even suffer from a car theft. Insurance Providers look at all these risk factors, and more, in different ways, too; some may be more interested in the type of car you drive, others the postcode you live in or your age. This is why comparing car insurance quotations can be so helpful; there are so many factors that determine the premium providers will charge, but they all weight each of them in a different way. These factors include:
- Age: young drivers are typically charged higher premiums as they are considered to be more inexperienced and therefore more likely to be involved in accidents. They are also more likely to be show off in front of their friends or drive competitively to beat other youngsters off the traffic lights!
On the other hand, older drivers may also face higher premiums owing to their increased risk of health issues that could affect their driving ability. Age has many compensations, such as wisdom and experience, but unfortunately reaction time (so useful in emergencies) isn't one of them. - Driving experience: the longer you've been on the road, the more idiots (sorry, careless drivers) you have seen, so the more likely you are to recognise and avoid them, as well as other potential accident situations.
- Driving record: yes, your clean one, with no accidents or traffic violations can help to lower premiums for you, whilst a poor history will have the opposite effect.
- Vehicle make and model: this is where the Thatcham group rating comes into it's own; just like drivers, some car models are involved in more accidents than others, and some of these accidents cost the providers higher payouts than others, too. Although safety features such as ABS, traction control, lane assist and anti-collision technology can make some cars less liely to involved in a claim these same gizmos can cost a lot to repair so they can greatly increase the cost of these claims! Sometimes you just can't win.
- Car usage: the more time they are on the road, the more chance of them being involved in an accident. So far so simple; but there are much higher numbers of incidents during the night and at weekends too; which is why a musician or DJ is likely to be shocked by just how high their quotes are!
- Location: some areas, such as inner cities, create more accidents because of heavier traffic; but there are often at low speed, meaning lower payouts. However certain postcodes suffer from not only higher rates of theft and vandalism, but insurance fraud as well; even the best driver in the world will be likely to pay a stiff premium if he or she lives in one of these areas.
- Security: measures to keep your car safer can lower your premiums (as well as your blood pressure). They should be clearly visible too, which deters opportunistic thieves; yes a professional should be able to deal with a big strong steering lock but it will take time, and there will probably be others cars nearby that are easier to pinch.
- Occupation: people in some jobs go hand in hand with an increased risk of car accidents; professional sports people are amongst the worst, which is hardly surprising considering their lifestyles; fast food delivery drivers pay a fair bit as well because of the pressure to deliver thir hot meals quickly but why car wash attendants and abattoir workers are high on the list as well is a mystery to me.
- Marital status: some providers feel that married drivers are less of a risk than single drivers because are more relaxed and they have a more stable life; some of us may believe the exact opposite.
So there you are. we all have our own unique risk profiles, and providers weigh these profiles in different ways, which is why comparing quotes from as many providers as possible might be a really good idea. So; click the button now and get personalised quotes from up to 100+ providers right away!
