In fact, new research from Age UK Enterprises reveals that four fifths of drivers describe their car as being "crucial" or very important" to their daily lives.This reliance means ensuring our vehicles remain roadworthy - and that we are adequately covered - is vital.Car insurance is one of the few types of cover that is compulsory, but the good news is premiums have dropped over the past 12 months.This has been, in part at least, down to insurers reacting to new measures designed to combat false whiplash claims and other scams.
Shopping around is still vital to ensure you find the right policy with the cover you need at a good price
Lee Griffin, of GoCompare.com
New figures from the AA show the cost of car cover has come down by more than £100 in 12 months, with its average "shoparound" figure for comprehensive motor insurance having fallen to £531 for the first three months of the year.This is 5.6 per cent down on the last three months of 2013, and 16.6 per cent down on January to March 2013.Young drivers who face some of the steepest costs for motor cover, enjoyed some of the biggest falls, with costs for those aged 17-22 falling 10 per cent to an average quoted premium of £1,158. However, while prices have dropped, premiums are still significantly higher than all other age bands.Separate new figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) paint a similar picture.According to its tracker, which reflects what motorists are actually paying each quarter for comprehensive motor insurance, in the first three months of this year the average premium fell by 3 per cent on the previous quarter to £358. Since the first three months of 2012, the average comprehensive premium paid has fallen by 14 per cent.But while these findings might sound like cause to celebrate, motoring experts warn drivers not to automatically expect a discount at their next renewal."Shopping around is still vital to ensure you find the right policy with the cover you need at a good price," says Lee Griffin from GoCompare.com. Related articles
Equally, some warn that the current low prices may not last. "Premiums are expected to start rising again this year," says the AA's Simon Douglas.So what steps can motorists take to keep a lid on costs? In recent weeks, there has been a flurry of activity around the use of so-called "dashcams" - small cameras that you position in your car to film the driver's view. The aim is to help reduce premiums for careful motorists by enabling the insurer to establish accurately and quickly who was at fault when an accident happens.At the end of April, SwiftCover became the first major insurance provider to offer discounts to motorists using one of these cameras, following in the footsteps of specialist providers, such as Adrian Flux.According to Swiftcover, users will get a discount of 10 per cent, resulting in an average annual saving of £33."Dashboard-mounted cameras can be useful in combatting crash-for-cash and other fraudulent 'orchestrated accident' claims," says Griffin. "Using the video footage, it is possible to prove whether someone's claim is legitimate or not. It could also help to determine who is to blame - making the claims process more efficient."Elsewhere, Halfords has linked up with in-car technology producer, Nextbase, and is now offering customers buying a dash-cam a free subscription to Police Witness - a service that holds dangerous drivers to account by presenting the footage to the authorities."Dash-cams can act as an independent witness should the need arise, helping to guard against fraud," says Stuart Humphreys from Halfords. "These devices can ensure the shock and stress experienced following an accident isn't compounded by a biased account of events that can lead to unfair rises in insurance premiums." Tips to cut costs Consider opting for a higher voluntary excess, though you will need to decide if a slightly cheaper premium is worth the risk of having to contribute more towards the cost of any potential claim. Think about adding another driver with a clean licence and several years' claim-free driving to your policy. But if you are the main driver ensure that you are noted as such to avoid committing a fraud known as fronting. This could invalidate your insurance. While it may be tempting to spread the cost of your car premium over a year, it is usually cheaper to pay for the premium up front.
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