Car Insurance News Articles

The average cost of UK motor insurance rose by 4.9% for fully comp and 10.2% for third party last year. But the price changes varied significantly across the country.

Many Northern England areas saw average rises of more than 14%, with Bradford worst hit with a 17.1% hike. However drivers in Scotland, who already paid the lowest premiums, saw an overall decrease in rates. Falkirk had the biggest drop, Full Story

The government has ditched the need for motor insurance certificates, a move that's billed as part of an effort to cut red tape for motorists.

The move will mean drivers no longer need to have either a paper or electronic certificate. The abolition of the requirement is partly because it is rarely if ever needed in practice as police can check insurance details using the Motor Insurance Database, which is updated Full Story

Six motor insurers have agreed to limit the way they use an IT system that allowed them to share information about prices. The Office of Fair Trading took action over fears the system allowed a price cartel.

The system involved credit agency Experian running an "information exchange" using software from SSP limited. The six insurers using the system were Ageas, Aviva, AXA, Liverpool Victoria, RBS and Zurich.

Each of the firms was able to check prices being charged by Full Story

The average cost of a comprehensive motor insurance policy has dropped slightly over the past three months. But the long-term pattern is still steep rises, with the extra cost paid by young drivers rocketing.

Research for the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index
showed that between July and September, average comprehensive costs dropped by 1.6%. However, across the past Full Story

The Office of Fair Trading has been asked to investigate why motor insurance premiums in Northern Ireland is dramatically higher than the rest of the UK.

The Consumer Council has made a formal complaint to the OFT after its research found the average price of car insurance in Northern Ireland is £920, which is 84% higher than on the mainland. It says the average cost has risen by 70% in just two Full Story

A Bradford woman claims to have been quoted £53,000 to insure a Vauxhall Corsa. But the website concerned denies this could have happened.

The case of 20-year-old Leah Groves was raised by her MP David Ward. She said most quotes she was offered were in the region of £7,000 to £8,000 but that one quote on Gocompare was for £53,000. The site says this is impossible as it automatically Full Story

A company specializing in motor insurance for young drivers has cut premiums by 17%, crediting the success of its tracker technology.

Young Marmalade required customers to have a black box fitted to their car which tracks the time of day the car is driver, speed, and measures such as acceleration and braking that could indicate safe or dangerous driving. Customers get an initial quote, but this Full Story

The average cost of a motor insurance policy for young men has broken the £4,000 a year barrier for the first time -- and it's a record that may stand for several years.

The average comprehensive policy for males aged 17 to 20 is now estimated at £4,006 by Confused.com and consultants Towers Watson. The companies noted that when you add in the costs of running a car, somebody on an average Full Story

The Information Commissioner's Office is investigating claims that motor insurers have been selling client details to personal injury laws.

The investigation follows complaints including one from former Justice Secretary and current MP Jack Straw. He argued that such behavior was unfairly increasing the number of personal injury claims and thus driving up premiums.

The issue involves Full Story

Holidaymakers are being warned that taking their car overseas could be an expensive proposition if they don't check the terms of their insurance properly.

A new survey by Moneysupermarket found that one in three drivers believed that a fully comprehensive policy would still be valid outside the UK. In many cases that is not the case.

Aside from a few companies, most insurers -- including many Full Story