How to Dodge the Car Insurance Increases

Car insurance prices are rising faster than ever, especially for younger drivers, according to a survey just published by the AA. But these days there are more opportunities to dodge the increases, says Adrian Flux Insurance Services, one of the UK's leading car insurance brokers. "Drivers just have to be a bit canny," says Gerry Bucke of Flux. "There are loads of ways to cut the premium, sometimes by as much as 30%, and all of them are perfectly above board."

Here's Flux's list of the top six ways to cut car insurance costs: Pass Plus - young drivers seem to be bearing the brunt of the increases. But taking a Pass Plus test after passing the standard test can cut premiums significantly. For example, Flux gives a discount of up to 30% for Pass Plus drivers. Pass Plus costs vary, depending on the area, but right now, many councils are helping with the cost. Check out www.passplus.org.uk for more information. Advanced driving courses - drivers of all ages can get a discount on insurance for passing an advanced driving course, such as those run by the Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) and Ride Drive. For example, Flux will normally give at least 25% discount on insurance for drivers who take (and pass) the national Ride Drive advanced driving course, which costs from around GBP200. Join a club - members of car owners' clubs can get discounts of up to 15% on car insurance via their club. There's an owners' club for just about every car marque imaginable, from a Trabant to a Micra to a Ferrari. Flux offers special deals via thousands of different car and motorcycle owners' clubs. Up the excess - the excess is the amount of any claim that the policyholder pays before the insurance company starts to contribute. Typically the excess will be GBP100 to GBP250 - but it's possible to get much higher excesses, which will reduce the cost of the insurance. For example, a 20 year old driver with a VW Golf who is paying GBP2,500 for fully comprehensive insurance with GBP150 excess could cut the cost to GBP1,900 if the excess is increased to GBP1,500. Limited mileage - these schemes give a discount based on the number of miles the policy holder doesn't drive. The less miles the driver does, the bigger the discount. Typically owners of kit cars and classics will use these schemes - they may only drive the car 500 miles a year. But these days brokers like Flux can offer limited mileage schemes for as much as 10,000 miles per year. Many drivers only do a few thousand miles per year, especially if most of their driving is in town, and they will be able to take advantage. Typically a limit of 5,000 miles will give a discount of around 20% Ring around - it pays to get more than one quote, and to speak to insurance providers to get a better deal. Specialist brokers like Flux will be able to advise of how to get a better deal, especially if the car or driver is 'non standard' - for example, for high performance cars and grey imports, or where drivers have a high risk job, live in a high risk area or have points on their license. Brokers will also check a variety of different insurers to see who gives the best price - in Flux's case, the company compares over 40 different providers. Searching online can be very effective, but beware of web quotes that seem too good to be true - check they are comparing like for like. (For example, check what the excess is). The best deals are usually to be had by talking to car insurance specialists on the phone. Adrian Flux aims to offer cheaper car insurance and has a huge range of policies for the motoring enthusiast. For details contact the Adrian Flux quote line on 0800 081 8989 or see the Flux homepage on www.adrianflux.co.uk Copy ends

Flux shows how to keep insurance costs down - Oct-09 Press Enquiries: Toni Turner or Alison Haynes at The Publicity Works Tel: 01263 761000 Gerry Bucke of Adrian Flux Insurance Services: 0800 081 8989