Motor Insurance in Northern Ireland 

This was probably the hardest hit of all insurance products during the "troubles". Hardly a day seemed to go by without us seeing pictures of burning cars and barricades on the TV news programs. Vehicles were regularly hijacked to be used in terrorist activities or to be part of another barricade.

It's not surprising that the insurance companies were very loathe to offer motor insurance to the people of Ulster. Thankfully all of that has now changed and there's plenty of online insurance companies willing to offer car insurance quotes in Northern Ireland.

Car insurance in Northern Ireland is still not without its problems. Stealing cars in order to race them around the streets is still rife in parts of the major cities of Londonderry and Belfast, an incredibly stupid activity that has seen too many drivers, passengers and innocent pedestrians killed and maimed.

On the whole however, the picture is definitely improving and the rates for car insurance for Morthern Ireland are slowly dropping as competition between the insurers increases. Rates for new young drivers are extremely high, as is the case throughout the UK but Ulster seems to be suffering more than most, probably due to the poor insurance record of young Northern Irish drivers over the last decade or two. We've put together a few suggestions on how drivers might save on their Northern Ireland car insurance premiums as follows :-

1. Shop Around - We're all guilty of taking the easy way out and accepting the renewal premium from our current insurer. You're very likely to save up to 30% of that renewal premium by getting quotes from a few other online insurers. All insurance companies use different criteria to calculate their premiums and shopping around might find you the very company that can offer you a much cheaper premium.
2. Agree To Pay A Higher Excess - All car insurance policies have an excess charge built into them. The excess is payable by the policy holder in the event of a claim. You'll typically be required to pay at least the first £100 of any claim. By voluntarily increasing that excess you will lower the premium payable, although you must also bear in mind that if you have one or more accidents in a year you might be worse off financially.
3. Fit An Immobiliser  - Fitting an insurer approved vehicle immobiliser will lower your premium and it will laso give you peace of mind that the vehicle is safe during times when it is parked. Most modern cars are already fitted with such devices but the older vehicles that are likely to be driven by the new and inexperienced driver are often easy pickings for the criminal fraternity.
4. Park The Car In A Garage Or Driveway - Although not a huge reduction, premiums are definitely lower for cars that are not kept on the public highway. Thinking about it, it's not surprising when you consider that it's not unusual for a vehicle to be damaged by a passing truck, bus, van etc., not to mention the attentions of the local teenage hoodlums who are quite happy to run a key down the side of a shiny new car.
5. Check Your Mileage - If the car will see very little use then do an estimation of your total annual mileage. Most insurers will offer lower premiums if you are going to do less miles.
6. Buy A Common Car - This advice would have been "Buy a British Car" just a few short years ago but nowadays you might have trouble actually finding a British car. The thinking is the same though, parts for common cars cost less than parts for exotic cars. The cost of parts is also carried over into your normal running costs, service of a Ford Sierra is going to be a lot cheaper than a service on an old BMW. In the end you have to weigh up the pros and cons of driving a boring, bog standard car with low insurance and running costs against driving something exciting like an old BMW with it's much higher costs.

Let's leave with a warning that you must always tell the truth when completing an insurance application. Telling little white lies now might lower your premium but in the event of an accident it could mean that you will not be paid out if the insurance company finds out that you've lied on the proposal form.

The insurers that are featured on our Northern Ireland car insurance page offer a variety of policies including cover for classic cars, specialised policies for young Northern Ireland drivers, pay as you go insurance for those who don't use their car too much and of course cheap car insurance in Northern Ireland.