Securing the right motor insurance is an unavoidable headache, but once you have it can be off-putting hearing about the many ways you could have saved or reduced your monthly payments. This week’s tips give advice on reducing your motor insurance costs, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

• Take an advanced driving course.Most insurers recognise these courses and may offer a discount

   

• Shop around when renewing your insurance, it’s the best way make sure you are getting the best deal

   

• Consider downsizing. Buying expensive cars such as a 4x4 or an exotic sports model may seem like the dream but the insurance is much more expensive as opposed to insuring a less luxurious car which will be expensive to repair.Cars are insurance rated from 1-50 and the lower the better if you want to contain costs

   

• Location plays an important part in determining your insurance rate. If you are planning to move, a potential shift in your postcode can effect your car insurance rate and is something you should consider in your budget

   

• Changing the amount of excess you would pay in the event of a claim can make a difference to your yearly premium- make sure you are happy with the excess amount though

   

• Stay away from car modifications. A lot of the time you see many young drivers modifying their alloy wheels, body kits etc. This is something that you must try to avoid as they are known to increase premiums. If you are keen to modify your vehicle always inform your insurer

   

• Consider using a telematics-based black box policy. Mainly available for younger drivers many insurers are now offering mobile phone based apps for all drivers. These devices monitor car usage and driving behaviour and set your premiums based on your actual driving performance

Richard said: “Insurance is a motoring essential but shopping around has never been easier.  Insurance companies now share data on crash history so it never pays to be economical with the truth.  Postcode, driving history, insurance rating and driver age will always be the main way to set premiums but follow our simple tips and you can make savings.”