A new drive to cut premiums
Peter Sharples
MOTORISTS in Manchester are still paying more than twice the national average for motor insurance.
With the exception of Liverpool, Manchester is the priciest city in Britain for car insurance premiums - with drivers paying 55 per cent above the norm.
Researchers from Confused.com, the online comparison site for insurance premiums, analysed more than 27,000 quotations for motorists across the country. They discovered that although the average premium for Manchester motorists has fallen slightly in the last three months, the city remains a major hot-spot.
"Motorists in Manchester are continuing to suffer from high car insurance premiums even though rates have fallen slightly, which goes against the national trend," said Kate Armstrong, managing director of Confused.com.
Her researchers found that the average premium for a Manchester driver fell from £941.68 to £916.23 - a modest reduction of 2.7 per cent from the previous quarter. But this is still 55 per cent higher than the national average of £590.26.
"This extensive research indicates that Manchester has bucked the trend when it comes to car insurance premiums," Kate added.
"Although prices are still comparatively high in relation to the rest of the country, premiums have fallen, which can only be judged as positive.
"However, the clear message from the research is that the only way to be sure of finding a good deal is for drivers in Manchester to shop around."
Among the key findings of the research, Confused.com discovered Liverpudlians suffer the worst premium prices in the UK and are having to pay almost £350 more for their motor insurance than the national average.
At the other end of the scale, Dundee remained the UK's cheapest city for car insurance with average premiums at £451.08, 24 per cent below the national average. The two other 'ripe' areas for low insurance are Swindon (£464.03) and Norwich (£463.50).
Armstrong says Confused.com saves drivers an average of £156 in insurance premiums.
Since its launch in January 2003, the website claims to have saved drivers in excess of £40m.
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