Questions your insurer may ask you

When applying for a car insurance quote you will be asked several questions by your potential insurer. Although the number of questions asked may seem daunting, these are asked in order to obtain an accurate risk profile for you, and will help the insurer find you the best quote possible. Here are some of the most common questions to expect.

Accident/claim history – car insurance premiums will be higher for those who have had more accidents/made more claims.

Convictions - previous motoring offences will significantly increase your premiums - especially offences relating to drink driving.

No claims bonus – on the other hand, if you are a careful driver with no previous claims you can expect to be offered a much lower premium.

Your age – generally, younger drivers are involved in more accidents, and insurance premiums reflect this. Drivers over the age of 70 will be asked to take a medical test to confirm that they are fit to drive.

Your job type – drivers in certain occupations are seen as higher risk, such as sales executives.

How long have you been driving – more experienced drivers will be offered lower car insurance premiums.

Do you smoke? As a number of accidents occur each year as a result of cigarette use by drivers, such as fire and loss of concentration, some insurers may charge smokers more.

Illness – certain medical conditions can make insurance premiums higher, such as epilepsy, type 1 diabetes, a history of blackouts, and certain mental illnesses.

Car type - cars are grouped according to their risk category. This is mainly based on car value, but factors such as car security features will also affect the cost of your premium.

Car age - older vehicles are generally less expensive to insure, except for certain high value classic cars.

How the car will be parked - if stored in a locked garage, your car insurance will be cheaper.

Where you live - insurance risk is calculated by postcode, according to the level of car crime in the local area. Cars in inner city areas will be more expensive to insure.

Usage and mileage– a high mileage will lead to higher premiums. Generally, cars used purely for leisure purposes incur less mileage than those used for business, and are therefore cheaper to insure. It is fraudulent to claim that your car is used solely for leisure purposes  if you drive your car to work.

International use – taking your car abroad may increase your premiums. Some insurers will require you to inform them before taking your car abroad.

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