Is car insurance more expensive in Northern Ireland?
The average price of car insurance in Northern Ireland is usually higher than the UK’s overall average. However, it’s cheaper than in some specific parts of the country, such as London, the North West of England and the Midlands.
What is the average car insurance cost in Northern Ireland?
As in all parts of the UK, car insurance prices fluctuate depending on various factors.
The recent price index from Confused.com shows an average price for car insurance in Northern Ireland is £968, slightly higher than the average for the UK which is £941.
Car insurance companies in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has a statistically younger population than the rest of the UK. There is also a large gap in car insurance premium prices between the younger and older generations.
Even though the number of insurers in the region is starting to grow, 45% of Northern Irish drivers still automatically renew with their existing insurer instead of getting new quotes.
A recent Competition and Markets Authority investigation found it does not pay to be a loyal car insurance consumer and you could end up being out of pocket if you do not compare prices in the whole market.
How do I get the best car insurance in Northern Ireland?
Price comparison sites are a good way to find the best car insurance deal in Northern Ireland and the price shown is a live, genuine insurance quote. They allow you to trawl through numerous quotes that are constantly updated and managed by the comparison site.
You can also buy temporary or short-term car insurance and multi car policies in Northern Ireland.
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How can I find cheaper car insurance in Northern Ireland?
There are various ways to find cheaper car insurance in Northern Ireland. These include:
Avoiding auto renewal
Not waiting until the last minute to look for a new deal
Improving the security on your car, such as installing an immobiliser or a tracker
Increasing your voluntary excess
Taking out telematics (black box) insurance
Parking it overnight on a drive or in a garage
Adding a named driver, if you're a young driver.
What do I need to get car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland?
It doesn’t take long to get quotes, as long as you’ve got the relevant details to hand. You’ll need to provide information about:
Your occupation
Any claims you’ve made or accidents you’ve had in the last five years
Any named driver you want on the policy
Your driving licence
Any no-claims bonus you have
Any motoring convictions from the last five years
The car registration number
Expected annual mileage
Any modifications that have been made to the car.
Does UK car insurance include Northern Ireland?
Yes, UK car insurance does include Northern Ireland, so motorists from England, Scotland and Wales can drive in the province under their existing policy.
But remember that if you move to Northern Ireland, that will count as a change of address, and that’s something you need to let your insurer know about.
Uninsured drivers and Northern Ireland
A major impact on car insurance costs in Northern Ireland is the recent increase in uninsured drivers. The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) has estimated that some 31,000 motorists drove without insurance in Northern Ireland in 2019.
Careless and dangerous driving is more common by uninsured drivers according to the MIB because they don’t have the motivation to drive more safely and legally to help keep policy costs down.
Over 130 people are killed by an uninsured or untraced ‘hit and run’ driver each year. In a crackdown during the summer of 2019 the Police Service of Northern Ireland revealed that its officers seized over 1,600 vehicles without insurance.
Uninsured drivers cost the insurance industry around £400m each year and as pay-outs come from a central fund contributed to by those drivers that are insured, less money into the fund means that insurance premiums have to be further increased to cover the shortfall.
Personal injury and car insurance in Northern Ireland
In 2017, the personal injury discount rate or Ogden discount rate, which is used to assess compensation for serious personal injury claims, lowered in the UK from 2.5% to minus 0.75%. It changed again in 2019 to minus 0.25%.
The lower the rate, the higher the compensation awarded and the greater the cost to compensators, such as insurers and the NHS. A cost reflected in car insurance premiums.
Yet due to the collapse of power sharing arrangements within the Northern Ireland Executive, Northern Ireland didn’t update its framework in the ways that England & Wales and Scotland have done since 2017.
The personal injury discount rate in NI is currently 2.5%, but the Department of Justice is consulting on possible changes to the legal framework for setting the rate from 2.5% to minus 1.75% This would make NI insurance premiums even higher.
Younger car drivers and Northern Ireland
A study in 2011 by the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Library Service found there was a higher number of young drivers in Northern Ireland compared with England, Wales and Scotland.
Yet according to the Department for Infrastructure, the number of driving tests taken by people under 25 has fallen by a third in Northern Ireland in 10 years and the cost of car insurance has been blamed for the drop.
In 2008, almost 50,000 driving tests were taken by young people, but this fell to 33,261 in 2018. This is expected to have fallen even further during the 2020/2021 pandemic.
FAQs
What can affect car premium prices in Northern Ireland?
Car premiums are based on the perceived risk that you’ll make a claim. The criteria used by insurers includes your age, driving history, annual mileage, occupation, type of car and voluntary excess, as well as any named drivers on the policy. Your address and local crime rates can also play a part.
Has car insurance in Northern Ireland been affected by Brexit?
Car insurance in Northern Ireland has so far remained unaffected by Brexit. But if you plan to drive across the border into the Republic of Ireland, it’s worth checking your policy details or speaking to your insurer first. If they treat the Republic like any other EU country it would mean that you’d need to have European car insurance and inform your insurer of your cross-border trip.
Do I need a green card to drive in Northern Ireland?
No, motorists from other parts of the UK don’t need a green card to drive in Northern Ireland. In fact, UK motorists don’t need a green card to drive anywhere in the EU after the initial post-Brexit requirement for extra paperwork was dropped.
Can I still get cover if I am moving to Northern Ireland?
Yes, you can get cover if you move to Northern Ireland. But depending on where you’re moving from, you might find your premiums increase, as insurers price their products on factors including where you live and local crime rates.
What if I plan to travel to and from Northern Ireland by ferry?
If you plan to travel between the British mainland and Northern Ireland by ferry, you should the check the terms of your insurance policy or speak to your insurer about any cover while you’re at sea. You’ll be covered to drive in the province like you are elsewhere in the UK, but not all insurers automatically include cover while your car is on a ferry.
Why is my Northern Ireland car insurance quote so high?
If you think your Northern Ireland car insurance quote is high, it could be partly because there’s a smaller pool of insurers in the market. It might also be because there a greater proportion of rural roads in Northern Ireland, which puts up your annual mileage.
