More than half of all motorists use a private driveway at night to keep their car insurance premiums down, according to new figures from Quotezone.co.uk.
The leading insurance comparison website found 56% of motorists keep their car on a private driveway and receive average premiums of £653 per year – over £140 cheaper than keeping it on the road, at £794. While carports provided the cheapest option, £562, only 4,000 motorists (0.5% of premiums surveyed) used one for overnight parking.
The cost saving may well become more important in future as electric cars become the default choice for UK drivers, as it is unlikely that councils or government will install millions of charging points on the street for those who live in terraced houses or apartments. That means having access to a driveway, so that you can trail a cable and plug at night. Why would insurers – or councils – take on the slip and trip risk for those in terraced houses who wish to dangle cables across the pavements?
Parking on a road away from home proved the most expensive place to park at night, coming in at an average of £1,063.
Quotezone.co.uk’s findings are based on car insurance premiums for over 850,000 drivers, collected over a period of 12 months, up to the end of October 2020.
Responding to the new data, Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk, one of the country’s leading car insurance comparison sites, comments: “It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that parking your car off the road is likely to result in cheaper insurance premiums than if you parked on the roadside. After all, cars parked on the road have a higher risk of being sideswiped by a passing vehicle or rear-ended by another motorist attempting to park. Cars parked on the road are also more attractive to would-be thieves as they don’t have to come onto your property to gain access to the vehicle.
“However, many motorists might be surprised to realise just how much they could save by parking off the road. Only 13% of people use their garage to store their car. If you currently use your garage for extra storage or a home office then now might be the time for a clear out, to see if you can unlock some savings.
“Most cars now come with alarms, immobilisers and trackers but you can take extra precautions by not leaving valuables in plain sight for opportunistic thieves, choose well-lit areas or add outdoor lighting. Dash cams can be ideal for those who have to park their cars on the road and CCTV cameras can help for secure or unsecure garages and driveways.”
Quotezone.co.uk has over 110 UK car insurance providers, helping over 3 million users find competitive deals, including niche products such as young driver insurance, over 70 car insurance and van insurance.
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