It can be a vicious circle for young motorists in the UK.

According to BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat programme, 50% of those who drive without car insurance in the UK are under the age of 29, meaning they are breaking the law and could see their cars seized if caught by the police.

Yet those who drive with car insurance face sky high premiums as young people are punished based on reputation and damning statistics – figures from a car insurance intermediary reveal that 38% of 17- and 18-year-old drivers have made a car insurance claim compared with 20% of those aged over 25.

So what’s the solution?

With police introducing number plate recognition technology and working more closely with insurers than ever before, it’s clear that driving uninsured is not a risk worth taking.

So young drivers must take steps to secure cheap car insurance – and it’s not an impossible task.

Firstly, shop around using a car insurance comparison tool. Comparing quotes from dozens of insurers will increase the likelihood of receiving an affordable deal – most will also include quotes from specialist insurers who target young drivers.

Secondly, consider adding an older driver to your policy. If an older relative is the ‘named’ driver on the policy it can considerably cut your premiums – but you must drive safely as any claims will count against them too.

Next, consider taking an advanced driver’s course. Securing a Pass Plus certificate could slash your premiums by as much as 35%.

Finally, take the same measures as any other driver would to reduce premiums – increase security, don’t modify the vehicle and consider paying by monthly direct debit.

Savvy drivers find cheap car insurance – and there’s nothing to stop young drivers from finding a car insurance deal to suit them and their budget.

The theft of belongings and electrical equipment from cars is on the increase and more so now with the introduction of and gain in popularity of the costly satellite navigation systems that are being installed in many cars. Thieves are targeting this piece of expensive equipment which has lead to more and more people claiming on their car insurance.

However a simple measure is all that is needed to deter the thieves when it comes to targeting your sat nav system. By having it security marked it will be less desirable to a thief as they can be traced back to the owner more easily. Security marking of your belongings doesn’t take long and some police forces across the country are for a limited time offering to do this free of charge, so it is worthwhile checking with your police force to see if they are offering this. If not then crimes prevention unit in your area can give you free advice on where to go to get your system marked.

Having your system security coded can save you money in the long run as if you claim on your car insurance for the theft then this will boost your premium up. With security coding you are less likely to claim. Security coding simply means that you have your post code etched into the system and it is a quick and easy process.

If property such as this is security coded then it is classed as “hot” property and thieves are very wary of taking it as it is harder to sell on to others and greatly reduces the amount that the thieves can get for item. However in the case that a thief risks it and takes the system there is a far better chance that it can be recovered and returned.

It seems that the female motorists are being targeted more than the male, thieves are taking advantage of the single female motorist and police forces say that women drivers in particular should not only have their equipment security marked to avoid being targeted but should also be extremely careful when driving alone.

Always lock the car doors as thieves are targeting and getting into cars and women are being assaulted and robbed. So not only should you security code your sat nav and other belongings such as DVD players to save you money on your insurance claims, take precautions that you stay safe and secure when out driving alone.

Recently I was unfortunate to have a car accident, it was nothing major and thankfully no one was hurt, well apart from my car that is. When you crash a car you will obviously feel bad about it, but the fact that you just survived a potentially dangerous situation may set your mind racing and you’ll feel a bit wobbly and chances are a bit foolish if you are at fault for the accident.

The thing is that you may forget what you need to do in the event of a crash with regards to car insurance; you need to make sure that you get all the necessary information so that your claim can be processed smoothly. As long as you can stay calm and remember all the points that I’ll be mentioning then you should be okay.

First of all at the moment of impact you are likely to suffer from shock as mentioned earlier, if you are moving or on a busy road make sure you pull over and turn your hazard lights on to inform other motorists that you’re going to be there for some time. The first thing you should do according to police is to take note of the car you’ve crashed into, specifically the number plate, make, model etc. This is because unfortunately some people may be driving illegally or without insurance and try to drive away from an accident, as long as you’ve got a description of the vehicle then the police will know who to go after if they’ve done this shady move.

Secondly once you’re safely pulled over take a moment to calm yourself, it’s entirely understandable for you to feel distressed so take a minute to catch your breath before leaving the car to check for damage and talk with the other driver. When talking to the driver of the other car whether the accident was your fault or not be calm and not offensive, if you jump out of your car shouting and pointing fingers then there’s every chance you’ll provoke the other driver into a confrontation and will only serve to make matters worse for everyone.

It is at this point you’ll need to get the other driver’s details, basically from a car insurance point of view you need the details of their car and their name and address. If your car is still roadworthy and you are not far from home then you should be able to drive home. If your vehicle has suffered severe damage there’s a chance that you’ll need roadside recovery, in my case when I phoned the car insurance company they actually asked whether I was at home or stuck at the roadside, we have roadside recovery provided by RAC and so if the car wasn’t in a fit state to drive then we’d be waiting for a tow truck.

In the second part of this article I’ll cover what you need to do after the accident, up to now you’ll probably be on your way home either in your battered and bruised car or riding in a tow truck, the next part will cover calling the car insurance company and setting the gears in motion about getting your car fixed.