How to get Cheap insurance?

Boxing clever: Laura Keely's premium has been slashed thanks to opting for an insurer's blackbox policy

The mistake most drivers make is failing to shop around for the best premium and simply accepting an insurer's renewal quote, which is likely to be much higher.

Premiums have risen by £109 compared to a year ago according to October's figures from Confused.com - making it now more important than ever to make sure you are getting the best deal.

All drivers, especially the youngest, can also grab themselves potentially much cheaper car insurance by opting for a blackbox policy (also know as telematics policy) - these monitor your driving and reward those who are careful and don't get behind the wheel at dangerous times.

Laura Keely, right, opted to have a black box installed in the dashboard of her Vauxhall Corsa provided by Insurethebox.

Previously, she paid £1, 800 for a comprehensive policy. Twelve months on, her premiums dropped to just £1, 000 — a 44 per cent fall.

But what other means are there to help reduce your car insurance costs? Whether you are male or female, old or young, follow our ten steps to lower premiums.

1. Shop around for the best deals

Savings of hundreds of pounds can be found if you shop around when you renew your cover.

Be careful though. When shopping around for car insurance, it's important to make sure that you are comparing like-for-like cover. Some policies may seem cheaper, but you may find you don't have the same level of cover when you have to make a claim.

Use an online comparison service to do the hard work for you. Put in your details and check the prices that come up. You can alter the excess that you are willing to pay and the mileage you will drive and get new quotes.

Also check the insurers that don't feature in comparison sites, the big two are Direct Line and Aviva. This is Money's car insurance search is powered by MoneySupermarket and will search more than 130 insurers for you. Try it out here.

Also check the insurers that don't feature in comparison sites, the big two are Direct Line and Aviva.

If you've been happy with the cover your existing provider has given until now but are unhappy with their renewal quote, let them know the best offer you have received from a rival insurer and ask them to at least match it.

2. Don't put everyone on your policy

Ensure that only regular drivers are named on the policy. You can always add someone for a few days when they really need to drive the car.