Emergency service workers benefit from lowest car insurance throughout pandemic

Paramedics, firefighters and police officers dominate the rankings for the lowest car insurance premiums according to new figures from Quotezone.co.uk.

Data from the insurance comparison website shows that paramedics pay an average of £452 annually for a private car insurance policy, followed by ambulance crews, £469, firefighters, £492, and police officers, £565.

Ministers of religion, £538, and nurses, £570, are also competitively priced, enjoying some of the lowest quotes recorded.

Students and hospitality workers have some of the highest premiums - most likely due to this grouping’s lower average age.

Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk, comments: “Younger drivers tend to have less driving history for insurance companies to incorporate into their risk analysis - insurance claims data also indicates that younger drivers are more likely to be involved in a road traffic accident.”

Last year’s professional car premiums figures showed police officers enjoyed the lowest premiums at £488, moving down to sixth place this time around with an average premium increase of £76.

This new dataset, collected across the UK throughout 2021, is based on a sample of more than 175,000 car insurance policies, covering personal vehicle use only and based on or below the UK’s average car value at £25,000.

Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk, continues: “A motorist’s profession can have a notable impact on insurance costs. Emergency services personnel are generally viewed as being more responsible road users due to the nature of their job – in many cases lowering their risk and therefore their premium.

“But a car owner’s job is far from the only variable, there are lots of other factors within the professions grouping that can affect the risk analysis, such as age, postcode and number of claims made. So, no matter what job people have, there are ways to make worthwhile savings and reduce premiums.”

Greg recommends the following tips to help lower premiums:

Park in a secure location overnight – Quotezone.co.uk’s own data shows drivers can save an average of £140 a year by parking on a driveway compared to a road as this might cut down on accidental damage and risk of theft. Beware of penalty points – three points on a licence can mean 5 per cent more on a premium every year for the four years an infringement stays on a licence. Six points pushes up fees by as much as 25 per cent. Build up your no-claims bonus – and report it accurately to the insurer.Switch to a smaller engine – consider switching to a car with a less powerful engine, especially if buying a new vehicle. Shop around – insurance comparison websites are a good place to compare a range of policies.

Quotezone.co.uk’s motoring cover includes specialist policies such as young drivers’ insurance and over 70s car insurance, helping around 3 million users every year, with over 400 insurance brands across 60 different products.

Credit image: iStock.com sturti

Statistics

For practical purposes we’ve taken 20 popular jobs as an illustration of average premiums.

This new dataset, collected across the UK throughout 2021, is based on a sample of more than 175,000 car insurance policies, covering personal vehicle use only and based on or below a car value at £25,000.

Profession

Fee

NCB average

Miles average per year

Age

Car value

Paramedic

£451.93

9.95

9095

42.11

£15052

Ambulance crew

£468.94

8.69

8990

41.96

£13693

Firefighter

£492

10.28

9390

40.73

£14894

Minister of religion

£537.62

9.85

9060

52.2

£13793

Ambulance driver

£542.25

10

7500

46.56

£13525

Police officers

£564.84

8.93

9030

37.1

£15158

Nurse

£570.13

8.18

8800

42.55

£14583

Driving instructor

£612.55

8.92

14185

49.65

£14223

Architect

£613.41

7.21

8335

40.64

£13831

Lawyers

£617.16

7.76

8780

39.69

£15130

Taxi drivers

£645.7

6.04

13175

48.28

£13304

Engineer

£653.07

7.57

8525

40.45

£14535

Accountant

£661.54

7.55

8150

39.19

£14163

Farmer

£664.80

8.97

8850

42.96

£13636

Doctor

£709.34

5.83

8500

38.81

£15789

Bar manager

£737.54

6.36

8950

41.19

10273

Van driver

£745.67

7.39

7950

43.72

£11925

Delivery driver

£755.37

6.8

7925

42.98

£11461

Farm worker

£797.73

5.07

8335

35.56

£9110

Hotel worker

£839.77

3.62

12280

36.84

£9570