Drivers in Scotland are much more likely to pay less in car insurance than their English counterparts, according to research from moneysupermarket.com.

The comparison website analysed 988,742 quotes from September 2008 to August 2009 to come up with the results. It discovered that of the 10 cheapest areas for car insurance, seven are in Scotland.

However, topping the list was an English location, Truro, and two other English locations, Penzance and Bury St Edmunds, also made it onto the list.

Parts of Manchester and Birmingham were revealed as the most expensive places for car insurance, and areas in these two cities alone made up six of the top 10 most expensive locations. Liverpool used to be the worst offender, but now it has just one area in the top 10.

The difference in price was enormous. Whereas car insurance customers in Truro can expect to pay an average of £356 for their premiums, customers in the most expensive places, Ardwick, Longsight and Chorlton-on-Medlock in Manchester, could expect to pay a massive £873.

The head of motor insurance at moneysupermarket.com, Steve Sweeney, said that the price of car insurance was affected by “an array of factors”. These include crime levels, population levels and where the vehicle is parked overnight. He also said that if insurance was dealt with on a case-by-case basis then many motorists would pay less.

Now moneysupermarket.com has released a number of tips for motorists to help them reduce their car insurance bill, which can be found here.

For those of us who like technology, a very useful new application has just been launched for the iPhone. MORE TH>N has taken advantage of mobile phone technology to help ensure that, if you are unlucky enough to be involved in an accident, you make a note of the correct information to enable you to make a claim.

This may seem like just another gimmick but recent research has shown that almost 4 in 10 of us fail to gather the required information at the scene of an accident, making it hard for us and hard for our insurers to deal with the claim quickly. Having a car accident can be a traumatic experience so perhaps it is not surprising that many of us are too shaken to record the appropriate information, far less take photos which can be very helpful in dealing with a claim.

The new app gives step by step guidance on what to do in terms of safety at the scene of an accident, what information you need to record, gives you the option of taking photos as evidence and also allows you to determine your exact position using GPS, a handy idea if you are in unfamiliar territory when the accident happens.

MORE TH>N’s Managing Director, Mark Christer, said “Car Claim should help users experience a smoother claim process with their insurance company, helping them to return to normal as soon as possible."

The application can be downloaded from the Apple Store and the good news is that it is free and not restricted to MORE TH>N customers.

It is reassuring to discover that the British are the second most cautious and law-abiding drivers in Europe, according to new research byAXA. The safest drivers are those in Ireland.

The annual survey, which looked at 11 different driving behaviours, discovered that just 4% of British drivers confess to driving while drunk. This is in staggering contrast to 40% in Luxembourg and the overall European average of 21%.

Only 12% of Brits still talk on their mobiles while driving, while the European average is a disconcerting 30%. British drivers also speed less than average and are more likely to fasten their seatbelts.

Brits do, however, score higher than average when it comes to overtaking on the inside lane of the motorway. Only Belgium’s and Portugal’s drivers do this in greater numbers.

The study also found that British drivers are less likely to take a break after driving for two hours.

Chris Voller, Head of Motor Claims at AXA, explained that some of the findings are unavoidably related to the countries’ differing regulations and deterrents. Great Britain, for example, has a greater number of speed cameras than many of its European neighbours. This naturally results in fewer drivers breaking the speed limits.

Chris said: “These findings reveal British drivers are generally pretty safe behind the wheel.” He sees Britain’s low levels of drink-driving as particularly good news, especially in light of this month’s Christmas parties.

Nevertheless, the small percentage of Brits who are convicted of drink-driving should be aware that their chances of obtaining cover when they are able to start driving again will be “seriously” affected. Joining the 96% of law-abiding Brits would seem to make sense.

If you drink and drive you could see your car insurance premium double in size or, even worse, you could become completely uninsurable. This was the blunt warning announced recently by Moneysupermarket.com after it carried out research into the effect that drink driving can have when it comes to purchasing insurance.

The police struggle in vain to stop people from driving whilst under the influence every holiday season. Unfortunately, some people still insist on drinking and driving no matter what the risks are to themselves and to others.

The research revealed that drivers who receive a drink-driving conviction could see their insurance rise by £278 per year from £300 to £578, thereby almost doubling in size.

The head of motor insurance at moneysupermarket.com, Steve Sweeney, said that as well as the doubling in the premium, any convicted motorist is likely to find themselves with the difficult task of trying to find a provider who is prepared to insure someone with a drink driving conviction.

It is hoped that warning people about the financial penalties they could face from drink driving will get more people to take care on the roads. This is a huge problem, bigger than many realise, and anything that can be done to reduce the drink driving rates is a good thing.

As well as the financial penalties when it comes to car insurance, drink drivers also face the threat of a £1,000 fine and a prison sentence if they are caught. With such deterrents, hopefully more people will start to get the idea over the festive season that they simply shouldn’t drink and drive.