Motorist are being urged to regularly check what their insurance policy offers so they can take advantage of all the benefits on offer and do not end up spending more than they should be.

Fully comprehensive policies offer a number of additional benefits on top of the things it already covers. Not only does this policy offer all the opportunities of third party and third party, fire and theft cover, as well as protection against loss or damage to the vehicle caused by someone else and cover for personal belongings that are stolen or damaged whilst locked in your car, it offers additional benefits too.

However, some benefits come at an added cost including adding a named driver to the policy and open driving which allows anyone to be insured when driving the vehicle with the prior consent of the policyholder.

No claims discount protection against fire and theft or for all claims can also be added, but people may choose to opt for the 'step-back' bonus protection scheme instead. This means that if a driver makes a claim for loss or damage of the vehicle, they will only lose a part of the discount, for example 20 per cent, instead of the full amount.

It is also necessary that motorists consider the excess and is a clause included in most motor insurance policies. This means the policyholder has to pay the first portion of any loss or damage, which is usually up to a few hundred euros.

Policyholders are unable to claim for amounts less than the excess. The higher the excess, the lower the insurance premium should be, so it is important motorists decide which is more important to them.

Other tips to remember are whether you have a full or provisional licence; it will affect the cost of premiums, as will age and gender. The number of years you have been driving and any motoring convictions or penalty points are also taken into account and will increase the cost.
Another thing to remember, is if you are switching your policy to a new insurer, make sure you can transfer your no claims discount with you so you are not starting again from scratch.
If you possess a full five year no claims discount, it can help to cut your premium by as much as 50 per cent.