There are some things in life we would rather do without: lousy estate agents; the dentist; incompetent landlords; tax collectors; call centres. Many people would add ‘sorting the car insurance’ to that list. But it needn’t be the case. Make sure you have a good idea of what you want before you start, and do your best to shop around online before you buy – you might be pleasantly surprised.

Buying your car insurance online could save you money in itself. Most companies which work online as well as through personnel will offer you significant discounts if you sort your insurance on the web – usually around 10 to 20%. Also you save on administration fees and reduce to use of unnecessary paper and filing: great news for you and for the office you are dealing with. A good place to try is car insurance with the Co-operative. The company has recently been awarded Motor Insurance Company of the Year 2008, by yourmoney.com.

If you aren’t sure, take a look at a quotes comparison site first, to survey your options. Make a note of how many vehicles you are insuring, and how many drivers you have. Are you the car owner and sole driver? Or are there multiple named drivers on one of your vehicles? Things like this will dramatically change your insurance quote. A further factor is age and driving history: it is always significantly more expensive to insure a driver under 25. Male drivers are also more expensive to insure than female drivers: some women prefer to get insured via a ladies-only insurance company.

Companies like the Co-operative will allow you to process a quote query online, so you can try different combinations and options to find what price is best for you. If you are concerned about the environmental impact of your motoring, the company also offers to offset 20% of your carbon emissions, in correspondence with the size and fuel consumption of your vehicle. Added extras such as this are worth looking out for when it comes to settling on an insurance policy. Couple this with a reliable complimentary breakdown service and your settlement on car insurance could have you driving off into the sunset rather than fuming on the side of the motorway…