A major new study of car insurance claims has revealed the best and worst areas of the UK for crash claims over the last five years.

The analysis of more than 17 million motor insurance incidents by MoneySuperMarket claims to be one of the most comprehensive snapshots of driving safety, with the data broken down by location.

Shrewsbury has the fewest problem drivers according to the research, with less than one in ten (9%) of motor insurance enquiries having a previous accident claim on their record. Inverness (10%), which was the safest town in last year’s report came second, followed by Dorchester (11%), Belfast (11%) and Hereford (11%) amongst the best areas for good driving.

At the other end of the scale, Sutton is the home to the worst drivers in Britain, of the 52,110 insurance enquiries, the main driver had a previous accident claim in 10,077 cases, representing 19 per cent of cases. Croydon (18%), Hemel Hempstead (18%) and Huddersfield (18%) were all high up on the list.

“As you might expect, our research finds that drivers in built up, urban areas are more likely to have a main driver's accident claim than those based in more rural or remote areas,” said Sara Newell, motor insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket.

“Whether you live in a busy city or have a history of accidents – or both – the best way to save on your car insurance is not to let your policy automatically renew and to shop around for a cheaper deal – doing so could save you up to £3,012.

“And if you really want to bank the best savings, purchasing your policy between 15 to 28 days before your renewal date can save you as much as 17 per cent on the price you'd pay than if you renewed closer to your policy end date.”

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