The cost of car insurance for UK drivers made its biggest leap upwards in the final three months of 2009, the latest AA British Insurance Premium Index shows.

Young motorists appear to be bearing the brunt of the price rises, while Scottish drivers have experienced the lowest increase in the cost of their premiums.

In a trend partly attributed to the frequency of personal injury claims and sharp rises in settlement costs for car insurance providers, even the cheapest quotes have gone up by over 11 per cent.

The average quoted premium for comprehensive car insurance accelerated by 18.7 per cent over the course of last year.

Despite a drop in the number of accidents on Britain's roads, the cost of accident damage has also been rising steadily, notes Simon Douglas from AA Insurance.

"The spate of collisions during the recent wintry spells, resulting in about 30 per cent more claims than normal, may reverse that trend over the short term, though," he adds.

Rising instances of fraud are another problem for car insurance providers, according to the data, but – on a positive note – the upcoming issue of electronic insurance certificates should help contain costs.

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