Young drivers in the UK are often hit with extremely high insurance premiums. The huge insurance costs that young and inexperienced drivers often face suggest that insurers class these drivers as particularly high risk.

There are a number of statistics that indicate these sky-high insurance costs are perhaps deserved. Figures show that drivers are more likely to have an accident in their first 2 years on the road than at any other time in their lives.

Further research has also shown that one in five motorists are involved in an accident in their first 12 months of driving and a third of fatalities on the road in the UK are caused by drivers aged between 17 and 25. Add to this the fact that young drivers are more likely to experience theft, fire and vandalism to their vehicles and it becomes clear why young drivers are charged so much for their insurance.

Whilst these figures endorse the insurance providers views that young and inexperienced drivers are high risk, new drivers across the country are faced with paying £2500 plus for a year's insurance cover, often for cars worth a fraction of that amount.

Unfortunately for new drivers, these insurance costs are for the most part unavoidable and will be for the first few of years of driving. There are however a couple of points to bear in mind that may help lower insurance premiums.

For the first couple of years after passing your driving test, you are recommended to avoid bigger engine cars in high insurance groups. Any driver looking to lower their insurance premiums are advised to stick with smaller engine cars in low insurance groups. Whilst smaller engine cars are often not viewed by young drivers as 'cool', they are almost certainly cheaper to insure. Following this piece of advice is without doubt the easiest way to lower your car insurance costs.

A second way in which it is possible to save on your insurance policy is to take part in the Pass Plus scheme. After passing your practical driving test, you can take part in the Pass Plus scheme which offers new drivers further instruction and experience. The scheme which requires pupils to drive at night, on motorways and in town centres can help reduce insurance rates, with some insurers discounting as much as 35% from their original quotes for those who complete the scheme successfully.

A further way in which it is possible to save money on your car insurance is to add a parent as named driver onto a policy. Whilst you will remain the main driver of the car, adding a parent can bring down premiums significantly.

One thing you should avoid however is insuring a car in your parents name and adding yourself as a named driver. Whilst this is fine in cases where the parent will be the main driver of the car, in many cases this is not the case. While it is likely that doing this will appear cheaper when searching for quotes, should you be involved in an accident it is likely your insurer will refuse to pay out and your policy will be considered void. This is actually an illegal practice known as 'fronting' and can lead to being charged with driving without insurance.

A final way to save money on your car insurance policy is to compare as many car insurance providers as possible. Car insurance prices can vary greatly from one insurance company to the next. Moneysupermarket.com is a price comparison site which allows users to compare prices from over 100 of the UK's leading car insurance providers online. This is a quick and easy process and the savings made by users comparing all of these insurance providers often leads to savings.

All of the above tips will help you save money on your car insurance. Together they are likely to save you a significant amount of money so be sure to keep this information in mind when it comes to purchasing your car insurance policy.