Car insurance premiums have started accelerating in the wrong direction as far as motorists are concerned.

According to AA's benchmark British Insurance Premium Index, over the past quarter, third-party, fire and theft (TPFT) insurance leapt up by 3.57 per cent, bringing the average quoted premium to £1,042.42.

This figure could be a reflection of concerns about the number of claims being made by young drivers, who typically buy TPFT.

The average quoted premium index for comprehensive insurance also rose, by just 1.35 per cent, to £833.56.

Despite the upward trajectory of the figures, the 'Shoparound' index (an average of the lowest three premiums on each risk quoted in the index) fell by just over half of one per cent to £472.12.

John Close, from the AA, commenting on the figures, said: "Recent flood claims have cost insurers an estimated £100 million… so rising premiums are inevitable, despite intense competition."

He concluded by saying that male drivers under the age of 21 were ten times more likely and female drivers five time more likely, to be killed or seriously injured in an accident than those over the age of 35.

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