Motorists can take a number of steps to help them reduce their motor insurance premium costs. By following a few simple steps and sticking to them, drivers can expect to see large long-term savings, helping to free up some extra cash, much needed during this current economical downturn.

Here are a few ideas to save you money:

' Alarm your car ' by installing an alarm, especially a Thatcham approved car alarm, vehicle owners can expect to see around 10 per cent of their premium cost reduced.

' Make accurate calculations ' spending time to work out the number of miles you drive each year can help to save money in the end. Do not guess at what you think you might drive as you may end up paying more.

' Do not add unnecessary modifications ' altering a car in the hope it will make it faster or more powerful can help to increase the price of your premium. The more modifications that are made, the more the insurance is likely to be.

' If you have a garage, use it ' being able to park your car off the road can save as much as 5 per cent on your premium. Clear the clutter from your garage and keep your car safe in there.

' Increase your voluntary excess ' by having a higher excess, some insurers will offer additional discounts, but be sure that excess payments can be covered should you need to make a claim.

' Add responsible drivers to your policy ' for young drivers, adding their parents as a named driver to their policy can help to reduce insurance costs. In addition, male drivers can benefit from cheaper premiums by adding the name of their female partner as a named driver.

' Build up your no claims bonus ' being a responsible driver and building up your no claims can save you up to 30 per cent on premiums proving that it does pay to be a careful driver.

' Choose your next car carefully ' get quotes on the cars that best suit your needs and are best suited to keeping insurance premiums low. Generally, the bigger the engine capacity, the higher the premium is likely to be.

' Consider the best insurance options ' third party, third party fire and theft cover and comprehensive cover are all priced differently. It might be beneficial to get quotes for all three-cover levels and work out which best suits your individual needs, value of the vehicle and your budget.

About the Author:

Rochelle Martinez, Freelance Web Content Article Writer for three years.