The UK’s highest insurance risk areas

Areas of Birmingham, Bradford, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Luton, Newcastle and Manchester are considered to be among the highest-risk areas in the UK, according to an official measurement used by car insurers.

Conversely, areas in Cheshire, Kent, Devon and Oxford have been revealed as among the lowest car insurance premium risk localities in the UK by postcode.

Car insurance premiums are set by a number of different factors: age, driving experience, a car’s power and value, but also where the car is kept – the later of which can send insurance prices soaring.

Insurance companies weight premiums according to the location – determined by postcode – of where you live, which can have a substantial effect on the cost of insuring your car, increasing the risk of theft or damage, even if you are a safe driver.

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In the UK insurance risk by location is rated on an A (lowest risk) to F (highest risk) scale. The most unsafe areas are not even rated, returning a comment of “refer” for an individual assessor to deal with.

Refer areas include B1-21 postcodes in Birmingham, BD1, 3, 4 and 7 in Bradford, E1-9 in London and a massive 22 postcodes in Glasgow (G1-5, 11, 13-15, 20-23, 31-34, 40-42, 51 and 53).

Areas L1-21 in Liverpool, LU1 and LU4 postal districts in Luton, N1, 7 and 9 areas of London, NE1, 4-6 and 8 localities in Newcastle and M1-9, 11-24, 40 and 60 postcodes of Manchester also return the refer rating.

Conversely, the lowest, A-rated insurance risk locations include the AB10-16, 21-25, 30-39, 41-45 and 51-56 areas of Aberdeen, B61 and B80 postcodes in Birmingham, BA3, 7, 9-10, 15-16, and 20-22 regions of Bath and BD23-24 postcodes in Bradford.

Interestingly, areas classified as within the same city limits can record both refer or F ratings alongside A-rated areas, highlighting how only a small change in details can affect the price of insurance premiums.

The Cheshire postcodes CW2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11 – as well as gaggles of Exeter postmarks: EX6, 7, 9-19, 21-24, 31-33 and 35-39 – all returned A ratings.

Gloucester is recognised as a low insurance risk, with all postcodes returning either an A or B rating, while large areas of Inverness in Scotland, Oxford, Peterborough, Swansea in Wales, Tonbridge and York also returned strong A and B grades.

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