Nearly a third of British motorists have cut back on the quality of their car insurance because of rising premiums. That's the stark conclusion of a new study from Sainsbury's Bank.

The study of motorists who have recently switched car insurance found that those in the North West (59%) are most likely to have cut back on quality. Scottish motorists were found to be the least likely to do so however.

Sacrificing benefits is the most popular action taken by motorists to reduce their car insurance premiums. 19% of motorists have admitted to doing so over the past two years.

7% of motorists have reduced their cover to third party and a further 7% have increased the excess on their policies.

Sainsbury's Bank Insurance Product Manager Robert O'May said: "The average cost of comprehensive car insurance in the market is now around £687 as opposed to £373 in July 1994."

O'May urged drivers to shop around instead of sacrificing cover. He said: "However, the car insurance market is very competitive so by shopping around for the best possible deal, motorists can still save hundreds of pounds without necessarily reducing the level of cover they have."

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