Motorists paying out eye-watering prices for car repairs in Northern Ireland hotspot areas

The team at CompareNI.com looked at accident data across each district council area in Northern Ireland, reviewing the average cost of repairs and the effect it had on the annual car insurance costs – with nearly 5,000 collisions since April 2023 according to the PSNI,

CompareNI surveyed 1,000 drivers in Northern Ireland and asked their thoughts on repair costs, with 61 per cent of motorists reporting they felt overcharged.

Mid and East Antrim, Mid Ulster and Lisburn and Castlereagh were identified as hotspots for soaring repair costs.

Drivers in Mid Ulster were worst affected, with a 78 per cent average increase in repair costs, rising from £5,503 to £9,783, followed by a 49 per cent surge for Mid and East Antrim and a nine per cent surge for Lisburn and Castlereagh.

Over the last 12 months, car insurance costs have soared by 29 per cent for people involved in accidents across Northern Ireland.

A recent CompareNI survey showed nearly a quarter of drivers (23 per cent) have paid for repairs themselves after an incident to help protect their no claims bonus – in a bid to help stop insurance costs from escalating.

The data shows that Belfast had the largest number of accident claims for any area in Northern Ireland. The average repair cost for Belfast is £7,387, making the average car insurance cost for those involved, £1,068 – a 23 per cent increase from last year.

Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon had the second largest number of accident claims, with an average repair cost of £7,563 and average car insurance cost of £920.

Mid Ulster and Antrim and Newtownabbey had the second and third highest average car insurance costs after Belfast with £1,035 and £1,135 respectively.

Fermanagh and Omagh had the lowest number of accident claims with an average repair cost of £5,915 and an average insurance cost of £863.

Ian Wilson, managing director of CompareNI.com said: “The rising cost of car insurance has been hitting drivers in Northern Ireland hard recently, with spiking repair costs thought to be a key factor as prices of parts and labour continue to increase.

"For these drivers involved in accidents, it also creates a knock-on effect for their car insurance – with an average increase of 29 per cent. Those drivers in Belfast, Mid Ulster and Antrim and Newtownabbey are now paying over a £1,000 on average for their annual car insurance premium.

"These rising repair, fuel and insurance costs may tempt drivers to look at more basic insurance products which have recently entered the market to help drivers find savings. However, it’s important to check these policies cover everything they need them to.

"For those who have had an accident, there are still ways to find savings, drivers should shop around, compare products and remove any extras they don’t need – even adding extra security features to the vehicle such as a dashcam or tracker and parking on the driveway or in the garage overnight can help cut costs.”