Whilst Formula One, James Bond’s Aston Martin and high-speed car chases are constantly applauded for cool factor and sex-appeal (however dubious this attestation may be…), there are other elements of motoring which are decidedly less sexy. No advertiser or movie mogul makes a big deal out of car insurance – as hacker movies also prove, insurance, like computers, can’t be made sexy. Steve McQueen’s 1960s classic, Bullitt, boasting one of the most celebrated car chases of all times (9 dialogue-free minutes around the hills of San Francisco), never takes the time to show us McQueen’s hard-headed detective reaping the insurance benefits after his vehicle gets in to more than a few scrapes… But then if your average driver was licensed to make huge jumps and airs over everyday traffic on the hilly streets of one of America’s most famous West Coast cities, no one would be able to afford car insurance at all. Even as it is, many of us struggle to meet the costs of keeping you car protected against unforeseen accidents, breakdowns and the irresponsible conduct of other drivers (McQueen excluded). So how can you make sure that you get what you pay for? And that your instalments don’t just end up bailing out the costs incurred by others in your insurance company, let alone in your policy? The main thing is to make sure that you do your research. Even if you have been with the same company for years, you might find that you could actually get better no claims discounts with a new insurer, as the no claims payouts tend to work over small periods of time (rather than accumulate in 20-year bands), and are transferable to other companies. The Co-operative can offer some competitive rates when it comes to insuring your car. Alongside the rare offer of NCDs (no claims discounts) for named drivers switching to their own policy, there are also up to 70% NCDs for car-owners, as well as free breakdown recovery and even insurance for trips overseas. So don’t rush head-first into renewing your old policy without taking a look around at what else might be on offer – a change could do you good…