DRIVERS in East Dorset are steering well clear of trouble with the longest average no claims record in Britain.

The area average is 7.6 years with no claims, according to an analysis by the price comparison site comparethemarket.com.

Across the UK, the average time was 6.5 years, based on car insurance enquiries made by customers between May 2018 and July this year.

Dan Hutson, head of motor insurance at the company said: “Lots of factors are taken into account when calculating a driver’s risk profile but having a higher no claims could be a good indicator that someone takes care while on the road.

“Having more years of no claims could mean that your risk profile is lower, and that you could be offered lower car insurance premiums as a result.

“The size of the car insurance no claims bonus varies between providers, if offered, so it’s as important as ever to shop around for a best deal to suit your needs.”

Drivers across the South West as a whole went 6.6 years without making a claim on average.

Bristol’s road users fared the worst in the region, only going 5.6 years without a claim.

The area with the worst record overall was Tower Hamlets in London, with just 4.4 years.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said the amount of no-claims years we each achieve “isn't just a result of our own care and attention”.

He added: “Much is down to the risks around us and the behaviour of others. So, it is not surprising to see heavily trafficked, tightly packed, densely populated urban areas associated with lower levels of no-claims."

Of the 20 areas where drivers have the lowest average number of years with no claims, 15 were in London.