UK motorists are paying 6% less for car insurance today than they were this time last year, data from Confused.com and Willis Towers Watson (WLTW) reveals.
Based on information from more than six million customer quotes per quarter, the findings show that average annual premiums now stand at £774, down from £827 12 months ago.
This is despite prices actually increasing by 2% during the final quarter of 2018, and by 1% over the previous three months.
Changes to the discount rate, used to calculate compensation for personal injuries, are through to be partly behind the decrease in prices for the year as a whole.
However, WLTW's UK head P&C pricing, Stephen Jones, said recent price rises reflect "intense pressure" on insurers' margins due to repair costs and claims inflation.
"Low interest rates and competition will continue to impact premiums in 2019, with insurers facing the additional risk of new tariffs or other Brexit-related trade barriers," he added.
The data shows that the cost of comprehensive car insurance fell across all regions of the UK last year, with drivers in Inner London enjoying the biggest decrease of 9%.
The smallest annual reduction was experienced in the Scottish Borders where prices fell by 2%, while the South West is the cheapest place for car insurance, costing £521 on average.
Drivers aged 17 now enjoy their lowest premiums recorded since 2006, with prices falling by 16% to £1,855 for this age group last year.
However, these motorists are second only to 18-year-olds for paying the most of any demographic, while female 61-65-year-olds pay the least at just £363 on average.
Confused.com head of data insight, Steve Fletcher, said: "Drivers have been on a rollercoaster when it comes to car insurance prices, with inconsistent increases and decreases.
"This makes it very difficult to tell just which way the industry is heading.
"It's likely 2019 will be equally as volatile and unpredictable, with the industry being affected by various external factors, and the results of investigations into consumer loyalty."
