Driving an environmentally friendly car is largely dependent on what the driver wants to do for the greater good, but new research has suggested that there is one more important reason for drivers to ‘go green'- car insurance products that are offsetting the damage done by emissions by contributing part of the policies to organisations helping to battle the problem of global warming.

Eco-friendly car insurance is a rising phenomenon and to this end eco-insurers are becoming increasingly competitive. Motorists driving vehicles with slightly higher emissions should think about green providers when searching for an insurance policy. But it seems there is a general apathy amongst drivers to change their ways and the real direction needs to come from government. For instance, the government should consider cutting Insurance Premium Tax for green cars as an added incentive. At present, motorists can expect to pay £50 more to insure a ‘green' car-the argument then is that penalising them being green is much less of an incentive.

Cheaper quotes for more eco-friendly cars is definitely the way forward, but for those who might be put of by the current quotations, the bigger picture is in the financial savings. By choosing a car which has low emissions and is more economical, emitting an average of 17 per cent less CO2 than fuel-heavy equivalents, green motorists reap the rewards, cutting their fuel bills by an average of £165 a year, and their road tax by £125 each.

The insurance industry for one has thought ahead and is already paving the way forward for a more cost effective ‘green' solution to providing the best quotes. For example, when providing new products, insurance companies are now offering to contribute to green causes and investing in the development of greener technologies- thus offsetting the harm of customer's car emissions. But it seems there is a general apathy amongst drivers to change their ways and the real direction needs to come from government. For instance, the government should consider cutting Insurance Premium Tax for green cars as an added incentive. At present, motorists can expect to pay £50 more to insure a ‘green' car-the argument then is that penalising them being green is much less of an incentive.

With the advent of this new thinking by insurance companies as well as the commercial realities of the market, there has not been a better time to find a more environmentally friendly model when purchasing a car. With fuel prices rising to new levels, motorists are becoming more and more attracted to these fuel-efficient, lower-tax green vehicles, finding them to be not only cost effective but also helpful for the environment. By choosing a car which has low emissions and is more economical, emitting an average of 17 per cent less CO2 than fuel-heavy equivalents, green motorists reap the rewards, cutting their fuel bills by an average of £165 a year, and their road tax by £125 each.