Motor traders have warned that certain things you put on your car insurance form may be affecting your premium, even though they aren’t anything to do with your driving history or your vehicle. They are the silent threats to you finding the cheap car insurance you deserve.

DNA Insurance, who specialise in motor trade insurance, have told how their many contacts in the motor trade as well as the insurance sector in general have told them of particulars that can negatively affect car insurance premiums.

The first factor which DNA report as being a major factor on applications, is the seemingly innocent admission of your occupation. Although it would appear this cannot increase your risk factor with insurers, many insurers can actually associate certain levels of danger to particular careers, thus pushing up the premium for anyone who works in those careers considered ‘risky’.

Students might be considered a risk due to their age, while media types may typically be thought of as leading a fast-paced life and using their car more than average. Like electricians and sales people who use their cars for work a lot, the fact that they might be required to cover large distances can increase premiums.

Conversely, teachers and solicitors for example, are considered to be probably sensible drivers and so their premiums are likely to be lower than in some other careers.

Motor traders have also informed DNA Insurance that in a recent study, it was shown that those applicants who stated they were part of a couple were also likely to have a lower car insurance premium.

This is simply due to the fact that as with household bills, rent or a mortgage, holidays and everything else, if the cost is split two ways then it will naturally be lower. Couples typically add each other onto their policies as a second driver to reduce the cost.

However, if you are a single person you can still add a second driver to your policy, whether it is a friend or family member, as long as they will be genuinely be driving the car.

Other tips for reducing the cost of your car insurance - which may not necessarily relate to driving or the vehicle in question - include asserting the effective methods used to secure your vehicle, such as immobilisers, steering locks and off-road parking.

Extra driving skills, such as the increasingly popular Pass Plus scheme, which is run by the Driving Standards Agency and keeping your car modifications to an absolute minimum can also have quite an impact on your premium. Best of all, using a comparison site, such as DNA Insurance can often be the most effective way of getting cheaper car insurance.