CARDIFF, Wales, February 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Diamond has conducted new research which has revealed that the average UK motorist spends nearly £100 personalising their car with accessories such as seat covers, soft toys and window stickers. For some drivers however, the desire to decorate their car could be putting them at risk of having a crash.

The women's car insurance specialist surveyed 2,000 UK motorists on how they personalise their car. It found that 57% have accessorised their car, with floor mats (35%), novelty air fresheners (15%) and humorous window stickers (14%) being the most popular. Only 4% admitted they have fluffy dice hanging from their rear view mirror.

Worryingly, seven out of ten drivers with humorous stickers on their rear window think they obscure their view from their window.

Diamond's research found one in ten (11%) motorists said they accessorise their car to stand out from the crowd. A similar number (13%) do it to express their personality. But the most popular reason why motorists accessorise their car is to make it more comfortable, one in three (29%) said they do it for this reason.

Diamond managing director, Sian Lewis said: "When you think how much time we can spend in our cars each week, you can understand why so many of us want to make them more comfortable or individual, but car accessories should never impede the driver's vision in any way.  If you are going to adorn your rear window with stickers or soft toys, make sure they don't obscure your view."

Personalising a car isn't popular with everyone however, and, for many, adding accessories and novelty items to a car is seen as bad taste. 29% of motorists think it is cheap and tacky to decorate a car in this way.  

Whilst more women (59%) than men (54%) adorn their cars with accessories, men spend on average £39 more than women doing so and are more likely to invest in pricier car graphics, wraps and special paint jobs. Women prefer cheaper items such as soft toys, floor mats and window stickers.

The average amount of money motorists spend on personalising their car is £99, but 11% have spent over £200 and one in a hundred have spent more than £1,000.

Adding accessories is certainly most popular with younger motorists. 18-24 year olds are the most likely to have personalised their car (66%), while middle aged drivers in the 35-44 and 45-54 age brackets are the least likely to personalise their car (52%).

Sian Lewis continued: "A car can say a lot about a person's lifestyle and perhaps even more so if the driver has chosen to jazz it up. Some might choose simple things like a novelty tax disc holders or air fresheners, but others choose to spend a lot more with graphics, tints and wraps.

"If you do have some of the more expensive accessories, it's always worth checking with your insurer to see if they'll make a difference to your premium."

Notes to Editors:

The research for Diamond was carried out online with Onepoll between 20.01.12 - 23.01.12 amongst a panel of 2,000 UK motorists.

About Diamond:

Diamond launched in 1997, when it was clear that there was a place for a woman only car insurance specialist, and has led the way for similar companies to follow. Diamond has been able to offer women cheaper car insurance for 14 years because, on the whole, women's car insurance claims cost less than men's. Diamond understands what women motorists want from their insurance and meet their needs by offering great service and a great price. The company does not refuse to give insurance quotes to men and are more than happy to provide a quote if requested.

Diamond is a trading name of EUI Limited, and is part of the Admiral Group.

PR Contact:
Natalie Grimshare
Diamond
Capital Tower
Greyfriars Road
Cardiff
CF10 3AZ
+44(0)29-2043-4333
http://www.diamond.co.uk

SOURCE Diamond