Northern Ireland drivers making a claim on their motor insurance policy with an unprotected no claims discount (NCD) could see the cost of their premiums go up by nearly three-quarters.

Research by Money Supermarket suggests a car insurance policy-holder in Northern Ireland or elsewhere in the UK who had five years' unprotected NCD would have their premiums hiked from £528 to £911, an increase of 73 per cent.

In contrast, motorists with five years' protected NCD making a claim would only see an 18 per cent rise in the price of their average premium, from £590 to £694.

The comparison site's Steve Sweeney affirms that Northern Ireland motor insurance customers who build up their NCD over a number of years can avail of "a valuable commodity" and trim the cost of their premiums significantly.

"But be warned, if you protect your policy but don't make a claim for a number of years, you could find that you are eroding any potential savings," he adds.

Northern Ireland car insurance customers are also reminded that some providers allow multiple claims on protected policies without penalty, while others will allow only two claims.