Car insurance customers in Northern Ireland and the wider UK lodge more claims for accidental damage in winter than any other season.

Research by car insurance provider Saga also reveals that a large proportion of motorists in Northern Ireland and the rest of the country are worried about driving in the dark when clocks go back at the weekend.

More than 2,000 adults were polled, a fifth of whom admit to driving less during winter in an attempt to avoid the dark. A similar proportion choose to shop online rather than venture out in the winter evenings.

Saga Group's executive chairman, Andrew Goodsell, remarked that hitting the road in the dark "is clearly a worry" for a significant number of motorists in Northern Ireland.

Turning specifically to motorists over the age of 50, the car insurance firm's spokesperson continued: "Our research shows the over-50s use their experience to adapt their driving to reflect conditions on the road and, as you would expect, have fewer accidents than other age groups."

Some of the reasons given by motorists for avoiding driving in the dark include "being blinded by other people's lights" and not being able to judge distance properly.