Northern Ireland car insurance customers who turn to friends and relatives or attempt "DIY repair" after a motorway breakdown could end up victims of a fatal false economy.

That's the warning from car insurance experts at esure, who highlight a rise of a fifth in the number of deaths and injuries caused by accidents on motorway hard shoulders.

Research by the firm suggests more than two thirds of car insurance customers in Northern Ireland and the wider UK would either call a friend or relative to rescue them or attempt a dangerous DIY repair on the motorway hard shoulder.

Its car insurance and breakdown cover specialists note that anyone who comes to help a motorist faces pulling over to the hard shoulder and attempting to fix the problem – inches from cars travelling at 70mph – without the aid of specialist hazard lighting, high-visibility clothing or professional equipment.

"Anyone who calls friends and relatives to rescue them on a motorway is potentially putting three or four people's lives into terrible danger. The motorway is not the place for DIY," says Mike Pickard, esure's head of risk and underwriting, who concludes that buying breakdown cover with car insurance can cost-effectively ensure motoring confidence.