In Northern Ireland, a young person can expect to pay, on average, £300 more for car insurance than a young person (living in a similar area) in the rest of the UK. This trend is the same, regardless of age, in car insurance prices of people in Northern Ireland. Research by the Consumer Council confirmed that insurance is considerably more expensive in Northern Ireland. Whether the higher premiums are due to a lack of competition between insurance companies or any number of other factors is unclear. What is clear, however, is that it is unfair that people are being priced off the road, and in some cases, out of education or employment.