Huge hikes in car insurance premiums have, surprisingly, led to higher honesty rates among those seeking cover, a new poll has revealed.

Last year, a survey by Confused.com showed 32 per cent of women and 46 per cent of men admitted lying to get cheaper insurance.

A similar poll this year revealed that just 12 per cent of women and 17 per cent of men have been untruthful over car insurance.

Lying about mileage is top of the list of dodges, with almost 50 per cent of women and 44 per cent of men who have lied telling their insurer they drive a lot fewer miles than they really do.

The next-biggest lie is about where the car "sleeps" at night, with almost 28 per cent of women and 31 per cent of men telling their insurers the car is in the garage when it is really kept outdoors.

Similarly, nearly 23 per cent of women and almost 12 per cent of men say their car is in the driveway when it is actually kept in the street.

Lying to insurers is rife in London, with more than 19 per cent being untruthful compared with just three per cent in the East Midlands and only two per cent in Northern Ireland.

Gareth Kloet, head of car insurance at Confused.com, said: "While people may be tempted to mislead or even lie to their insurer when trying to combat rising insurance costs, it's certainly not advisable.

"In extreme cases, it could even invalidate any claims made and therefore honesty is the best policy."