Prime Minister David Cameron will today pledge to "tackle this damaging compensation culture which has been pushing up premiums."

In a meeting with car insurance companies due to take place this afternoon, Mr Cameron is expected to promise to tackle whiplash claims in particular, with Brits now making a staggering 1,500 of them per day.

Whiplash claims are costing insurance companies around £2bn annually, prompting the PM to consider a raft of measures that will make it tougher to claim.

According to various sources, Mr Cameron will say this afternoon that "I want to stop trivial claims, free up businesses from the stranglehold of health-and-safety red tape and look at ways we can bring costs down."

Those ways include reducing the £1,200 fee that lawyers are entitled to when pursuing small personal injury claims; making sure that accident victim claimants supply substantive medical evidence; putting 'black box' recorders in the cars of newly qualified drivers; preventing young drivers from driving alone for a certain period after they've passed their test; and stopping anyone involved in a sub-10mph prang from claiming for whiplash.

Because it's difficult for solicitors to disprove and repudiate a whiplash injury claim, it's often seen as an 'easy' way to a personal injury compensation payout after an accident.

The PM's proposals are part of a drive to cut the cost of motoring in general, with insurance premiums continuing to rise. The average yearly premium for a young male driver is now £2,977, and £1,682 for a female.

Laws are due to come into effect at the end of this year that will make it illegal for insurance companies to 'discriminate' by charging lower premiums for women than men on the basis of statistics. This could make overall costs go up further, as female premiums are expected to rise more sharply than male ones drop.

However, it's hoped that the tough measures being proposed today will cut premiums by up to 20% yearly, and Mr Cameron will urge insurance companies to slash up to £90 from the average bill as soon as possible.