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What does car insurance cover?

When choosing a car insurance policy it is essential to consider exactly what coverage suits your personal needs. There are lots of additional extras that can be added to a car insurance policy such as access to a hire car should your car require repairs, personal accident cover and a protected no-claims bonus.

Generally, if your car is involved in an accident, car insurance should cover the following as an industry standard:

• Injuries to you or other people involved
• Damages to your car
• Damage to another vehicle
• Property damage

Car insurance can also cover you if your car is damaged by fire, or attempted theft, or if it’s stolen. Car insurance is a huge market with various brands and a wide range of policies, not all policies are created equal and with this in mind, you must read the fine print concerning your policy. A thorough read of your quote should provide the relevant information you need when considering any exclusions or limitations.

What happens if I get caught driving without car insurance?

Adequate car insurance is a legal must and no driver should be without an appropriate policy. In the UK, uninsured drivers can incur substantial punishments including six points on their license and a £300 fixed penalty. Furthermore, If the matter is escalated and taken to court, you could also face disqualification from driving entirely and an unlimited fine.

A significant problem when driving uninsured is the lack of financial protection should you get into an accident. In such circumstances, this could leave you with hefty expenses in addition to the typical penalties applied due to driving without insurance.

Which type of car insurance should you choose?

When choosing a car insurance policy there is a fine balance between coverage and price. There’s no way to choose until you see what the different options will cost you. You can then weigh up the coverage you get against the cost of the premiums.

The price you pay will depend on all kinds of things, including your age, occupation, driving experience, the car you drive and how you use your car.

Don’t assume that a third-party policy is the cheaper option simply because it offers the minimum level of cover.

What factors affect the price of car insurance?

The price of car insurance varies from person to person and is influenced by several key factors. There are general circumstances and characteristics that will impact how much you pay, these include:

• Your age, if you are 25 and under, or 70 and over, and you’re likely to pay more.
• Your job, some job roles are deemed more risky when it comes to car insurance, it depends on the type of work you do but usually self-employed drivers pay more for car insurance. This extra expense tends to be because such drivers are seen as a higher risk, especially if they use their car for work purposes.
• The make and even the model of your car will be factored in by insurers when deciding your policy price. How powerful and valuable your car is are generally the main consideration as well as whether it’s a theft target.
• Your address, for example, in urban areas car insurance can be more expensive due to potentially higher crime rates, especially if you keep your car on the street as opposed to a secure garage.
• Your driving history and any previous claims or convictions will also be evaluated when deciding your policy price as well as your typical mileage and whether or not you have a no-claims bonus.

What details do you need to get a car insurance quote?

To get a car insurance quote there are a few things you’ll need to tell us about.

• Your car – either your registration number or the car’s make, model and age. You’ll need the registration number to buy a policy.
• How you use your car – for pleasure and commuting, or for business purposes too.
• No claims discount (NCD) – how many years you have (you’ll need proof from your current insurance provider if you’re switching to a different one).
• Your driving history – any accidents, insurance claims and driving convictions from the past five years. Be honest, or you could invalidate your car insurance policy.
• Additional drivers – details of any additional drivers you want to add to the policy.
• You’ll also need to provide a few personal details: your name, how old you are, where you live and the type of job you do.

How much does car insurance cost?

It’s no secret that car insurance has continued to rise over the past few years, in fact, compared to last year, insurance is up more than 34% according to Consumer Intelligence, with the average premium now costing over £1,000 a year.

When quizzed on the sharp increase, insurers say rises are down to rising car repair costs, the effect of inflation and, as the value of used cars increases, more is being paid out when cars are written off.

However, the price you pay will always depend on your circumstances. The median cost of a car insurance policy between January and March 2024 according to GoCompare, was £447 – down by just over 2.5% from the previous quarter when costs were £465. Do bear in mind that when you don’t automatically auto-renew and instead shop around, you can find cheaper policies.

Can I Insure Myself on Someone Else’s Car?

Yes, you can get insured to drive someone else’s car. Many people get insured on cars owned by their parents, their spouse or their employer.

There are a range of different ways you can go about insuring yourself on someone else’s car, including the following:

• Being insured to drive other cars through your existing car insurance policy.
• Getting added as a named driver on the policy of the car owner.
• Buying your very own car insurance policy for someone else’s car.

When getting insured on someone else’s car, you will have to inform the insurer that you do not own the car in question. In addition to this, you will also typically have to provide details about the owner of the car, and your relationship to them.

Some insurers will only allow you to be insured on someone else’s car in certain situations.

These can include the following circumstances:

• The owner is your spouse
• The owner is your employer
• The owner is one of your parents

It’s common for insurers to assume that you hold one of the relationships listed above with the car owner. If you aren’t asked to provide such details about the owner of the vehicle, it’s important to read the terms of the policy to see if you meet the criteria before applying.

What Are The Different Types of Policies Available?

Third party only

This gives you the minimum requirement to drive a vehicle legally in the UK and covers other people on the road that you come into contact with (including drivers and pedestrians), but does not provide any cover for you or your vehicle.

Third party, fire, flood and theft

In addition to the third party cover, this also covers your vehicle for any damages and replacements relating to fire, flood and theft.

Fully comprehensive

This is the highest level of cover available for car insurance and covers theft, any damage to your vehicle from third parties, fire or floods and any personal injuries to you too.

Many customers believe that a fully comprehensive car insurance policy must be the most expensive and that a third-party agreement is the cheapest option, but this is not always the case.

Insurers have realised that riskier drivers sometimes opt for third parties because it is cheaper, but because the claims are usually higher, nowadays you will pay less to be insured with a fully comprehensive policy.

What information do you need to apply for car insurance?

When applying for a car insurance policy, the process is generally very straightforward with most of the necessary info being readily available from memory.

As a minimum, you will most likely need to submit the following information to generate your quotes:

• Name, age, address, contact details.
• Details of driver’s license.
• Vehicle model, make, value and registration.
• Any previous claims history.
• Any previous insurance information.

Do I need car insurance even if I don’t drive?

The short answer is maybe and that you might still need car insurance even if you’re not driving your vehicle. There’s legislation known as Continuous Insurance Enforcement, which means owners must keep their vehicle insured even when they’re not driving it. This will be the case unless the vehicle owner has made a SORN, or Statutory Off Road Notification.

If you haven’t made a SORN, and also do not have your vehicle properly insured, you run the risk of penalties. If the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) finds out that an owner’s car is uninsured and does not have a SORN, the owner will be sent an Insurance Advisory Letter. This letter will provide details on what to do next to avoid the DVLA taking action.

What is a no-claims discount?

A ‘no-claims bonus’, may also be referred to as a ‘no-claims discount’. As mentioned earlier, your insurance claims history significantly influences your future policy pricing. Depending on how many claims you have made on your policy, the price will vary. If you have a claim-free track record, your insurer will reward you for this with a no-claims discount which will subsequently reduce the price of your premium.

In short terms, each year that passes during which you do not make a claim on your car insurance, your insurer will usually give you a discount at the time of renewal. The logic behind this incentive is simple, insurers favour less risky policyholders.

In addition, the more years you go without making a claim, the larger your discount will be. For example, an insurer may give you anywhere between a 30-40% discount if you have not claimed for the first year of your policy. However, the following year, they may add an additional 10% discount if this period has been extended further. You can often also pay a fee to protect any no-claims discount you’ve accumulated.

What is temporary car insurance?

Some people require car insurance only for a very brief period and in such circumstances, require a temporary policy. If you’re only seeking insurance for less than 24 hours, perhaps a week or just for a few months, then a temporary car insurance policy is worth considering. Taking out a temporary policy will often cost less than investing in an annual policy and cancelling it. This process often incurs admin fees which can build up the price.

If you plan on borrowing somebody else’s vehicle, purchasing temporary car insurance is often a good option to ensure you are covered as you don’t need to amend the car owner’s existing policy which can be arduous and, if something were to happen, you wouldn’t affect their no-claims discount.

Choosing your car insurance excess

When purchasing a car insurance policy you will be asked to choose your excess amount. The excess is the amount you pay towards any claims you make. It is no surprise that the larger the excess, the cheaper the premium usually is, but a large excess may be pretty hefty when it comes to making a claim.

A few insurers within the market will substantially reduce a person’s premiums for an excess of £1,000 so try tweaking this when looking for quotes.

What is black box car insurance?

A telematics policy or black box policy prices your premiums depending on how you drive. A device, known as a ‘black box’, is installed in your car to monitor your behaviour behind the wheel. This monitoring can translate to cheaper insurance as the better you drive, the less you pay for your cover. Telematics insurance can be one way to help bring down the insurance costs for younger drivers and is a popular investment for parents of new drivers. It goes without saying that if you have a black box and drive irresponsibly or poorly, your premium will be affected.

How to determine the necessary mileage?

When entering your key details for a car insurance quote, insurers will use your estimated mileage usage to calculate your premium. The less you drive, the cheaper your insurance will be as the risk of an accident is reduced with less time on the roads.

The best way to provide an honest and accurate estimate is to look at how much you’ve driven in the past on your dashboard mileage. If your driving habits have changed, however, you will need to change the figure accordingly. You can also analyse your mileage history by looking back at any old MOT certificates or service documents where your mileage was noted.