Car Insurance In The UK - An Introduction

There are three chief types of car insurance available, starting with the cheapest and least common:

Third Party

This is the minimum degree of insurance required by law - all drivers must take out at least this sort of policy. It covers damage caused to person else's car, or injury to them, in the event of an accident that is your fault. With this sort of insurance you won't be able to claim for any injuries or losings sustained by yourself for any reason.

Third Party, Fire and Theft

This is a measure above basic 3rd political party cover. If your car is stolen and not recovered, or destroyed by fire, you'll be able to do a claim. You'll still be insured against damage or injury to person else in an accident blamed on you.

Comprehensive

With comprehensive insurance, you can claim for damage to your car even if the damage was caused in an incident that was your responsibility. This sort of insurance also covers the same things as 3rd party, fire, and theft. Comprehensive screen usually allows you to drive person else’s vehicle with their permission under 3rd political party cover, though you should check your policy specifically for this.

Extra Features

So those are the basic sorts of insurance, but policies from different insurance companies can offer different extra characteristics that you can take into account when choosing who to see with. This is especially true of comprehensive policies, which can have got quite a few added extras. When comparing policies you should bear in head that nil is 'free', no matter what the advertisments say. If you don't need a specific feature, you might be able to get a lower terms by getting a policy that doesn't offer unneeded frills.

No Claims Bonus

If your insurance screen includes a No Claims Bonus or No Claims Discount, then for every insured twelvemonth that you don't do a claim, your insurance premiums will be reduced by a percentage, to reflect the fact that you're showing you're not a large hazard to your insurance company. The price reduction will turn twelvemonth by twelvemonth until you hit the upper bounds available, which is generally 60-70% depending on your insurer. If you do a claim, your fillip will usually be reduced, either dorsum to it's previous degree or even cancelled completely. Some policies offer a 'no claims fillip for life' option which locks your fillip at its current level, even if you do a claim. This tin be a good option if you've already reached a upper limit price reduction as this volition be protected no matter what haps in the future. Finally on this topic, many insurance companies will allow you to transfer over your price reduction degree built up on a policy from a different company. You'd obviously be less likely to switch over insurance companies if it meant losing your discount, so this volition be an option in almost all cases.

Named Drivers

You can also add named drivers onto your policy, so that they will be covered when drive your car. This is popular with parents, who often add their children who have got just passed their drive diagnostic test to their policies. Quite often this is the lone economical manner to get a new driver insured in today’s insurance market.

Courtesy Car

If your car needs repairing after an accident and is off the road, with this characteristic you'll get free usage of a hire car to maintain you mobile until you get your ain car back.

Windscreen Replacement

Broken windshields will usually be replaced for free under a wayside aid scheme, but if you don't have got that sort of screen or windshields aren't included, do certain you can get a free substitution from your insurance.

Audio equipment

If you be after to put in expensive in-car sound equipment, check that the policy will cover replacing it if it's stolen from your car. Some policies have got bounds on the value of audio equipment they are prepared to cover.

Roadside Assistance

Some policies come up with an component of dislocation and recovery screen included, or will offer price reductions on such as cover. If you already have got dislocation cover, you may happen this salvages you money by letting you call off your separate policy.