Car Insurance

For car owners in the United Kingdom , car insurance is a mandatory requirement in order for us to legally drive a car. As the number of car drivers is increasing, the competition for providing car insurance is growing rapidly. This is good news as it meant that insurance companies are competing for your custom and therefore, many companies are now able to offer cheap deals on car insurance if you shop around.

Car insurance can be split into categories, to highlight this; there are 3 main types of car insurance policy available; Third Party only insurance, Third Party Fire and Theft insurance and Comprehensive insurance cover. Third Party car insurance is the most basic form of insurance, if you choose to purchase this type of policy, you will only be covered for the cost of damages to a third party’s property. You will also be covered for the costs if you are found liable for a person’s death of injury caused by you driving a car. As this is the most basic form of insurance, the cost of purchasing this type of policy is the cheapest.

The next type of car insurance available is Third Party Fire and Theft car insurance; this is slightly more expensive than the basic cover and will cost you more but covers you for the same as the basic third party cover with additional cover for the value of any loss incurred by fire, theft or accident.

Finally, the Fully Comprehensive insurance cover will cover you for all the same as the basic cover and the third party fire and theft, however in addition to this; there are extras that are available to you. Depending on insurance company, you will be eligible to receive breakdown cover; a courtesy car should your car need repairing due to an accident and in some cases legal and medical expenses. The expenses on a fully comprehensive policy are usually larger than the basic type of cover. Part of this policy entitles you to build up a No Claims bonus, therefore, if during the term of the policy you make no claims, you can accumulate a discount based on the amount of no claims you have built up. All of these additional benefits make this type of policy the most expensive.

As many insurance companies now have dedicated websites, it is often best to research for the cheapest policies through the internet. As competition has increased in this market, insurance companies have started offering discounts for applying online for car insurance policies. Before you decide which company you are going to purchase your policy from, it’s often best to obtain a few quotes to compare companies. Many companies now have the facility for you to obtain a no obligation quote for car insurance online or via the telephone. This enables you to check various insurance companies’ policies and also what is included in the premium quoted. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can use the dedicated phone lines for car insurance quotes and the quote given can last for at least a month. Using this method usually means that you miss out on any discounts offered as you are not going through the online application process.

In order for your selected insurance company to provide a quote or for you to purchase the relevant insurance policy, you will be asked to provide information regarding the type of car you are looking to insure. This information will be about where the car is going to be parked overnight and what the car is to be used for. If you are using the car for commuting or just for social and domestic usage the premium can vary. Also, your age is relevant and also if you have any previous motor offences.