A Guide to Private Car Insurance in UK
How to Get the Most Suitable Motor Insurance Cover
The first thing to look at when deciding on buying car insurance in UK is the type of cover that is available.
- Third Party Only -- This is the minimum amount of insurance that it is legal to have on a vehicle. As it is the most basic insurance it only covers the third party damage to vehicle and/or injury in the event of an accident.
- Third Party, Fire and Theft -- This covers damages/injury to the third party and includes cover if your vehicle catches fire through lightning, self-ignition etc., or if your vehicle is stolen.
- Comprehensive -- As the name suggests, this is the maximum insurance you can have on a vehicle. It has everything from the other two types of cover and includes accidental damage (damages caused to your own car in a collision), medical expenses, vandalism/malicious damage, windscreen and personal effects.
The right car insurance cover
It is important to have the right type of cover for the value of your car. Most insurance companies will recommend that cars around the £500 or less mark should have either Third Party Only or Third Party, Fire and Theft cover. This is because if you were to have an accident in a car at this value it is likely that the car will be written off, therefore negating the advantages of accidental damage cover.
It is also important to check the windscreen insurance excess with the insurer. Although it is covered by a comprehensive policy this is usually just for repair. Generally speaking there is an excess involved in full glass replacement which can be from £40 upwards.
If you choose comprehensive cover there will generally be an excess on the policy. The excess can often be altered, although many policies have a compulsory excess which is the minimum on that policy. By changing the excess you can affect the price of the policy. Generally speaking, increasing the excess will decrease the price of the policy and vice versa.
No Claims Discount
No Claims Discount (or No Claims Bonus) is awarded by year for having not made a claim from your private car insurance policy. It is one of the most effective ways of getting cheaper car insurance, with 1 year NCB giving up to a 30% reduction, 2 years NCB giving 40% and so forth. Your No Claims Discount details are written on your Renewals notice or can be obtainned directly from the company.
To summarise, it is important to take into account the type of private car insurance cover you want, noting the value of your car and the excesses that are applied. These are just some of the ways to make sure you are getting the best car insurance for your needs.
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