Helpful Hints
The basics of car insurance
A car insurance policy is made up of many smaller policies. What your total policy should look like depends on where you live, what you drive, and what your personal circumstances are.
There are six major types of car coverage which are liability, medical or personal injury, collision, comprehensive, third party fire & theft and third party only.
The following briefly describes what each policy may cover:
Liability: Probably the most important coverage on any car policy. Standard car liability is actually made up of two policies, bodily injury and property damage. They cover the cost of injuries and damage you cause to another in a road traffic accident.
Medical: This coverage pays for the treatment of any injuries you might sustain in a car accident, regardless of who was at fault in the accident. It includes coverage for other economic costs, like lost wages or out of pocket expenses.
Comprehensive: This covers damage to your car, regardless of fault. The cover will include accidental damage, malicious damage, theft, natural disasters and the damage you cause to other peoples' property.
Third party fire & theft: This covers damage to your car only if via fire, damage to other peoples' property and if your vehicle is stolen.
Third party only: This covers only the damage to other peoples' property - your own vehicle is not covered.
Excesses: Most policies will have a sum of money that you will have to contribute in the event of a claim. These can range from £50 to £500 depending on cover. In addition to these compulsory policy excesses you may wish to take a voluntary excess, which if available can reduce your premium.
Car insurance can be expensive, but not nearly as expensive as the unlucky events it protects you from. However, that doesn't mean you should just pay any old premium you're quoted. We think that, instead, you're entitled to a reasonable price for coverage that you understand, and value. Call our team on 0800 197 7081 for a quote today.
Keeping insurance low
Here are a few handy tips of how to keep your premium low over the next few years:
Drive safe.
Safe drivers are those with no points on their driving licence and no claims. These drivers earn huge discounts on car insurance. Two small speeding fines could increase your premium and statistically could also increase your chances of being involved in a motor accident.
Drive less.
We understand that not everyone has a lot of control over this, especially if you need you car for work. However, if you can manage to lower your annual mileage this usually means a decrease in premiums. It's calculated by insurers on the simple laws of probability: the more time you spend on the road, the greater your chances of being involved in an accident.
Your Car.
This isn't something you would be changing on a whim. However it is a good practice to bear in mind whenever you are looking for a new car, insurance companies charge higher rates on cars that are more powerful, more costly to repair, or very popular with thieves.
Modifications.
Modification includes any changes that you have made to the original manufacturer's specification. You must disclose new wheels, seats, changing the colour, adding a spoiler or even tuning up the engine as these will be classed as a modification. Doing this will exclude you from a standard quote and may lead to an increase in your premium.
