The law in the United Kingdom requires all drivers to a have a minimum level of cover which is called third party insurance. It‘s a legal requirement for car insurance in the UK and anyone caught driving without it can face fines and even a jail sentence.
The most basic type of policy covers liability to third parties but not for any damage to the policy holder's car. Third party fire and theft is the same as standard third party cover but with the added benefit of providing cover if the policy holder's car is damaged by fire or stolen. The greatest degree of cover is provided with a fully comprehensive policy. This type of cover provides protection if a car is stolen, damaged by fire or accidentally damaged even if it's the policy holders fault. Fully comprehensive cover also protects against claims made by other people or third parties for bodily injury or damage to their property or vehicle.
Car insurance is one of the biggest costs of owning and driving a car and can cost a lot more than road tax, servicing, MOT and repairs combined. There are a number of ways to get a great deal, the first thing is to understand some of the things that can contribute to a higher premium.
One of the biggest factors is the type of car that is to be insured. Insurance companies put different cars into groups; each group represents a certain risk and in turn a different premium. Insurance groups are rated between 1 and 20, the lower the number, the cheaper the price. Knowing a cars insurance group gives a good idea of the how much a policy may cost.
To determine a car's insurance group a number of factors are taken into account; the cost of the car when it's purchased brand new, the repair costs of the car, its performance and the cost of replacements parts.
Some of the best deals around are from aviva car insurance that only deal direct much like direct line car insurance who are not on price comparison sites.
Others who may be able to beat your current quote include john lewis car insurance who have just been rebranded from the previous greenbeen company as well as churchill van insurance who sometimes actually offer some of the cheapest rates and from the uk's biggest supermarket comes tesco car insurance that also offers some great rates and additional discounts. And Specialist group for the over 50s steps in saga car insurance that could beat you current policy if you or someone in your household is aged over 50. If you have a van that needs to be insured then why not try direct line van insurance who always have a range of offers and deals.
Understanding the rating helps people make an informed choice when they buy a new car, it enables them to understand the on-going cost of car insurance.
Another thing that can affect the price of car insurance is the driver, how experienced they are and if they have had any accidents in the past. Nearly every insurance company will offer discounts to customers who haven't had an accident in awhile. This is called a no claims discount. No claims discounts are measured by the number of year that have passed since a claim has been made, the more year no claims, the bigger the discount.
Most companies will provide an option to protect a customer's no claims discount. This enables them to make a certain number of claims in a particular period without loosing their discount but this does come at a price.
Other factors likes the area where the owner lives, whether its parked on a road, on a drive or in a garage can all make a difference to the price of insurance.
To save money on car insurance, the easiest way is to get as many quotes as possible. Price comparison websites are a good start but try a few different sources as they don't include all providers and don't always include the best deals that a provider is offering.