Car
insurance is a must in the UK. By law if you drive a car, you need to
have insurance or be a named driver on the owner of that cars
insurance. It is as simple as that. It can be all too tempting to
ignore payments but if you are involved in an accident you will learn
very quickly the importance of car insurance.
If you feel you cannot afford insurance it is well worth bearing in mind that there are several levels of insurance, and each one differs in price. The first and most basic level of insurance is third party insurance. This is the minimum requirement by law to drive on the roads. It covers you for injuries to third parties including passengers and their belongings. This does not include damage to your vehicle. The second level is third party fire and theft. This offers all the protection of third party insurance, but also adds, yes, you guessed it- protection against fire and theft. The third and most expensive level is comprehensive insurance. Comprehensive insurance offers all the protection of the above and also protects against accidental damage to your vehicle.
So, if you are worried about how much you are paying for your insurance, consider what it is you actually need from your insurance- if you are driving a clapped-out banger that is probably worth more as scrap, perhaps third party is a viable option for you. If you are driving a brand new BMW however, it stands to reason that you would require comprehensive insurance.
There are of course other ways to reduce the cost of your insurance. Fitting an immobilizer and alarm instantly reduces your costs, as does removing any modifications (this can be as little as alloy wheels). If you are a younger driver, it can sometimes help to put an older driver on the named driver list (never put the older driver as the insurance holder- that is fraud).
Another way to save money is by shopping around. Check insurers websites, as they often offer online discounts. Co-operative Insurance is a good place to look for car insurance quotes as they were voted the best online insurance provider by the Your Money Awards 2008. If you apply for your car insurance online you could get as much as a 10% discount as well.
If you feel you cannot afford insurance it is well worth bearing in mind that there are several levels of insurance, and each one differs in price. The first and most basic level of insurance is third party insurance. This is the minimum requirement by law to drive on the roads. It covers you for injuries to third parties including passengers and their belongings. This does not include damage to your vehicle. The second level is third party fire and theft. This offers all the protection of third party insurance, but also adds, yes, you guessed it- protection against fire and theft. The third and most expensive level is comprehensive insurance. Comprehensive insurance offers all the protection of the above and also protects against accidental damage to your vehicle.
So, if you are worried about how much you are paying for your insurance, consider what it is you actually need from your insurance- if you are driving a clapped-out banger that is probably worth more as scrap, perhaps third party is a viable option for you. If you are driving a brand new BMW however, it stands to reason that you would require comprehensive insurance.
There are of course other ways to reduce the cost of your insurance. Fitting an immobilizer and alarm instantly reduces your costs, as does removing any modifications (this can be as little as alloy wheels). If you are a younger driver, it can sometimes help to put an older driver on the named driver list (never put the older driver as the insurance holder- that is fraud).
Another way to save money is by shopping around. Check insurers websites, as they often offer online discounts. Co-operative Insurance is a good place to look for car insurance quotes as they were voted the best online insurance provider by the Your Money Awards 2008. If you apply for your car insurance online you could get as much as a 10% discount as well.
