Car insurance in the UK

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Introduction to UK car insurance

indemnity in the UK is compulsory. The law states that you must insure all vehicles if you drive them or keep them in public places to at least the level of third-party liability. This is unless they have been declared ‘ off the road ’, which can be done if the fomite is not being used .
cable car indemnity is, therefore, big business in the UK. In fact, there were around £10 billion of premiums in 2018. This makes it one of the biggest motor indemnity markets in the world and there are more car insurance providers in the UK than anywhere else in Europe. There are over 200 car indemnity providers in the UK. Some of the biggest include :
Because of this, it pays to shop around for indemnity and make surely you get a deal that suits your needs .

united kingdom car indemnity typically covers the vehicle quite than the driver. This means that you aren ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate automatically guarantee to drive other people ’ south cars. however, some comprehensive policy policies permit this .
When you take out a car policy policy in the UK, you specify who is on the policy. Couples can get indemnity with both partner ’ second names on the policy if they both drive, while you can besides add extra drivers .
As car indemnity in the UK applies to the fomite, multiple vehicles requires separate policy plans. however, many companies offer discounted rates for a second car .
The Prudential Regulation Authority ( PRA ) and the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA ) both regulate cable car indemnity companies in the UK. The UK Motor Insurance Database contains records of all see vehicles. The patrol can spot-check vehicles to make sure that they have policy .
See even more information in our guides to policy in the UK and driving licenses in the UK .

Can you use car insurance from another country in the UK?

At deliver, you can use valid vehicle policy from other EU countries in the UK. however, this may well change as a consequence of Brexit. Non-EU/EFTA nationals need to purchase a UK indemnity policy to drive in the UK .
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Types of car insurance in the UK

The three main types of cable car insurance in the UK are as follows .

Third party liability

This is the minimal legal coverage. It covers all damage caused to one-third parties and their property. This includes all damage to other vehicles, wound to others and damage to property ( e.g. buildings or lampposts ) in incidents where you or another insured driver of your car is at defect .

Third party, fire and theft

This includes all standard third party indebtedness coverage plus it besides covers rectify or successor costs if your vehicle is stolen or damaged by fuel .
Some policies besides offer to cover damage caused by other accidental damage such as storm wrong .

Fully comprehensive

The highest flush of coverage which will besides pay out for price to your own car in incidents where you are at demerit. Some policies besides cover the owner of the policy to drive other vehicles .
Although this is the most across-the-board form of car indemnity, most policies will have some exclusions – normally related to designed price – so it ’ south significant to check that you have the justly level of coverage before signing up .

Car insurance costs

car insurance costs in the UK will depend on factors including :

• insurance type;
• vehicle value;
• driver age, history and profile;
• what you will use the vehicle for.

The median cost for car indemnity in the UK in 2018 was £431 a year. This is among the highest in the EU .
You can look to lower your annual car indemnity premiums by :

• reducing risks associated with your car – for example, fitting sensors or installing an alarm to reduce the risk of theft;
• taking out telematics (also known as ‘black box’) insurance that sees a device fixed to your car that tracks your driving habits. If you’re a safe driver, you could see reductions on future premiums;
• paying the annual amount upfront rather than in monthly installments;
• increasing your excess – this is the amount you will need to pay against any claim. For example, if you have an excess of £100 and the value of the claim is £500, the insurer will pay £400. All insurers have a compulsory excess but you can voluntarily increase this to bring down the premium;
• if you are a young or inexperienced driver, you can add drivers with a good driver profile to the insurance policy.

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Additional forms of car insurance in the UK

You can purchase extra forms of cable car insurance in the UK to mitigate against foster risks. These include :

• Breakdown insurance – covers costs of a roadside breakdown, such as repair, getting the car towed away, and sorting out replacement transport;
• Warranty – covers any mechanical faults with the car. This is often included with new cars, but some companies offer an additional warranty, such as MotorEasy.
• Legal insurance – covers legal expenses in the event of an incident that goes to court;
• No-claims protection – protects your no-claims bonus in the event of making a claim. You will usually need to wait until a minimum no-claims period has elapsed (e.g. 3 years);
• Personal accident insurance – covers any medical costs that would otherwise need to be met;
• Driving overseas – at present, UK insurance policies cover cars taken to EU countries but this may change. You can extend your policy to cover additional countries at the same level as your UK policy;
• Lost or stolen keys – covers the cost of replacements.

Car insurance bonuses and penalties in the UK

The UK operates a ‘ no-claims ’ discount system, which allows people who haven ’ thyroxine claimed on their indemnity in a numeral of years to obtain a hearty deduction .
Each policy ship’s company operates its own no-claims outline, but it ’ s normally potential to get discounts of 50-80 % on your annual premiums for long periods without making a claim ( e.g. 10+ years ) .
Most companies will add on a share deduction for each claim-free year, for example you ’ ll get 30 % rebate after the first year and this will then rise by 5 % each year until you reach the maximum .

It is much possible to transfer no-claims periods to other companies if you switch insurance company. however, insurers are not obliged to do this so match before signing up if this is something you want to consider. Most companies will omit any claims where the policy-holder is not at mistake, for exercise larceny or accidental fuel damage .
Companies reward no-claims periods, but they besides penalize drivers with a hapless drive read. Expect to pay a higher premium if you :

• have been involved in any road accidents that were your fault;
• have points on your driving license for things such as speeding or drink-driving;
• are a young or inexperienced driver.

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Car insurance companies in the UK

There are over 200 car policy providers to choose from in the UK. This is why it pays to shop around. Some of the biggest and most well-known companies include :
In addition to these, there are besides companies such as Tempcover that offer temp cable car insurance. Policies start from a single hour, which could give you some much-needed blanket at short notice. You can find out more information on individual companies by checking out our united kingdom business directory .
Compare policies using a comparison web site such as Confused.com, Go Compare, and MoneySuperMarket. You can besides check reviews of unlike companies on the Which ? web site .
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Choosing car insurance in the UK

You can take a count of different factors into report beyond the agio costs when shopping for car indemnity in the UK. These might include :

• No-claims bonus – what discounts are offered and what is the policy around transferring bonuses from elsewhere?;
• Policy coverage – what is excluded from standard coverage, can this be added on if necessary and at what cost?;
• Excess/deductible options – what is the mandatory excess and what are the options for choosing to increase it?;
• Company reputation – how does the company perform in reviews and what is the customer feedback like?;
• Claims process – how straightforward is it, what is involved and what do the reviews say about how it works in practice?;
• Roadside assistance – does the company offer a good breakdown assistance policy?

Applying for car insurance in the UK

To take out car policy in the UK, you will typically need to provide :

• the car registration number;
• your address;
• driving license information;
• other personal details (age, driving history, etc.);
• information on what you’ll use the car for (business, leisure, etc.)

Most indemnity companies nowadays allow you to take out a policy and provide supporting software documentation on-line. Each party will have its own specific applications routine which will be detailed on its web site .
once you are see, you should receive :

• your insurance policy;
• EU accident statement form, to use in the event of an accident (this may change after the UK leaves the EU. Your insurer may issue you with another type of report form after Brexit);
• insurance green card, which is needed if you drive in any country not part of the European Green Card system. After Brexit, UK drivers may need a valid green card if they drive their car to EU countries.

Making a car insurance claim in the UK

If you need to make a claim to your insurance company, you should do the adopt. In the event of an accident, make certain that you :

• contact the police if the accident is serious or anyone is injured;
• exchange contact details with any other parties and witnesses;
• get the relevant information from the other driver, especially car registration number and insurance policy number
• take photographs of the damage if you can;
• fill in your EU accident report form and insurance claim form as soon as you have time;
• submit your claim to your insurance company either online or over the phone. Each company will have different exact procedures which they should inform you of when you take out a policy.

car insurance claims in the UK can normally be made up to three years after the incident, although this can vary between providers. Check your claims policy for details .

Canceling a contract or changing provider

You can cancel your car insurance contract with one provider and switch to another at any time. All insurers should by jurisprudence offer a 14-day “ cooling off ” period after you sign astir, where you can cancel and get a wide refund on any sum paid .
however, if you cancel after this menstruation, you may be liable for to pay fees. If you ’ ve signed up for a year-long contract, which is the standard, you can normally annul the shrink if you want to terminate it or switch supplier part-way through .

The commodity newsworthiness is you won ’ triiodothyronine be charged for the full class and can normally get a refund if you ’ ve paid annually upfront, but policy companies normally charge cancellation fees and sometimes extra admin fees. These should be explained to you when you sign up .
many UK car insurance policies include an auto-renewal article, meaning that you will mechanically be signed up for an extra period if you don ’ metric ton inform the company otherwise before it runs out. Beware of this and shop around for cheaper deals well in advance of the termination date on your policy.

Making a complaint about a UK car insurance company

If you feel you have been unfairly treated by a UK cable car indemnity ship’s company and want to complain, you should follow these steps :

• write a letter of complaint to your insurance company. They will then have eight weeks to resolve the complaint and inform you of their decision;
• if you are not happy with the decision, you can take the complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman. You could be awarded compensation up to £150,000 if the complaint is upheld;
• if you are still not happy, you can take the complaint to the Small Claims Court. It’s unusual for this court to rule differently than the Ombudsman, so you should be sure that you have a legitimate grievance before pursuing this. Find your local small claims court here.

Roadside assistance in the UK

You can purchase dislocation aid coverage through most united kingdom car insurance companies. alternatively, you can join a membership arrangement such as the Automobile Association ( AA ) or the Royal Automobile Club ( RAC ). Breakdown aid providers in the UK include :
These groups cover the costs of hand brake repair, car surrogate, and repatriation if abroad. You can purchase a policy that covers you for equitable the UK or extend it to early EU countries. Costs depend on what kind of coverage you want but start at around £6 a calendar month. You can compare dislocation aid providers using comparison websites such as uSwitch .

Useful resources

• MIB – oversees car insurance in the UK
• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – the main insurance regulator in the UK
• Automobile Association (AA) – the biggest membership body providing breakdown assistance in the UK