...car insurance?

Passing your driving test and throwing off your L plates is a life changing event. However, if you're going to get behind the wheel of a car you must be insured and unfortunately, that is expensive for the newly qualified driver.

The good news is that the longer you drive without having an accident or making a claim, the cheaper your insurance will become. This is because you can earn “no claims” bonuses each year that you renew, which can ultimately rise to a whopping 65% discount.

There are two kinds of car insurance…

1) Third party, fire and theft

The third party element covers any claim against you if you injure or kill/damage or destroy someone else’s car/property whilst driving

The fire element pays out if your car is damaged or destroyed by fire

The theft element pays out if your car is stolen or damaged following an attempted theft.

This is the least expensive form of car insurance but, it does not cover the car for damage which you have caused yourself.

2) Comprehensive

This gives you third party cover, plus any damage to your own car, as well as additional benefits such as:

• A replacement windscreen
• A replacement car if yours goes in for repairs
• A lump sum if you die or are injured while using your car

It is illegal to drive without at least third party cover. If you do, you are likely to lose your license, be fined up to £5,000 and have to pay for any damage/compensation yourself… that could end up being be a very expensive trip!

Remember, you have to be a 'named driver' before you are allowed to drive someone else’s car, which means your name should be on their policy.

How do I ... get car insurance?