What is Car Insurance?


Car Insurance is compulsory in the UK. You are required by law to have a policy to cover your liability to other road users.

The Road Traffic Act requires all motorists to be insured against their liability for injuries to others (including passengers) and for damage to other people's property resulting from use of a vehicle on a road or other public place. It is an offence to drive your car or allow others to drive it without insurance.

Owning and driving a car means taking on many risks to yourself and others. When a traffic accident happens, damage, injuries, loss or all of these factors may be inflicted upon you and others. Damage and loss of your property may also occur. Fire, theft, vandalism and natural disasters are other possible risks.

Car Insurance protects motorists and drivers against liability in the event of accidents they may cause. It can also provide cover for the motorist's own vehicle.

Car insurance is what safeguards you against loss due to traffic accidents, thefts or other reasons. Taking out car insurance is very important as insurance is what secures you from economic loss or damages. In case you do not have car insurance and you are involved in an accident, in spite of who is at fault, you will be paying the compensation concerned with damages. Car insurance is designed to protect yourself and others against these risks.

Many different types of cover are available, ranging from third party cover which protects individuals against liability should they injure a third party or cause damage to a third party's property, but does not provide any cover for the individual's own vehicle or property, through to comprehensive cover, which can offer protection for accidental damage, theft, fire damage as well as liability towards third parties. The minimum legal requirement for car insurance to drive in the UK is Third Party Only,

Car insurance is a contract between you and the insurer, specifying each party's rights and obligations. Essentially the car insurance company promises to provide specific coverage for you in return for your payment of the car insurance premium.

It is vital to know what your car insurance policy covers. It could be a complete and comprehensive policy that covers you for all risks that might be surrounding your car. The basic requirement is that in the event of an accident, you are covered for the compensation that you may have to pay for injury to other people and their vehicle. This is an amount that could run into several thousands which will be covered in the car insurance policy.

There are two main types of car insurance policies available in the UK :

Third Party

Third party insurance covers the insured when driving on private property as well as on public roads. This policy offers protection against legal liabilities as well as covering third party claims.

Comprehensive

Comprehensive insurance cover is the most popular form of cover, the most important addition being accidental damage cover, where policyholders can get their own vehicle repaired in case of damage. For people who want to be covered against as many risks as possible, then comprehensive policies is the solution.

You should read your car insurance policy carefully to ensure it gives you the level of cover you are seeking. There should be no small print or difficult language in modern insurance policy documents. If you are unsure about what the policy does or does not cover then just ask your insurer or insurance adviser to explain.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:

About The Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.







Related News



Popular autism treatment often goes uncovered - Seattle Post Intelligencer

Popular autism treatment often goes uncovered
Seattle Post Intelligencer -9 hours ago
None of it is covered by the family's health insurance plan. Insurance industry representatives such as Susan Pisano, spokeswoman for the national industry ...

Ahead on health insurance - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Ahead on health insurance
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com, NJ -3 hours ago
Both presidential candidates have promised health insurance action on the national level. Given the way Washington works, it is not likely that any ...
Report: Ind. workers losing job-provided coverageChicago Tribune
Fewer Americans get health cover through employersBusiness Insurance
Health-care system needs new thinking, rules and initiativesAkron Beacon Journal
all 19 news articles

Legislation levels the insurance field for physical or mental ... - The Free Lance-Star

ChattahBox

Legislation levels the insurance field for physical or mental ...
The Free Lance-Star, VA -Oct 11, 2008
FOR THOSE WHO suffer from a mental illness, and those who love them, the question has long been this: Why does the guy next door with diabetes get ...
Sen. Pete Domenici on Mental HealthTIME
Law Equalizes Coverage For Mental, Physical CareWashington Post
Mental Health CoverageNew York Times
Kansas City Star - The Herald-Times (subscription)
all 186 news articles

Voters want solutions as health insurance costs rise sharply - Kansas City Star

New York Daily News

Voters want solutions as health insurance costs rise sharply
Kansas City Star, MO -Oct 11, 2008
By SUZANNE KING Dave Coffman of Lee’s Summit has been working two part-time jobs since he retired so he can afford long-term care insurance, ...
Video: McCain, Obama Differ Dramatically on Health CareAssociatedPress
Health care: Curing what ails usSt. Charles Sun
Which health plan would you like, John McCain's or Barack Obama'sFood Consumer
eFluxMedia - Washington Post
all 1,028 news articles

Unemployment insurance fund headed for insolvency - Alameda Times-Star

Unemployment insurance fund headed for insolvency
Alameda Times-Star, CA -6 hours ago
The Assembly Insurance Committee and the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on State Administration held a joint hearing today to examine why we're in this fix ...

EDITORIAL: Stock markets on ropes - Asahi Shimbun

China Daily

EDITORIAL: Stock markets on ropes
Asahi Shimbun, Japan -4 hours ago
Adding to this unpleasant economic news, Yamato Life Insurance Co., a midsize firm that invested heavily in REIT and other high-risk US financial ...
Japan's Yamato Life Insurance files for bankruptcyHindu
Japan in desperate effort to halt its own downward economic spiralTelegraph.co.uk
Japanese insurance co Yamoto collapses; files for bankruptcyHindu Business Line
Financial Times - The Daily Yomiuri
all 430 news articles

Australia Senate to support health insurance changes - Reuters

Reuters

Australia Senate to support health insurance changes
Reuters -2 hours ago
The private health insurance industry has warned the government plans would lead to 400000 people dropping their private health cover. ...
Seoul shares trim gains; carmakers, insurers downReuters
UPDATE 1-Hanwha sees $580 mln from insurance stake saleReuters
UPDATE 1-EU lawmakers pass diluted insurance reformReuters
Reuters - Reuters
all 1,603 news articles

Variable-Annuity Business Is Adding to Life Insurers' Woes - Wall Street Journal

Reuters

Variable-Annuity Business Is Adding to Life Insurers' Woes
Wall Street Journal -2 hours ago
By LAVONNE KUYKENDALL Variable annuities, whose sales fueled profits at life-insurance companies in recent years, are starting to drag profits as the stock ...
Despite the Turmoil, Insurance Companies Appear SafeTIME
Market Place Insurance Industry Joins Banking Giants on the Hot SeatNew York Times
Consider Staking a Claim in AllstateBarron's
Forbes - CNNMoney.com
all 51 news articles

Fidelity, Vanguard join money-fund insurance plan - Seattle Times

ABC News

Fidelity, Vanguard join money-fund insurance plan
Seattle Times, United States -22 hours ago
Fidelity Investments have joined the US Treasury's emergency insurance program for money-market mutual funds, pushing the participation rate to more than 95 ...
Funds Turn To Treasury GuarantyWashington Post
Worried about the economy?The State
Money Market Mutual Funds Apply for Treasury's Insurance ProgramOn Wall Street
Wall Street Journal - Dallas Morning News
all 284 news articles


Learning the hard way about FDIC insurance - San Francisco Chronicle

Nashville City Paper

Learning the hard way about FDIC insurance
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA -Oct 11, 2008
That experience motivated Quittel to mount a campaign urging the FDIC to require banks to warn depositors if their account balance is over the insurance...
Elder Law: Pay attention to FDIC insurance rulesThe News-Press
FDIC approves $250000 insurance limitInternational Herald Tribune
FDIC and Clayton St. set PTC seminar on protecting your moneyThe Citizen.com
Tampa Tribune - Seattle Times
all 617 news articles