In the UK if you want to drive a car then it’s the law to insure it! Today, police have insurance details of all British cars on a computer database, which means they can catch you in minutes if you drive without it - and they are allowed to take your car and fine you up to £5000.

So if you’re thinking about driving during your stay in the UK, insurance is a MUST (even if you think you’re less likely to have an accident than Fernando Alonso in a Volvo).

Buying your car insurance

You have to insure your car for yourself and provide the name any other person who will drive it regularly. Choosing who to insure with is the difficult part! You need to find the best deal with the best amount of cover, from a company you can trust.

If you pay attention to the TV adverts, most of the insurance groups say: “We could save you up to £200-300!” Of course, there is a difference between: “could” and “will”.

There are about 60 different insurance companies in the UK. You can either approach these directly, or you can use an insurance agent (broker) to find the best deal from its list of companies. You can find these on the internet, on the high street, and even in the supermarket.

Before you contact the insurers, make sure you have all the details of your car (its age, engine size, make, model, where it will be kept, what it will be used for) and yourself (how long you have had a driving license, any details of any accidents or claims, any driving or criminal convictions etc.). Answer the questions honestly - it invalidates the policy (insurance cover) if you don’t.

After contacting two or three agents or companies, you will probably find there is a big difference between the quotes - so you really have to call around to get a good deal. The problem is, if you rang all of them to find out how much you could save, you would have to take a month off work! You can start by looking in our "Find a..." section now.

As a solution to this, you’ll now find internet companies that advertise a service which can help you compare all of the different companies in one place. These are a great help, to make sure you are getting the best price you can always call several more companies.

To find the best companies to call, you could try to search for specific criteria on an internet search engine. For example, as most of you reading this probably don’t have a UK driving license, you might try typing ‘insurance for international drivers’. There are some insurance providers that specialise in this. Also, if you own an old classic car, or a sports car, you should look for companies which specialise in insuring these.

Levels of insurance

You can insure your car with a Third party only, Third party fire and theft or Fully Comprehensive policy:

Third party only is the lowest level - this means that in the event of an accident which is your fault, your insurance company will only pay for the damage to the other car(s) involved. You are not insured for any damage to your own car, or if it gets stolen, or is set on fire.

If you upgrade to Third party fire and theft, then, as the name suggests, you will also be covered if your car sets on fire, or is stolen.

Fully comprehensive is the most expensive, but will cover you for almost every eventuality. This includes paying for any damage to your car, and any other car involved in an accident*. It also covers you for theft and fire. There are then many additional things which may be covered depending on the insurance provider. This can include windscreen damage, car stereo theft, personal injury cover, legal protection, use of a hire car in the event of a crash, breakdown rescue, no claims protection…the list goes on.

The cover you decide to take will of course depend on what you can afford and what you want to have covered. You should also consider how much your car is worth. If you own a small car, registered in 1985, there’s not much point going for comprehensive cover – it would probably cost you more to insure the car than to replace it.

Excess

Another thing to think about when you buy your insurance! Each policy comes with an ‘excess’. This is an amount that you have to pay towards the total cost when there is a claim. The excess is agreed when you take out the policy. Usually this is between £100 and £300. Consider this amount if you are comparing quotes – if the excess is high, it may make smaller incidents not worth claiming for. Alternatively look in our "Find a..." section and speak to an independent insurance broker who will do the work for you, they are usually paid by the insurance companies so it will be free for you to use.

No claims bonus

When you call the insurance companies, they will ask you how many years’ no claims bonus you have. Don’t panic! Every year you insured in the UK without making a claim, you get one year’s no claims bonus. The more bonus you have, the cheaper your insurance gets. Unfortunately, in your first year of driving in the UK, you will have to start from 0! It may be worth asking if they will consider your insurance history outside the UK.

Your insurance documents

When you finally get your documents keep the insurance certificate as safe as possible. You never know when you will need the documents in the future, and they may charge you for a new insurance certificate if you lose it.

What to do in the event of an accident 

After an accident which causes damage to another person, animal, car, or property, you must give your name, the name of the owner of the car, and its registration number to anyone else involved. You should report the incident to local police within 24 hours. You should also report it to your own insurance company, even if the accident was not your fault.

* If you have an accident which you believe was caused by another driver, you should take their insurance details so you can claim for damage to you or your car from them rather than your own policy.

By Matt Taylor

USEFUL WORDS

the insured vehicle = the car which is insured
third parties = other people/drivers
theft = when your car is stolen or something is stolen from it
fire damage
accident damage

a write off = when your car has been damaged so much it is impossible to repair

fault = the responsibility for something that has happened
policy = a written statement of a contract of insurance
coverage = the amount of insurance provided
premium = the amount of money that you pay for your insurance policy (usually monthly or annually)
claim = to ask for money from your insurance company after an accident

excess payment = the fixed contribution you must pay each time your car is repaired through your car insurance policy
compulsory excess = an excess you have to pay to the insurance company on making a claim
voluntary excess = an excess you choose to pay to the insurance company on making a claim (usually to reduce your monthly or annual premium)

GRAMMAR SPOT

Should have / if only / wish + Past Perfect

Use I should / shouldn’t + have + past participle to say that you regret doing or not doing something
I should have stopped the car more quickly (but I didn’t)
I shouldn’t have gone through the red traffic light (but I did)

You can also use I wish I had / hadn’t + past participle and if only I had / hadn’t + past participle:
I wish I had locked the car properly (but I didn’t)

If only I hadn’t left my purse on the back seat (but I did)

Note that these expressions are slightly stronger than should / shouldn’t have and express more regret about the situation.

You can blame someone for doing or not doing something by using you should / shouldn’t + have + past participle:

You should have paid the excess (but you didn’t)

You shouldn’t have claimed for that (but you did)