Insurance

It is a legal requirement to have insurance for your car:

  • In the event of an accident your basic car insurance policy is there to cover the costs of righting the damage done to other cars – this is called Third Party Insurance.
  • Fully Comprehensive insurance will additionally cover the costs of damage to your own car as well.
  • If you have an accident in your car without up-to-date insurance you will find yourself in trouble with the law
  • A valid insurance certificate needs to be produced when you apply for the Road Fund licence for your car.
  • Always give true answers to all questions you are asked when taking out car insurance. Any errors in your details may well invalidate your insurance policy.

Excess Payment

One of the most frequent questions about insurance that new drivers have is: “What is this excess payment I have on my policy?” The Excess is the amount you will have to pay (no matter how much the total damage cost is) before your insurance company pays for the rest of the costs to put right the damage to your car (if you have a Fully Comprehensive insurance policy) and the damage to any other driver’s car. If the accident is another driver’s fault then their insurance company will pay all the costs of repairing you car.

No Claims Bonuses

No Claims Bonuses are offered to drivers who have not claimed on an insurance policy over a particular period of time, for example ‘over the last 3 years’. It means you can get a discount on the premium you pay for your insurance policy. The idea is to reward careful drivers who have fewer accidents.

Driving cars other than your own

Your insurance policy may only cover you for driving your own car – not a friend or relations’ car, if you want to drive another car check with your insurance company first – they may need an additional payment before you can drive the other car.

Where to go to Find an Insurance Policy

There are many insurance companies on the market, one that caters specifically for women drivers is Sheila’s Wheels.

Love My Car recommends that you get several quotes to compare the terms you want and to ensure you are getting a good price. There is a web site that goes to many insurance companies for you and gets comparative quotes, it is called Gocompare.com.