Comprehensive car insurance or fully comp, as it is often called is the premier form of insurance that motorists can take out. Unlike entry-level forms of cover, such as third-party fire and theft policies, opting for a fully comprehensive insurance policy means knowing that you will be covered in any eventuality. It is more expensive than other types of car insurance policy, generally speaking. This is something that puts some motorists off. This way of thinking can be a false economy, however.
Why? Because if you have invested in fully comp cover, then you will be much less liable for the sort of costs you might face if you were to be involved in an accident on the road. Remember that it is not just the cost of replacing your vehicle you might be saddled with. Therefore, it is worth exploring fully comprehensive car insurance a little more to better understand the additional forms of cover you will benefit from.
What Does it Cover?
Firstly, it is worth mentioning that not all fully comp policies are the same. Some will offer thorough cover for personal car use but not for business use, for example. Some insurers will cover only the main driver while other named drivers on the insurance policy won’t get the same level of cover. This means it is worth examining exactly what you will be covered for when comparing one fully comprehensive policy with another. It is not all about the level of excess and the premiums you will be expected to pay.
That said, there are certain similarities between the majority of fully comprehensive car insurance policies. These are the standard terms of coverage you should expect of all such policies. The main advantage of fully comprehensive car insurance is that you are not just insured for third-party incidents when driving under a comprehensive policy. What this means is that if your car is damaged as a result of a mistake you made while driving, your insurer will pay out. If you only have a third-party policy, you will only get paid if another driver, a third party, was at fault. In other words, you take on the risk. Anything from driving your car into a bollard to smashing it to bits following a tyre blowout would mean you would be left out of pocket. Again, this would not be the case under a fully comprehensive insurance policy.
Another benefit of comprehensive car insurance is that it provides cover for damage you cause to other people’s property. Perhaps you accidentally knocked down someone’s garden wall with your car while reversing or ran into the back of a stationary vehicle by mistake? If so, the damage you cause will be covered. In addition, you will be covered if you injure someone. Personal injuries caused by car accidents can result in huge costs, especially when ongoing care might be needed. Why leave yourself exposed to these sorts of risks for the sake of a slightly cheaper insurance policy? Remember it is not just the fact that you might be sued if you have inadequate insurance, but the legal costs of defending yourself that you have to consider.
Fully comprehensive policies will also cover you when there are incidents in which nobody is at fault. If you think about a stone being thrown up by another road user and cracking your windscreen, for example, then it would be very hard to apportion blame. As such, your policy should pay-out for any windscreen damage that you run into. Usually, this will mean replacing your windscreen at no cost before the crack worsens.
Lastly, the theft of items from your car is also usually covered under fully comp policies. As long as you have locked your car and not negligently left the windows open, for instance, you will be able to claim for the cost of said items.
Nelson Xavier Ssenyange
Team Leader
Germax Autos, Spares & Garage Ltd
Lukade Road, Naalya
0779250886/0752088734