subject: Sometimes You Only Need Temporary Car Insurance [print this page] People always tend to associate car insurance with a yearly policy agreement, but in actual fact, there's nothing to say you have to take out insurance for a period of twelve months, or even six months for that matter.
After all, if you're only borrowing Mum or Dad's car for a few days so that you and your mates can go away somewhere, why on earth should you be expected to pay for 12 months worth of cover? While this may come as a surprise to you, if you only intend being behind the wheel for three or four days, you can get car insurance for those days only. In fact, even if you'll only have the car for a day, you can still get yourself covered.
This sort of cover is known as temporary car insurance, and it is readily available from practically all UK insurance providers. Of course, in order to qualify, you will need to be in possession of a valid UK driver's license. You'll also need to be at least 21 years old, but no older than 75 years.
Generally speaking, if you hire a car from one of the many car hire companies, they will in most cases include cover in the rental agreement. With that said, it can often work out cheaper to hire a car if you take out your own policy instead.
As with regular car insurance, temporary car insurance is also available in a variety of options. For example, if you're going to be driving an old banger which is not really worth very much, third party, fire and theft cover is probably good enough. At least you won't have to worry about the car being stolen, and at least you won't have to pay for any damage caused to the vehicle of a third party if you cause an accident.
If on the other hand you'll be driving Dad's brand new Audi, you'd be best going for fully comprehensive cover, unless you have a death wish of course! With fully comprehensive cover, you'll have peace of mind in knowing you're fully covered for any and all eventualities. One important thing to keep in mind though is that no insurance company will honour a claim if it can be proven you were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Many people also take advantage of temporary car insurance when they move home. Because removal companies have become very expensive, many families choose to undertake the task themselves by borrowing a small van from someone they know. If you expect the move to take three days, you can purchase temporary cover for that period of time, and in so doing, you'll be insured to drive any vehicle during that time.
One of the best things about temporary car insurance is that it can be obtained immediately upon request. In other words, if you've just purchased a new car, and you've not yet had time to shop around for affordable insurance, you could simply opt for temporary cover in the meantime. A quick call to any of the leading providers, an exchange of information, and you're good to go. Also, you'll now be driving your new car home legally rather than taking a chance of being caught driving uninsured.
by: Tom Jones
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