How does car insurance work?

Telegraph

17-04-2025

Car insurance is a legal requirement for all UK motorists. It acts as a financial safety net that protects you, your vehicle and others on the road in the event of an accident, theft or other unexpected incidents – but it can be tricky to gauge the best policy for you.
Here, Telegraph Money explains how car insurance works, the different types available and what factors can affect the cost of your premium.
How does car insurance work?
Types of car insurance
Multi-car insurance
How car insurance cost is calculated
Car insurance FAQs
How does car insurance work?
When you buy car insurance, you agree to pay a monthly or annual premium to an insurance provider. In return, your insurer helps cover certain costs if you're involved in an accident or if your car is stolen or vandalised.
Depending on the type of coverage you choose, car insurance can pay out for repairs, medical expenses, and even legal fees, helping you to avoid large out-of-pocket costs.
When calculating the price of your car insurance policy, insurers assess how likely you are to claim. They consider multiple risk factors, such as your age and driving experience, the area you live in, and the type of vehicle you drive – including the insurance group it falls into.
The only time you don't need to purchase car insurance is if you plan to keep your vehicle off the road, such as in a garage or on a private driveway. However, in this instance, you must officially declare it off the road with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).
Types of car insurance
There are three main types of car insurance to choose from:
Third-party only: This is the minimum legally required level of car insurance for UK motorists. It covers you for the costs of damage to another person's vehicle or property, plus injury to others if you're involved in an accident. But it doesn't cover you or your own car.
Third-party, fire and theft: This covers all of the above, but also covers repairs or replacement costs if your car is stolen or damaged by fire.
Fully comprehensive: This type of cover offers the highest level of protection. It covers all of the above as well as damage to your own vehicle. Some policies also include cover for your windscreen, personal possessions and medical costs. It's worth noting that even though this option offers the most cover, comprehensive insurance isn't necessarily the most expensive.
Car insurance excess
Every car insurance policy comes with an excess. This is the amount you must pay towards the cost of a car insurance claim, should you need to make one.
For example, if your excess is £400 and you make a claim for £1,400, you pay the first £400 and the insurer covers the remaining £1,000.
Tom Banks, car insurance expert at price comparison site GoCompare, said: 'There are two types of excess – compulsory and voluntary. Compulsory excess is set by the insurer and can't be changed, while voluntary excess is an amount that is chosen by the policyholder.
'Setting a higher voluntary excess can sometimes reduce the cost of your premium, but it's important to make sure you could afford to pay it if you ever need to make a claim.'
No-claims bonus
For each year you don't claim on your car insurance, you build up a no-claims bonus or no-claims discount.
Andrew Lee, of insurance firm Swinton Insurance, said: 'The more years of no-claims bonus you have, the lower the deemed risk in the eyes an insurer, which can consequently help reduce premiums.'
No-claims bonuses vary between insurers. You might get a discount of 30pc for your first claim-free year, and as much as 60pc off if you don't claim for five years or more.
Mr Lee said: 'Commonly, no-claim bonuses are limited at nine years. Your no-claims bonus is yours and can be carried over if you change insurance provider, but you will have to provide proof to your new insurer.'
If you need to claim on your car insurance at any point, even if the reason for doing so wasn't your fault, you will likely lose your no-claims bonus and will need to rebuild it from scratch. This means your policy will likely be more expensive when you next renew it.
The exception is if you have paid for no-claims bonus protection. This is an optional add-on and means you can claim one or two times a year without impacting your no-claims bonus. However, having no-claims bonus protection won't stop your premiums from rising if you make a claim.
Policy length
Most car insurance policies last for 12 months, after which you'll need to renew your policy to ensure your vehicle remains legally insured.
You can pay for your car insurance in one go each year, or spread the cost and pay for your cover each month. However, insurers usually charge interest if you pay monthly, making the total cost more expensive.
If you only need car insurance for a short period, there are other options available, including temporary car insurance.
Temporary car insurance
Temporary car insurance allows you to insure a car for just a few hours or days. It can usually be purchased quickly and provides coverage without affecting the original vehicle owner's no-claims bonus.
Jake Lambert, temporary car insurance expert at Tempcover, said: 'Temporary car insurance is short-term, fully comprehensive cover that gives you the freedom to drive when you need it – whether it's sharing the long drive on a planned road trip or borrowing a car in an unexpected emergency, for example.'
Coverage periods vary depending on the provider, but you can typically find cover ranging from one hour to 30 days.
Multi-car insurance
If your household or family owns more than one vehicle, you could consider taking out multi-car insurance to cover them all under one policy.
Insurers will typically give you a discount for each car you add, so it could work out cheaper than taking out separate policies for each vehicle – although you should run some comparisons first to check this is the case.
Multi-car insurance can work in two different ways:
Linked policies: Here, each car is insured separately with the same insurer, and each has different cover, benefits and add-ons. Start and end dates can differ too.
Single policies: The same level of cover is usually provided for each driver and each vehicle. Policies usually have the same renewal date.
How car insurance cost is calculated
When determining the cost of your car insurance policy, insurance providers consider a wide range of risk factors. These include:
Your age: Drivers under the age of 25 tend to pay more for car insurance due to their inexperience. As they get older and gain more experience, premiums start to fall, before rising again once they are over the age of 70.
Your driving record: Insurers consider how long you've been driving and whether you have a history of accidents, claims or points on your licence. Someone with driving convictions or past insurance claims will pay more for their policy than someone with no previous claims and a clean driving licence.
Your vehicle type: Every make and model of car in the UK falls into one of 50 car insurance groups, with those placed in a lower group considered to be less risky, resulting in lower premiums. Vehicles in higher groups tend to have more powerful engines and higher repair costs and typically cost more to insure.
Your location: Where you live can also impact the cost of car insurance. Providers look at factors such as the driving behaviour in your area, the crime rate and the average number of claims.
Your occupation: Insurers view some occupations as riskier than others, such as those that involve night-time driving or carrying expensive equipment in the vehicle. This can increase premiums.
Car insurance FAQs
How much does it cost to add a driver to car insurance?
Research from price comparison site Confused shows that adding one extra driver to your car insurance policy costs an average of £1,075. However, exact costs will depend on factors such as the driver's age, experience and driving record.
What can you claim on car insurance?
Exactly what you can claim depends on your car insurance policy type. With a comprehensive car insurance policy, you can typically claim for damage or losses related to an accident, theft, fire or vandalism. Some policies also cover claims arising from injuries to other people.
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