What’s the best car insurance for families?

Guest post from Sainsbury's Money Matters Blog

The costs of running a car are increasing all the time. Petrol, road tax, repairs and car insurance all take their toll on the family budget.

While you can’t do without car insurance, you can make sure that your policy gives you your money’s worth. Shopping for car insurance can be a daunting experience. So what should you look out for?

Comprehensive cover

The minimum legal requirement in the UK is third party only insurance. It can be tempting to opt for the cheapest car insurance policy available, but you could live to regret it if you ever need to make a claim.

Look for a good comprehensive policy to make sure you’ve got all the cover you need.

Standard comprehensive car insurance should:

Provide a courtesy car

Could your family cope without a car if your own one was damaged in an accident? A courtesy car is a must for many families.

Pay your hotel expenses

If you have an accident away from home, you’ll need a place to stay. Will your insurance cover your hotel expenses?

Replace your child car seat

Following an accident, you should always replace child car seats, even if there is no apparent sign of damage. Check if your insurance provider will cover this.

Replace stolen items

A good standard policy will provide some cover for personal items stolen from your car. However, it won’t cover expensive items like laptops so try to avoid keeping valuables in the car, or lock them in the boot if you must have them with you.

Repair your windscreen

If your windscreen is damaged, a standard policy will pay for a replacement or repair.

Cover you when you are driving in Europe


Thinking of taking your car abroad this summer? Some policies offer a number of free days of the same level of cover as you have in the UK.

Extra benefits

If you pay a little extra for your car insurance, you’ll have a little extra peace of mind.

Many insurers offer premium policies. They’re worth considering if you think you could do with the following extra cover:

Guaranteed courtesy car


Even if your car is a total loss, having full protection means you should have the use of a courtesy car of a similar size and class as your own. This means that if you rely on your people carrier for everyday life, you’ll get a courtesy car that is big enough for your needs.

Keys

If your keys are stolen you should expect your insurer to pay for their replacement.

Protection against uninsured drivers


If you are involved in an accident caused by an uninsured driver and have to make a claim, your insurer should cover you without charging you any excess or it affecting your No Claims Discount.

More cover

Paying a bit more for your car insurance should also give you extra personal accident and personal belongings cover, an increase in the allowance for hotel expenses following an accident and longer allowances for driving in Europe.

Whatever policy you go for, make sure it gives you all the cover you and your family need so you won’t be left high and dry if you need to make a claim.


BNM on behalf of Sainsbury's Money Matters Blog