We all know that to be legally allowed to drive on UK roads, it’s absolutely essential to have some kind of appropriate car insurance. Your insurance may need to cover someone else’s repairs in the event of a collision, so you’re responsible for getting this arranged, otherwise you have no right to drive.
However, aside from the legal requirement to get an insurance policy on your vehicle, what else can you do to insure yourself and your car? Technically being covered by an insurance company isn’t everything. We are talking about having a back-up plan (or more than one), so you know that whatever happens, you’re prepared. Here are some ideas to consider…
Arrange a backup plan
If the worst comes to the worst and you have an accident or something happens to your car unexpectedly, you could suddenly find that you don’t have a vehicle. This is extremely inconvenient when you’re not expecting it, as you probably need to drive to work and other commitments. You might even be stranded somewhere after your vehicle is taken in for repairs.
In this case, you will be glad of any kind of backup plan. Make sure you have the details of a reputable taxi service to hand, and it needs to be somewhere based locally if you want a fast pickup. If you’re in Bath and the surrounding region, for example, you will want a Bath taxi company who can collect you at a moment’s notice. An alternative is to have a friend or family member on standby, which isn’t that easy for most people, or relying on public transport which really depends on where you live.
Research repair specialists
Finding the closest service centre for your exact make and model will definitely be a good insurance policy in itself. If you take the time to research when you don’t have an urgent problem to get fixed, you should be able to make a rational decision based on information and reviews you can find.
Most manufacturers will have testing processes to make sure that local garages match up to their required standards, use officially licensed parts when conducting repair work and so on. It’s essential to make sure you only use these reputable firms when you have to get your vehicle serviced or repaired after an accident. You will be glad you already did the shopping around, should you ever need them.
Put some money aside
Regardless of your actual insurance policy, payments can take time to come through and you might find yourself in a situation where emergency repairs or other costs need to be paid immediately when something goes wrong. In this case it would be extremely handy to have some spare cash to hand, so it’s a good idea to put some money aside for this reason every now and again. Like many things in life, an emergency fund may seems like a small inconvenience now, but if you ever need it you’ll be extremely glad you started it.
Check your actual insurance policy
Of course, as we said in the opening, it’s not optional to have proper car insurance. However, your chosen policy will vary compared to someone else’s depending on your provider and how much you choose to pay. Make sure you have a level of cover that you are comfortable with, and if necessary think about changing your policy. You might realise that it’s likely to be more cost effective to pay more as a monthly fee and save money on your excess in the event of a costly accident, or vice versa.