Car Insurance Options

Introduction

Buying a car essentially boils down to buying new, from a franchised dealer, or used, maybe from the very same dealer, or from a used car dealer, privately, or at a used car auction. New cars obviously offer the benefits of the latest fuel and safety technologies, amongst others, but - assuming, of course, that you are able to afford to buy a new car, outright, or raise funds to finance the purchase, in the first place - do depreciate very rapidly indeed. Ideally, if you are considering buying a new car, you should aim to keep it for at least 3 years. Used cars, on the other hand, open an entire "can of worms", with regard to "clocking" - the winding back of the odometer of a high mileage car, to falsify its mileage, and therefore its apparent resale value - and other illegal practices. Many reputable used car dealers do exist, however, and word of mouth is as good a recommendation as any when it comes to finding one. If you are in any doubt about a used car, you can check its current mileage against those on recent MOT certificates - 10,000 miles per annum is typical for most cars - and its MOT status, and history, online, or by telephone.

Car Insurance Policies & Providers

Car insurance is a "necessary evil" for drivers of both sexes, and all ages - the Road Traffic Act 1988, amended 1991, makes it a criminal offence to drive, or allow someone else to drive, your car without adequate insurance provision - but the insurance premiums payable can vary widely, depending on your age, sex and driving experience.

Statistically, newly qualified, young drivers are more likely to be involved in road accidents, and to claim for theft, or vandalism, and are therefore penalised by car insurance providers in the premiums that they pay. Similar comments are true, albeit to a slightly lesser degree, for newly qualified drivers of any age. The total car insurance premium that you pay is based on your age and experience, but also on the type of car that you choose to drive, the excess that you choose to pay and the method that you choose to pay the premium by. Choosing a car in one of the lower, rather than higher, insurance groups, volunteering a higher excess than the £100, or so, standard, and paying the premium outright rather than by monthly instalments - which incur interest, at anywhere between 15% and 30% APR - can reduce your premium to a minimum. Bear in mind, however, that premiums for inexperienced drivers are always likely to be "cheaper", rather than "cheap", per se.

Fortunately, for the ladies, the female of the species is safer than the male, at least as far as driving is concerned, and this means cheaper car insurance policies for women drivers, in general, and a number of policies targeted specifically towards women. The widely advertised, Sheilas` Wheels, for example, offers a car insurance policy that includes £300 handbag cover, and a counselling service, in the event of trauma caused by a road accident.