Short Term Car Insurance Policies

In the U.S. short term car insurance policies work very much like a regular 6 month policy. Features and options will vary depending on which company you go through. There are really no online resources for describing the different options available. Basically, you must call an insurance representative and have them go over the different options with you according to your particular driving policy, car, and coverage needs.

In the UK things are slightly different. It is easier to get a short term car insurance policy. There are several companies that focus solely on these types of policies, making it easy to do everything right online. You can start with getting a quote and finish by printing out your insurance cards.

In general, the coverage and length of time offered by these temporary car insurance policies is pretty similar across companies. The differences you need to look for are obviously price and reputation. Even if the policy is cheaper if the company has a miserable reputation for customer service, you probably want to avoid them – unless of course you’re absolutely sure you won’t need to make a claim… but then what is the point of buying the policy in the first place?

Typically, the policy if offered from 1 day up to 28 days. It is not generally renewable. One of their websites states that they offer one temp car insurance policy for 1 to 28 days per car per 12 month period. This seems to be true across the board. They suggest that if you need coverage for longer than that you look into a traditional policy.

The coverage offered is typically comprehensive. Which includes:
loss or damage to the car in the event of an accident, fire, theft or vandalism, new car replacement, accident recovery and company approved repair service, and legal liability cover. These statements are of course completely vagues. Always be sure to read the fine print. For example, company approved repairs may be a red flag, or the company may be just covering themselves.

As is typical with regular insurance policies, the short term policies provide the minimum legal insurance for travel throughout mainland Europe. However, for a surcharge you can upgrade that coverage to comprehensive. The surcharge is usually in the ball park of an additional 20 percent of the bill.

Short term car insurance can be a fabulous way to cover a temporary car, a temporary driver, or even a permanent car that is in storage. There are several quick and easy options for obtaining these types of insurance policies, just educate yourself as much as possible before purchasing one.