Car insurance will offer you protection should you be at fault in an accident while driving.
Car insurance is legally required to be on the road. That is why Compare insurance will get you the best policy on the market for you.
Speak with us today about motor insure and get a FREE Quote.
Table of Content
What is car insurance?
Car insurance is designed to offer financial protection if you have an accident while driving. It will cover the damage or injury to the other vehicle or its driver, and can cover fire, theft, and damage to your own car, as well as optional extras.
Types of Car Insurance
The 3 most commonly policies when it comes to car insurance are:
Third Party Car Insurance
This is the legal minimum level of cover to drive in Ireland. It will compensate the other driver in the event of an accident, but will not cover you or your car.
Third Party, Fire, and Theft Car Insurance
This covers the other driver, as well as your vehicle in the event of fire or theft of your vehicle. It may come with optional extra cover eg. windscreen cover, breakdown assistance etc.
Comprehensive Car Insurance
Comprehensive cover will offer protection to the other car and driver as well as for your car, in the event that you are at fault in a car accident, also covering fire or theft of your car. It can usually be purchased with optional extra cover eg. breakdown assistance, windscreen cover etc.
What does car insurance cover?
All car insurers offer third party, fire and theft cover, as well as comprehensive cover, some also offer third party only cover. All insurers offer a variety of additional types of cover, with some as standard and some optional, depending on the level of cover you choose.
No Claims Discount Protection
Stepback and full no claims discount protection mean offer additional cover for your no claims discount. Both mean that you can make a limited number of claims and keep part of or all of your no claims discount.
Fire Brigade Charges
Most insurers will cover fire brigade charges, as standard, on all types of cover , except third party only policies.
Accidental Damage Cover
Accidental damage cover, covers your own car for accidental damage and would only be included in comprehensive policies.
Breakdown Assistance
Breakdown assistance is assistance at the roadside, and sometimes at your home, in the event of your car not starting or breaking down. The level of cover offered varies with some policies covering a small number of roadside callouts per year with other policies offering unlimited callouts at the roadside and at your home.
Windscreen Cover
Windscreen cover means that cracks and chips in your windscreen can be fixed under your car insurance policy, usually without affecting your no claims discount. AA offers unlimited windscreen cover.
Personal Accident Cover
Personal accident cover with your car insurance policy covers you for personal injury in an accident. Some policies also offer medical expenses cover in the event of an accident. AIG offers cover for medical advice and rehabilitation should you be injured in an accident.
Overseas Cover
Some insurers offer you cover (in your own car) in the UK or EU for a limited number of days as standard.
Allianz offers cover in the EU for 60 days (with breakdown assistance available in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the UK).
Lock Replacement Cover
Lock replacement and/ or key replacement offers cover for damage to locks and keys or some policies cover for the loss of car keys.
Electric Charging Cable Cover
Electric charging cables can be covered for damage or theft, should you have an electric vehicle.
AXA offers specific electric car insurance with cover for the car battery, charging cable, and electric wall charger.
Misfuelling Cover
Some insurers offer cover for misfuelling eg. putting diesel in a petrol car which can be costly to remedy. AXA offers this cover on their comprehensive policies.
Driving Other Cars Extension
Driving other cars can be covered, usually as an optional extra. It is important to be aware that this cover is often only offered on a third party basis, even with fully comprehensive policies. Zurich offers fully comprehensive cover to drive other cars as standard with their Comprehensive + policy.
Contents Insurance
Personal belongings can be covered under your car insurance. AA offer €750 cover for theft of personal belongings eg. mobile from your car. AXA offers cover for child car seats in your car.
Uninsured Driver Cover
If you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, FBD offers uninsured driver protection as standard. This means that if the uninsured vehicle is responsible for the accident, they will cover the damage to your car without affecting your no claims discount.
Some insurers offer a courtesy car or a hire car for your use if your car is being repaired after an accident or has been stolen.
Legal expenses cover in the event of an accident is an optional addition to some policies, Zurich offers full cover for legal expenses as an additional option on their comprehensive policies.
Do I need car insurance?
Car insurance is a legal requirement to drive in Ireland and it is an offence to drive without it.
You may incur penalty points on your licence, be fined, disqualified from driving, or even imprisoned for driving without insurance.
Who offers car insurance in Ireland?
When choosing a car insurance provider in Ireland, you should consider the following providers:
How much is car insurance in Ireland?
| Insurer | Driver 1* | Driver 2* | Driver 3* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allianz | 3rd party, fire & theft – €322.23 per year – €250 excess, step back no claims bonus protection
Comprehensive – €328.60 per year – €250 excess, breakdown assist, windscreen cover, step back no claims discount |
– | – |
| Aviva | 3rd party, fire & theft – €389.17 per year – €300 excess, breakdown assistance, courtesy car, step back no claims bonus protection | – | – |
| AXA | Comprehensive – €766.91 per year, €250 excess, breakdown assist, windscreen cover, courtesy car, full no claims discount protection | 3rd party, fire & theft – €692.81 per year, €250 excess, windscreen cover, courtesy care, step back no claims discount protection | – |
| RSA | – | 3rd party, fire & theft – €583.40 per year, €300 excess, breakdown assistance, windscreen cover, step back no claims protection | Comprehensive – €2965.18 per year, €300 excess, breakdown assistance, windscreen cover, courtesy car, step back no claims discount protection |
| Zurich Motorstar | – | Comprehensive – €914.80 per year, €250 excess, breakdown assist, windscreen cover, courtesy car, full no claims bonus protection | – |
| Liberty | – | Comprehensive – €847.61 per year, €250 excess, breakdown assistance, windscreen cover, courtesy car, full no claims discount protection | 3rd party, fire & theft – €1,063.83 per year, €300 excess, breakdown assistance, step back no claims bonus protection |
| Boxymo | – | – | Comprehensive telematics policy: €786.36 with €300 excess, with roadside assistance. €737.30 with €750 excess, with roadside assistance. |
| KennCo | – | – | Comprehensive – €970.73 per year, €500 excess, breakdown assistance, windscreen cover, courtesy car, step back no claims bonus protection |
| Ivernis | – | – | 3rd party, fire & theft – €774.30 per year, €250 excess |
*Driver 1 – Driver age 45, full Irish licence, 10 years + no claims bonus in own name, no penalty points, no claims, driving 12 year old Polo (worth €5,000).
*Driver 2 – Driver age 45, full Irish licence, 10 years + no claims bonus in own name, no penalty points, no claims, driving 2 year old Golf (worth €33,000).
*Driver 2 – Driver age 22, full Irish licence, 4 years driving experience, no penalty points, no claims, driving 12 year old Polo (worth €5,000).
How to reduce the cost of car insurance?
There are a number of ways you can reduce your car insurance premium. Consider the following methods to save on your car insurance.
Shop Around
Insurers prices can vary a lot and their no claims discounts also vary, depending on your driving history.
Buy Online
Most insurers offer discounts online that are unavailable elsewhere.
Multiple Policies from the Same Insurer
Most insurers offer a discount if you buy more than one motor insurance policy from them or if you buy eg. home insurance and car insurance from them.
Be careful that both insurance policies offer the best cover for your circumstances though, it is a false economy to buy products that are not what you need.
Don’t Overinsure
You may not need a policy with loads of bells and whistles if the premiums are very high. Make sure everything you are insured for is something you are at risk from.
Reduce your Level of Cover
Third party and third party fire and theft policies will usually be cheaper and may be worth considering if you have an older car that does not have a high value.
Be wary of this if you are paying for your car with a loan, though, as you will still have to repay your loan, even if your car is no longer in use.
Likewise, if you have a new car that is still under warranty, you may not get as much use from your breakdown assistance so you may opt to forgo this.
Buy a Smaller Car
Generally, the size of the engine as well as the value of your car will affect your premium.
Reduce Mileage
Most insurance quotes depend on your annual mileage. Be honest though, as you may invalidate your policy if you mislead your insurer.
Drive Safely
You will pay less for your car insurance if you are claims free, have a good driving history, and do not have penalty points.
Increase Excess
Most insurers will allow you to take on a higher voluntary excess for a cheaper premium.
XS Direct (available through brokers) offers insurance with a high excess initially which is then reduced annually as you drive claims free.
This may be an option if you have previous claims on your policy.
Pay Annually
Some insurers charge more when you pay monthly for cover.
No Claims Bonus
Your no claims bonus or discount is a discount your insurer will give you on your premium if you do not make a claim on your car insurance. You can transfer your no claims discount if you move insurers.
Some insurance policies will offer step back no claims discount protection, or full no claims discount protection which means that you will not lose your no claims discount completely if you make a specified number of claims. This protection is usually offered as an optional extra with your car insurance policy.
What is a black box?
Black box or telematics car insurance is usually offered to new or younger drivers. A black box device installed in your car or smart phone app monitors your driving and feeds back information to your insurer regarding your driving habits and, sometimes, mileage.
This information is then used to calculate your next premium. It used by the following car insurance providers:
Who pays in the event of a crash?
If you are found to be at fault in the event of an accident you will be liable for the damage done to both vehicles, and any injury to the other driver or any passengers.
If you have an excess, you will have to pay this amount out of pocket before your insurer will pay for any damage.
Your insurer will then pay for any insured financial loss or injury that is a result of the accident.
Buying Car Insurance
When buying your car insurance you will need to provide the following information:
Car Insurance FAQs
Get a car insurance quote today.
Take our online assessment and we will match you to the best Qualified Financial Advisor for you. They will find you the best possible quote for your car insurance needs
