Van Insurance.

Van insurance will typically be available at different levels of cover, not all insurers offer third party only van insurance.

There are three options for van insurance offered by all motor insurance providers:

This is the minimum legal level of cover and offers protection for the other vehicle or a third party’s property which you have damaged in an accident.  

It does not offer protection in case of fire or theft for your vehicle or for any damage to your vehicle in the event of an accident.

Third Party Fire and Theft offers protection for damage caused to another vehicle or a third party’s property in the event of an accident.  It covers your van for damage caused by fire and for theft or damage caused by attempted theft.  

This type of cover may include some extra cover as standard eg. windscreen cover, breakdown assist.  

There is a huge variety between insurers as to what additional cover can be included in a third party, fire, and theft van policy.

Third Party, fire and theft van insurance may suit you if your van is old or has a lower value, or you are particularly looking for more affordable cover.  

However, if you have purchased your van with finance or you rely on your van to carry out your business, then comprehensive van insurance offers a higher level of protection.

Comprehensive van insurance or fully comprehensive van insurance, as the name suggests, offers the highest levels of protection.  

It typically covers another vehicle and third party property damage, as well as damage to your vehicle and can include additional extras as standard.

It is really worth shopping around and looking for prices for comprehensive van insurance as the premiums are not always more expensive and it offers much higher levels of protection.

Van insurance covers you, and your van if you choose comprehensive cover if you are found to be at fault in an accident while driving your van.  

Van insurance offers financial protection if you are responsible for injury to another driver or person, and for the damage caused to their vehicle.

Medical expenses cover for injured parties in an accident may be included in your van insurance policy.

Van insurance also offers financial protection if you are responsible for damage to another person’s property eg. you drive into a wall or building.

Van insurance may include cover for a trailer, although this is usually only offered as third party cover, even on fully comprehensive policies.  The level of cover available for a trailer varies from policy to policy.

Windscreen cover, which will pay for your windscreen to be replaced or repaired should it be chipped, cracked or broken, is usually included as standard on comprehensive policies and sometimes on third party fire and theft policies.

Breakdown assistance will keep your van on the road should your van have a mechanical fault or a breakdown.  

Breakdown assistance is not always standard and there can also be limits on the number of callouts you can avail of.

Courtesy or replacement vans may be offered as part of your van insurance, depending on your policy. Van insurance may offer financial protection towards the cost of hiring a replacement van following an accident.

Fire brigade charges are usually covered as standard on third party fire and theft and comprehensive policies. Key cover for lost or stolen keys and lock replacement may be covered on some van insurance policies.

Step back no claims bonus protection and full no claims bonus protection are included in some van insurance policies.  This means that if you have to claim in the event of an accident, you will not lose all of your no claims bonus.  

This protection may only be offered to more experienced drivers.  The details of step back and protected no claims bonus options vary between insurers so it is wise to check exactly what is included in your policy.

Open drive allows your van to be driven by other, fully licensed drivers with your permission.  

It can be a useful option if you want the flexibility of allowing other drivers to drive your van. 

Bear in mind that open drive drivers are not always offered fully comprehensive cover though.

Legal expenses cover will offer financial protection for legal expenses incurred if you have an accident while driving your van.  It is usually only offered as an additional option on comprehensive policies.

Personal belongings kept in your van may be covered on some van insurance policies but this is not always offered.  Cover for tools stored in your van is almost never included in van insurance policies and this type of cover will need to be arranged separately from your van insurance.

Personal accident cover is financial protection should you be injured in an accident in your van.  

This is available as an optional extra on most policies but is standard in some van policies.

International driving in the UK or EU is included in some van policies, but the cover varies between policies so it is important to check what your policy covers if this is applicable to you.

New van replacement cover will replace a new van that is damaged in an accident with a new model (usually applies to vans under 12 months old).

The cost of van insurance is determined by these factors:

Van Insurance is a legal requirement to drive your van on a public road in Ireland.  

If you use your van to carry out your trade or business or for farming, you need commercial van insurance to protect you if you are at fault in an accident while driving your van.

Some examples of people who may need commercial van insurance include:

Your van is essential to your business and your livelihood and you need to keep it on the road to keep things ticking over.

Take our online quiz and get the best van insurance for your business today.  

We compare prices from different insurers to get you the best van insurance at the best price!