Is your lifestyle covered?

Could you manage without your car if it were damaged in an accident? How would you get to work or cope with the school run? So many of us are entirely dependent on our cars for our daily transport needs - they're not merely a luxury or a convenience, but a necessity.

Going public

Having your car off the road is a chance to get re-acquainted with public transport. Are you lucky enough to have a convenient - and affordable - local infrastructure? Do you live near a station or a major bus route? Or will you be stranded in the middle of nowhere? There may be benefits, of course; perhaps you will discover some small, independent shops in your neighbourhood rather than driving to an out-of-town supermarket, or dust off that rusty bike which has been neglected in the garage and get fit again. Maybe you can happily get around on foot or by public transport during the week and would be happy to hire a car for going away at the weekend. However, many of us will find that we're lost without our cars and are itching to get back behind the wheel. With this in mind, you might want to consider whether your car insurance policy includes the loan of a courtesy car while yours is being assessed or repaired or if it has been written-off.

Lifestyle needs

You should also take into account whether your car insurance policy will give you a suitable replacement vehicle similar to your own - it's not much use having a tiny hatchback if you need to carry three lanky teenagers and a huge dog, or tow a trailer, for example. It's advisable to read the small print of an insurance policy to check the levels of cover when you get a car insurance quote. The cheapest car insurance policies may not include recompense towards replacement of personal items or child car seats for example. They may also not offer other benefits, such as the chance for named drivers to earn their own no-claims bonuses.

Covering costs

You may know the difference between third-party cover and fully-comprehensive, but you need to know what else you're covered for with your car insurance policy. Do you have legal costs cover, for example, which would pay the expenses involved in making a claim for any further uninsured losses? An increasing number of car insurance policies now offer cover if you're involved in an accident with an uninsured driver - something which continues to be a problem. However, don't assume that this protection for this comes as standard. Look at all the benefits of an insurance policy. Ultimately, the cheapest car insurance policy may not be the best value for money, if you are unfortunate enough to need it.

Issued by Sainsbury's Finance

Sainsbury's Finance is a trading name of Sainsbury's Bank plc. All information correct at time of publication, but may be subject to change. Any views or opinions expressed in this article are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of any part of the Sainsbury's Group of companies.

Sainsbury's Finance is a financial services provider engaged in savings accounts, credit cards, and personal loans. It also supplies insurance services in car insurance, home insurance, life insurance, pet insurance and travel insurance as well as being a provider of travel money services.