Driving without 24-hour car insurance is illegal, but sometimes you don’t need an annual policy. Perhaps you just want to borrow a car from a friend for a day or two and need some cover for that, rather than signing up for something long-term. They could put you on their policy, but they might be unwilling to if it would jeopardize their no-claims bonus.
This kind of situation is exactly what 24-hour and other short-term car insurance deals are designed for. These are just some of the groups of people who can benefit from using 24-hour car insurance:
People who need to move home or city and are using a friend’s vehicle to do so. Students often find themselves in this position and are unlikely to have their own vehicle or insurance.
Classic car owners who want to take their car to rallies or on days out. Often, it is not viable or worthwhile to insure classic cars which are kept in garages and only used rarely. But of course, not insuring prevents their owners from using them at all. Short-term insurance offers a flexible solution.
People who need to help out a friend or relative who would normally drive themselves, but cannot for some reason – perhaps because of injury or illness. With short-term insurance, anyone can offer practical help, such as getting shopping done.
Anyone renting a vehicle. While most hire companies will offer insurance along with hire, these can be an expensive way to get insured. It is usually best to shop around and get short-term insurance separately.
People who have just bought a new vehicle and haven’t had time to look at all the options for their longer-term insurance yet. Short-term insurance allows people in this situation to get their vehicle home legally.
How does 24-hour car insurance work?
It is usually possible to get instant cover, either online or on the phone. That makes 24-hour car insurance a viable option in emergency situations, as well as planned ones. As with longer-term insurance, you can choose your level of cover to suit your needs. Third-party, fire and theft insurance will only cover accidental damage to other vehicles, fire damage, and theft of the vehicle.
Generally, as you’re likely to be driving someone else’s vehicle when taking out 24-hour insurance, you’ll want to invest in fully comprehensive insurance, and many insurers only offer fully-comprehensive insurance as an option on their short-term policies. This typically includes any kind of deliberate or accidental damage, injury compensation, and loss or damage to property in the vehicle. 24-hour insurance is normally only offered to people aged 21-75.
Where can I get 24-hour insurance?
Many of the big high-street names offer short-term car insurance, both to new and existing customers. Among the policies available are:
Aviva Day insure
AA Temporary Car Insurance.
Endsleigh Short-Term Car Insurance
Citizens insurance Short-Term Car Insurance
Compare short term car insurance at DirectAutoInsurance.Org
All these policies are available for between 1-28 days.
1 Day Car Insurance
Car insurance is essential: no one can drive legally without it. If you’re a regular car driver, then you probably take out an annual policy. But what if you aren’t? It is normally possible for people with insurance to add someone else to their policy. However, if they don’t need to drive the car regularly, that won’t be worthwhile. It could also lead to the original policy-holder losing their no-claims bonus if an accident did happen. This is where 1-day car insurance comes in.
Why would I need 1-day car insurance? Many reasons, here are some of them:
If you are a classic car owner who keeps your vehicle off-road most of the year.
If you then want to take your car out (such as to a rally), you’ll need some insurance.
If you are moving house and want to borrow a friend’s van or another vehicle.
If you are renting a vehicle.
While most hire companies will offer insurance, it might not offer the coverage you want, or it may be cheaper to look elsewhere.
What does 1-day car insurance cover?
1-day car insurance is available at different levels of cover. However, many companies only offer fully-comprehensive 1 day insurance. This covers damage to the vehicle you’re driving and to others, injury to you and others, theft, and damage to property in the vehicle.
Benefits and disadvantages of 1-day car insurance
1-day car insurance is really useful for people who aren’t regular drivers but just need to get on the road occasionally. It allows people to be flexible about who they lend their car to, or who they borrow a car from. However, it can be expensive when compared to annual policies, so it is not a good solution for regular drivers.
