A cheap temporary car insurance or short term van insurance policy can provide insurance cover for yourself or a friend to drive another vehicle for up to 28 days, without affecting the no-claims bonus on your main vehicle. Whether you are borrowing a car for one day, lending your car to a relative for the weekend, or you need temporary insurance for an emergency, you’ll want to find the right temporary insurance cover to suit your needs.

Of course, if you are lending your vehicle to a friend or relative you could opt to add a named driver to your existing policy, but this could be expensive and you also run the risk of losing your no-claims bonus if a claim is made.

How much is temporary car insurance?

The amount you pay for your temporary insurance will depend on a number of different risk factors, many of which will be unique to your own circumstances. Insurers will calculate your premiums based on your overall risk of making a claim should they insure you. Common indicators of your risk to insurers include the following:

• Your claims history – If you have a history of previous claims then your premiums will certainly be higher than what they otherwise could be. If you do not have a history of previous claims then your insurer will likely award you with a no claims bonus.
• The car you drive – If you drive a sports or performance car, you can expect to pay more on your premiums than say a family car. This is due to factors such as your cars power, speed, size and safety features. The overall value of your car is also an important determinant in your premium calculaions as a more expensive car will cost more to repair and replace. 
• Your age – It may seem unfair but your age is a significant determinant of your insurance premiums. Young drivers under the age of 25 are statistically more likely to be involved in serious car crashes, and so insurers reflect this risk in their premiums. The younger you are the less experience you’ll have behind the wheel, this will also put you at a disadvantage against older, more experienced drivers. 
• Your add ons – Optional add ons that are popular with many temporary insurance holders include windscreen cover, breakdown cover and content cover. These add ons will give you a more thorough level of coverage whilst you drive in a temporary vehicle. Naturally however this extra coverage will impact your premiums.

This guide is not exhaustive of all the possible influences on your insurance premiums. Since each insurer will ultimately assign its own weighting to each risk factor as well as offering different prices for their policies. Due to this the best way of ensuring you are getting the right cover for your needs at a cheap price is to compare multiple lenders.

Do I need to be insured if I’m driving a car that isn’t mine?

Even if you are planning on using a vehicle for a short time frame and you are not the vehicles owner, you will still need to insure yourself to drive that vehicle. In the UK it is an offence to drive on the road uninsured, you will need to have a minimum of third party cover before you drive. Third party insurance will cover the damages you may cause to third party vehicles should you be involved in an at fault accident. This is to protect road users from being left in situations where they are unable to receive compensation in the event of not at fault accidents.

Temporary insurance is a great option for insuring yourself for a car you intend to drive for a short time. It provides you with the same coverage options as a standard insurance policy but at a shorter time frame. This means you won’t be paying for coverage longer than you have to.

What types of coverage are available for temporary insurance?

Third party only (TPO): This is the minimum level of car insurance required under UK law, and is essentially intended to protect other drivers when you take to the roads. To that end third party insurance covers the cost of damage to a third party’s vehicle if you’re involved in an accident and you were at fault, but it isn’t always the best car insurance policy (even if it is occasionally the more affordable car insurance option) because it will not cover the cost of repairing or replacing your own vehicle.

Third party, fire, and theft (TPFT): This is similar to third party insurance, but will also pay out if your own car is stolen or damaged by fire.

Comprehensive cover: As the name suggests, fully-comp is the most comprehensive level of cover a driver can take out in the UK, and as such it’s generally the best car insurance option. This type of policy includes everything that’s covered by TPFT, but will also cover the cost of repairing or replacing the vehicle of an at-fault driver. This type of insurance will also pay out if you’re involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, which isn’t covered by lower levels of cover.

Benefits for short-term vehicle insurance

There are situations where you may need to use a vehicle only temporarily, this can include time frames of a few hours to a month. If you are borrowing a friends car or using a vehicle that you do not intend to use beyond the short term, you’ll still need insurance regardless if it is your car or not. 

The benefits of short term vehicle insurance include the following:

• Don’t pay for longer than you need
• Option of immediate cover
• Insurance for another vehicle in an emergency
• Temporary van insurance for moving house
• Optional cover for misfuelling
• Does not jeopardise your no-claims discount
• Insurance for relatives coming to stay
• Allows you to teach a friend or relative to drive in your car
• Cover for unaccompanied vehicle demonstrations or courtesy cars

There are also additional add ons that can be included in your coverage which can increase the number of benefits in your policy. 

Who is eligible for temporary vehicle insurance?

• Any person with a current full UK driving licence held for a minimum of 6 months, European Union licence for a minimum of 12 months or a provisional driving licence
• Any person who has been resident in the UK for 12 months or more
• Drivers aged between 18 and 75

Whether you are looking for cheap temporary car insurance 18 year old or for other temporary cover for your vehicle, why not try Quotezone’s panel of providers through the above links.