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151% of consumers could save up to £253.08 on their annual car insurance premiums. Consumer Intelligence, July 2021. UK only.
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Third party car insurance
Save up to £2531 on third-party car insurance
- Find affordable cover for your car
- See prices from a range of insurers
- It’s fast, free and easy!
Compare cheap car insurance from over 110 providers
We do the hard work for you, comparing deals from the biggest providers in the UK so you can get the right cover - and save up to £2531 on your premiums.
151% of consumers could save up to £253.08 on their annual car insurance premiums. Consumer Intelligence, July 2021. UK only.
2Geographic restrictions apply – England, Scotland & Wales only. Participating garages only. T&Cs apply.
What is third-party car insurance?
Third-party car insurance, sometimes known as third-party only, is the minimum level of cover you need to drive on UK roads. It offers the most basic level of protection, covering injuries or damage you cause to another person, their vehicle or their property.
Third-party policies won’t however provide any cover for you or your car, which means you’ll have to pay for any damage yourself.
What is covered by third-party car insurance?
The specific level of cover you’ll get is likely to depend on your provider, however third-party car insurance policies generally offer similar protection.
What is covered?
- Injury to a third party - including passengers in your car
- Damage to a vehicle belonging to a third-party
- Damage to a property belonging to a third-party
What isn't usually covered?
- Damage to your own vehicle if you were responsible for an accident
- Damage to your own vehicle caused by theft, fire or an explosion
- Pay outs for medical costs or rehabilitation if you are injured
What's the difference between third-party and fully comprehensive car insurance?
While a third-party car insurance policy only offers the minimum level of cover, a fully comprehensive policy is the opposite – it providers the most protection of all options you’ll have. This means it includes everything under third-party insurance, as well as all the cover you’d get in a third-party, fire and theft policy – and cover for anything else you might need too.
The extras are more likely to be included as standard in fully comprehensive policies – such as wrong fuel or lost keys cover – but not always, so you might need to pay extra for certain levels of protection.
Why get third-party car insurance?
Third-party car insurance might offer the least cover out of all available options, but it still might be useful in certain situations.
-
Low value car
It might not be worth insuring your own vehicle against damage as the cost of repairing is probably more than the car is actually worth
-
You can afford repairs
Similarly, if you can afford to pay for repairs yourself then you might only need to worry about insuring against damage to third parties
-
You're likely to claim
If you’re more likely to claim for damage you cause, the cost of each individual claim might work out cheaper as the risk costs are built into the higher premiums
How much is third-party car insurance?
Third-party car insurance is usually the most expensive type of car insurance policy available – however like all other policies it does get cheaper as you get older. Remember car insurance premiums are based on a range of factors, including your driving history; the insurance group, make and model of your car; where you live and even what job you have.
Age |
Average premiums for third-party cover* |
|---|---|
17 to 19 |
£3,170 |
20 to 24 |
£2,062 |
25 to 29 |
£1,513 |
30 to 39 |
£1,205 |
40 to 49 |
£868 |
50 to 64 |
£603 |
65 or Above |
£427 |
*MoneySuperMarket data, collected between January and June 2021.
Why is third-party car insurance so expensive?
Third-party car insurance, though it offers the least coverage of all your options, is usually also the most expensive type of policy. This may seem counter intuitive, but it did actually used to be the other way around.
For some time, third-party cover was the cheapest option – as such, it was frequently taken out by high risk drivers looking to lower their premiums. This meant that more and more claims were made on third-party policies.
Insurers noticed that third-party policy holders were statistically more likely to make a claim, so raised the premiums for this type of cover.
What do you need to get a quote?
-
Details of the car
If you own your home outright, or are currently paying off a mortgage. You’ll be responsible for both the physical structure of your home and any belongings you have on the property
-
What you'll use the car for
If you’re a private tenant in a rental property. You’ll only be responsible for your own belongings – you won’t need to take out buildings insurance as that will be up to your landlord
-
Your details and your licence
If you own a property and you’re renting it out. You’ll be legally responsible for the property’s condition, but will only need to cover the building and contents you provide
-
No claims discount history
If you’re living in student accommodation, usually with other students. You might be covered by a parent or guardian’s home insurance policy, but this isn’t always the case
Our expert says
"You might not expect third-party to be the best type of cover for you, but there are certain times it can be more beneficial. This is why it’s so important to compare car insurance quotes – you never know when you could find a better deal."
- Praksha Patel-Shah, head of car insurance
Why compare car insurance quotes with MoneySuperMarket?
Our mission is to make it effortless to find cheap car insurance quotes, so you can get on with enjoying the open road.
See your savings
We’ll do the legwork to find the cheapest car insurance that offers the cover you need – you could save up to £2351
Never miss a renewal
With Car Monitor, we can remind you when your MOT and tax are due, so you never miss a renewal date
Compare other car insurance products
You might want to consider other types of car insurance – MoneySuperMarket offer comparisons for a range of policies, including:
Third-party, fire and theft
The next step up from third-party cover, this adds protection for your car if it’s stolen or damaged by fire
Fully comprehensive cover
The most complete level of cover available, this includes a range of extra protection for your vehicle
Temporary car insurance
Temporary car insurance is useful if you aren’t using your vehicle every day, or for just a short part of the year
Telematics car insurance
Telematics cover is designed to help young and high risk drivers earn lower car insurance premiums by driving well
Does third-party insurance cover car theft?
What is third-party, fire and theft car insurance?
Can you get added extras with third-party insurance?
What happens if you're involved in an accident and only have third-party cover?
Third-party car insurance won’t cover you if your car is stolen or broken in to – you’ll need at least third-party, fire and theft cover for this.
Third-party, fire and theft is the next policy up from third-party only. It adds cover for your own vehicle if it’s stolen, broken into or damaged as a result of a fire or explosion.
You may be able to add some extras to your third-party policy, but it will likely increase the cost. Buying a fully comprehensive policy will probably work out cheaper, and you may get some extras included as standard.
If you’re involved in an accident, third-party cover will offer a pay out for the cost of injuries sustained by the third-party, and any damage done to their vehicle or property. However, you’ll be left to tend to your own vehicle’s repairs yourself, and you won’t be able to claim for things like compensation, legal fees or physiotherapy costs.
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