What Are Add-On Covers in Car Insurance | Car Insurance Guide

Add-On Covers in Car Insurance: Enhancing Your Policy for Comprehensive Protection

Car insurance is more than a legal requirement; it’s a safeguard for your vehicle and financial well-being. Standard policies cover the basics, but for comprehensive protection, add-on covers are indispensable. These optional features, tailored to individual needs, fill the gaps in standard policies, offering peace of mind and enhanced coverage. This guide explores the value and types of add-on covers, ensuring your car insurance meets your specific needs.

Key Types of Add-On Covers: Customised Protection for Every Driver

1. 1. Personal Accident Cover: Financial security in case of accidental injuries or death, offering a safety net during distressing times.
2. 2. No Claims Bonus (NCB) Protection: Safeguards your bonus, ensuring premium discounts continue even after a claim.
3. 3. Roadside Assistance: Essential support during breakdowns, providing services like towing and minor repairs.
4. 4. Windscreen Protection: Covers the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged windscreen, maintaining clear visibility.
5. 5. Key Replacement: Addresses the cost and hassle of lost car keys, including key fobs.
6. 6. Home Start Assistance: Assistance right at your doorstep, eliminating the need for towing when your car won’t start at home.
7. 7. Driving Other Cars (DOC): Extends coverage to vehicles you don’t own, essential when borrowing or driving another car.
8. 8. Business Cover: Essential for using your vehicle for work-related purposes, covering risks not included in standard policies.

Choosing the Right Add-On Covers: Balancing Cost and Coverage

It’s vital to assess your needs and driving habits before opting for add-on covers. While they offer enhanced protection, they also add to the cost of your policy. Finding the right balance between the benefits and the additional premium is crucial for optimal coverage.

So let’s look at each car insurance add-on in a bit more detail:

Personal Accident Cover

• Purpose: Offers financial protection in case of serious injury or death resulting from car accidents.
• Benefits: Provides a lump sum payout or continuous financial support, crucial for covering medical expenses or compensating for loss of income due to injuries.
• Ideal For: Drivers seeking extra security for themselves and their families against unforeseen accidents.

No Claims Bonus (NCB) Protection

• Purpose: Protects your no claims discount, a reward for not making insurance claims.
• Benefits: Ensures your insurance premium doesn’t increase due to a single claim, preserving discounts earned over years of safe driving.
• Ideal For: Safe drivers who have accumulated significant no claims bonuses over time.

Roadside Assistance

• Purpose: Provides assistance in case of vehicle breakdowns.
• Benefits: Includes services like emergency towing, battery jump-starts, flat tire changes, and emergency fuel delivery.
• Ideal For: All drivers, especially those who frequently travel or commute long distances.

Enhancing Coverage and Protection

Comprehensive Coverage

• Purpose: Extends beyond basic third-party coverage to include damages to your own vehicle.
• Benefits: Covers a wide range of incidents, including accidents, theft, vandalism, and natural disasters.
• Ideal For: Drivers seeking full protection for their vehicle against a variety of risks.

Third party fire and theft

• Purpose: It covers if your car is stolen or damaged by fire. It will cover the cost of the other person’s vehicle if you are at fault for an accident but it will not cover the cost of any damages that a person inflicts on their own car.
• Benefits: Offers peace of mind in high-risk areas or for high-value vehicles, covering repair or replacement costs.
• Ideal For: Vehicle owners concerned about theft or fire risks, particularly in urban or high-crime areas.

Windscreen Protection

• Purpose: Covers the cost of repairing or replacing the car’s windscreen.
• Benefits: Avoids out-of-pocket expenses for windscreen damage, which is common and often expensive to fix.
• Ideal For: Drivers who frequently travel on motorways or in areas prone to road debris.

Addressing Specific Needs

Key Replacement

• Purpose: Covers the costs associated with losing car keys or key fobs.
• Benefits: Includes expenses for cutting new keys, reprogramming key fobs, and even locksmith services.
• Ideal For: Anyone prone to misplacing keys or in need of high-tech key replacement.

Home Start Assistance

• Purpose: Provides immediate assistance if your car won’t start at home.
• Benefits: Saves the cost and inconvenience of towing and includes services like battery jump-starts and minor mechanical fixes.
• Ideal For: Drivers looking for added convenience and peace of mind at their residence

Flexibility and Convenience

Driving Other Cars (DOC)

• Purpose: Extends your insurance coverage to other cars you might drive.
• Benefits: Useful when borrowing a car, it covers liability for damages while driving vehicles not listed on your primary policy.
• Ideal For: Need to borrow or drive another car? DOC add-on can be extended onto your coverage to include vehicles that you don’t own, offering protection when you’re behind the wheel of a borrowed vehicle. This level of coverage can vary depending on your insurer. 

Business Cover

• Purpose: Tailors your insurance for using your car in a professional capacity.
• Benefits: Covers risks associated with business travel that aren’t included in personal car insurance policies.
• Ideal For: Professionals who use their personal vehicle for business purposes, like visiting clients or carrying work equipment.

Choosing the Right Add-On Covers

Add-on covers in car insurance provide customiable options to match your unique driving habits and requirements. They not only address potential gaps in standard coverage but also offer tailored protection for every twist and turn on the road. With these additions, your car insurance transforms from a basic requirement to a comprehensive safety net, uniquely suited to your personal circumstances.

If you are currently shopping for car insurance or looking to renew your car insurance then visit acorninsurance.ie/car-insurance. We will compare car insurance policies for you and find you the best price! 

Get a quick quote or contact us by giving us a call at 0818 800222 or request a callback.

To avoid not knowing what to do in the case of a car crash you should read our blog “What to do if you’re in a car accident”.

If you are looking to get car insurance or to renew your car insurance then visit acorninsurance.ie/car-insurance. We will compare car insurance policies for you and find you the best price! Get a quick quote or contact us by giving us a call at 0818 800222 or request a callback.