Are you hesitating between all-risk insurance and third-party insurance for your car?
Before making your choice, you should find out about these two car insurance options. Our experts take stock and help you choose the most suitable insurance for your situation.
What is comprehensive insurance?
To insure their car, drivers generally have the choice of three main car insurance formulas: third-party insurance, third-party plus insurance (or intermediate insurance) and all-risk insurance, which today is the most complete insurance formula.
As the name suggests, this insurance offers the most comprehensive coverage as it allows you to be covered for most of the risks that can occur in a car. You can also complete the coverage of an all-risk insurance with additional optional warranty.
The advantages of comprehensive insurance:
– The insurance covers the driver and his vehicle
– You are covered regardless of who is responsible for the claim (yourself, other driver, unidentified third party, etc.)
– You are protected against most claims and damages (property damage and all accidents, driver bodily injury coverage, broken glass, theft, fire and explosion, sales and storm coverage, criminal defense and recourse after an accident, natural disasters and technologies…)
What is Third Party Insurance?
Third party insurance or liability insurance is the minimum mandatory car insurance for motorists.
This is therefore the formula that drivers must take out if they do not want to choose another insurance.
It is mandatory for all car owners, whether the vehicle is used or not.
The third party insurance only covers personal injury/material damage that the car can be expected to cause to a third party (damage to a pedestrian, passenger or driver, damage to another driver’s vehicle, etc.).
This formula therefore does not cover the damage that you are the victim of if you are responsible for the accident, nor theft, the glass breakage guarantee and costs associated with damage caused by a fire or natural disasters (or technological disasters). ).
But with a third-party formula, some insurance companies offer, or on civil liability, 0 kilometer assistance and a driver protection guarantee.
The benefits of third party insurance
Third party insurance has the advantage of being the cheapest formula on the market. Additionally, even though it is the least comprehensive car insurance, sometimes, depending on the situation, it may be sufficient to meet your protection needs.
Third-party insurance/all-risk insurance: which formula should be preferred?
With its many guarantees, all-risk insurance may at first glance seem to be the best option for insuring your car. However, this can be a mistake: when it comes to car insurance, your choice must depend on several other criteria:
– The type of vehicle you own (new car or used car), but also its equipment, its condition and its value. In general, all-risk insurance is recommended especially for new cars, or cars with significant costs (such as vintage cars); for old cars (more than 10 years old) or of little value (less than 3000 euros), third party insurance can often be sufficient.
– Your driver profile (young driver, experienced driver, senior etc.). Insurers generally discourage young drivers from opting for all-risk insurance and steer them more towards enhanced third-party insurance formulas (with additional guarantees) – but again, it depends on the situation.
– The frequency of use of the car. If you drive your car very little, comprehensive insurance is not necessarily necessary.
– Your possible story (bonus/penalty).
In summary, the choice of your car insurance must first and foremost depend on your specific protection needs and the nature of the vehicle.
Always remember that too basic principle: the more expensive a vehicle is, the more it makes sense to opt for extended insurance such as all-risk insurance.