Optional Extras: Hire Car

Compare car insurance and you’ll find that some companies' Fully Comprehensive cover includes the use of a hire car or courtesy car in the event of yours being off the road following an accident.

Typically, the hire car might be available to you for a set period of, say, 14 days, and it could be that the offer is subject to an approved repairer being used and their courtesy car being available. If your policy provides for a guaranteed replacement car, this will be available for a given period.

So when your car is in the garage for repair (other than for windscreen damage), you’re not stuck for transport. The same applies if your car is too badly damaged and written off by your car insurance company or stolen and not recovered.

If your car has been damaged beyond repair, having use of a hire car at least makes it easier to look around for another. The use of a hire car is a benefit that really does minimise the inevitable disruption of an accident. It means that you carry on with your life as normal - get to work, do the school runs and the shopping or socialise as you ordinarily would. In fact, all things considered, the provision of a hire car is a great benefit.

When you compare car insurance prices, Fully Comprehensive cover probably won’t automatically include as part of the package the use of a hire car after a bump. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t available - the insurer might offer it as an optional extra that’s yours if you choose to pay a small additional premium.

Could You Cope Without A Car?

The value of that to you depends on how well you could cope without the car should anything happen. If the number one priority to you is to compare and find very cheap car insurance, rather than concern yourself with 'what ifs', you probably won’t expect the use of a hire car to be included and may well be more than happy to do without.

However, if you want to compare cheap car insurance rates, but feel that being without the car might one day leave you up a creek without a paddle, then you can always add it as an optional extra. There’s nothing to say you won’t be able to save money now on your car insurance and increase your cover at a later date to add it to your policy.

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