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A motor vehicle must be insured to drive on the roads of France. Third-party insurance, third-party plus or comprehensive insurance, which car insurance should you choose for your car? What are the criteria to consider when taking out the insurance that is best suited to your vehicle and your needs? What levels of cover should you choose for your car insurance plan ? How to choose your car insurance at the best price?
What car insurance is mandatory?
Novice or experienced driver, young license holder, penalized and accident victims, all driver profiles must take out car insurance. Article L211-1 of the Insurance Code specifies that “any motor vehicle” must be covered by the minimum required guarantee, i.e. the driver’s civil liability .
Car insurance therefore covers the compensation necessary to reimburse medical expenses and repair costs to third parties concerned. However, the driver responsible for the accident and his vehicle are not covered.
Third-party insurance is the least expensive, but also the least protective. Indeed, this minimum guarantee does not cover the insured in the event of theft, vandalism or fire of their vehicle. Similarly, if their car suffers a glass breakage (for example, a crack in its windshield): they will not be compensated. These different types of claims can quickly represent substantial sums of money.
Other insurance plans:
To benefit from more comprehensive protection, it is possible to choose car insurance from two other formulas available on the market:
This formula allows you to benefit from additional guarantees useful in the event of accidental events such as: theft or attempted theft, fire or explosion, natural or technological disasters, broken windows, etc.
Each insurer offers its own version of “third party plus”. The number and extent of guarantees vary depending on the company.
Comprehensive car insurance is the most comprehensive and most expensive protection on the market. It insures the driver and their vehicle against a majority of risks, in the event of an at-fault or non-at-fault accident.
Choosing car insurance based on your needs
When looking for car insurance, the first step is to assess your real needs. The price of car insurance should not be the sole criterion dictating the choice of a guarantee formula. Each driver is unique and does not have the same expectations in terms of protection for their vehicle .
Depending on the type of car to be insured
The type of car, its purchase value, its age and the use made of it are important criteria on which the insurer bases itself to determine the price of car insurance. These are also essential criteria to guide towards one guarantee formula rather than another.
The driver of an old used car will have less interest in taking out comprehensive insurance. Beyond a certain age (7 or 8 years, depending on the model), a used car will see its value decrease in the Argus. Thus, an old vehicle that has been the victim of a serious accident may be considered a wreck, and therefore economically unrepairable. In this case, the insurer’s compensation may be zero (or almost zero).
Third-party insurance, or even “reinforced third-party” insurance, then seems more suitable for this type of old and used vehicle. The subscriber thus has a cheaper car insurance premium, while benefiting from useful guarantees for the entire vehicle (theft, glass breakage, breakdown assistance, etc.).
Conversely, a high-end, new or simply recent car requires a higher level of protection. An “all-risk” car insurance is therefore more suitable for this type of car. This car insurance formula allows you to have full guarantee coverage: collision damage, theft, fire, glass breakage, vandalism, bad weather, damage from all accidents.
The cost of comprehensive insurance can sometimes seem high. But in the event of a claim, the repair costs incurred will be much higher. Recent cars are often equipped with electronic parts, the repairs of which can quickly increase the bill.
According to the driver profile
Young drivers, novice drivers, low mileage drivers, experienced drivers, drivers with a bad driving record or those who have had accidents: there are several types of driver profiles. Just like the vehicle, the driver’s profile influences the price of car insurance.
A young driver may be limited in the choice of car insurance compared to an experienced driver who has a bonus. Indeed, a young driver or novice driver is considered a risk profile for insurers. This lack of experience behind the wheel often results in a premium on the price of car insurance for young drivers. Sometimes, some young drivers simply cannot take out car insurance with certain companies.
The same applies to drivers with a bad claims history or who have been involved in accidents . They often have great difficulty finding an insurer willing to offer them a suitable policy. For a very high premium, these high-risk profiles sometimes have no choice but to take out the legal minimum for civil liability.
Also, “low mileage” driver profiles (-15,000 km per year) need protection adapted to their use of the vehicle. In concrete terms, they are less exposed to certain types of claims. “Per-kilometer” or usage-based insurance is an ideal choice compared to traditional car insurance plans.
Every driver (whatever their profile) must be able to benefit from car insurance adapted to their needs and their budget . This is why our Lepermislibre car insurance offer adapts to all profiles with optimal guarantees: without superfluous or excessive contributions.
Criteria to consider when choosing a car insurer
The choice of car insurance is dictated by a set of important criteria . The price of car insurance is generally a major factor, as the financial aspect can quickly represent a heavy financial burden for a French household.