Direct Line Car Insurance

This company is the most recognised household insurance brand in the UK and now provides a range of financial products including life, home, pet, travel, critical illness and car insurance together with breakdown services, car sales (through its ‘jamjarCars’ site), loans, mortgages and savings.

Direct Line should offer a car insurance quote provided you are resident in the UK and the vehicle is kept in England, Scotland, Wales or Isle of Man. All car drivers must be between 17 and 79 years old at the beginning of the insurance policy, hold a full UK driving licence and be permanently resident in the UK. The car must be owned and registered by the insurance policyholder at their address. It must a UK model or built to UK specifications* and it must not be modified*.

The company will offer both comprehensive car insurance, third party, fire and theft, and third party only cover to suit your purposes, all of which are available on-line with a 10% discount for buying online. Fully comprehensive car insurance cover is compulsory on vehicles with a value greater than £5,000.

Business use is included as standard. The policyholder and the policyholder’s spouse/partner (if named on the insurance policy) can also use the car in connection with their business provided that their or their employer’s business is not connected in any way with the following: the entertainment and fashion industry, professional sports, foreign service or diplomatic personnel, scrap or salvage merchants, general dealers or market traders, mini-cab drivers or controllers. Use in connection with the Motor Trade is specifically excluded.

The total number of fault accidents or insurance claims (including theft) for each car driver must not exceed 2 in the last 3 years and the total number of convictions, fixed penalties or disqualifications must not exceed 2 in the last 5 years.

Up to 2 additional named car drivers can be added to the policy providing they are also between 17 and 79 years at the beginning of the insurance policy.

Car no claims discount can be carried forward from your previous insurance company provided you ceased that policy within the last 2 years. Once 4 years no claims discount has been accumulated, you can protect it for a small additional insurance premium; this means you can have 1 claim in any year (or up to 2 claims in any 3 year period) and you won't lose your hard earned discount. The maximum discount is 65% after 5 years (70% if you're over 50)

Car insurance claims are dealt with by telephone. A 24 hour claims helpline provides advice and links to their nationwide network or car repairers. All work carried out by Network Repairers is fully guaranteed for three years using only manufacturer approved car parts. Legal Protection* is available as an optional extra which will assist if you have an accident that's not your fault, by working on your behalf to recover things not covered by your car insurance policy; for example, excess, personal injury and loss of earnings.

Guaranteed Hire Car* is also an option you can purchase. This company will provide you with a hire car for up to 14 days after yours becomes unusable due to an insurance claim (excluding windscreen damage). This even applies if your vehicle has been stolen or written off.

Car sharing* to and from work etc. is written into the insurance policy and the receipt of contributions in respect of the carriage of passengers for social or similar purposes, as part of a car sharing arrangement, will not be regarded as the carriage of passengers for hire or reward. Also, the use of a car for hiring provided that the vehicle is not constructed or adapted to carry more than eight passengers, excluding the driver, the passengers are not being carried in the course of a business of carrying passengers, and the total contributions received for the journey do not involve an element of profit.

Unless you extend the car insurance policy to include foreign use, cover is restricted to only the minimum required by law in the E.U. member countries and in certain other countries, and there is no cover for loss or damage to your car. The cover you have applies only to the territorial limits* specified in the insurance policy under definitions. To ensure you are fully protected you should apply for Foreign Use* as outlined.

Regarding Medical Expenses* cover for treatment of the car driver and passengers following an accident, the amount will depend on your insurance policy and will be shown in your policy schedule. Personal Accident benefits* cover can be paid out to the insured and/or the insured’s spouse/partner (or their legal representative) in the event of fatal or certain serious injuries following an accident involving your car. This insurance cover also applies when either of you are travelling in any other vehicle; again the amount will depend on your policy and will be shown in your policy schedule.

Please note, conditions will apply for all of the insurance products for cars mentioned above, please contact the company concerned for more information.

* Specific conditions apply, not detailed here, please see the company's literature for full details.

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