What is Fully Comprehensive Insurance?
Choose fully comprehensive car insurance for full peace of mind when driving.
Fully comprehensive car insurance provides you with the highest level of protection and gives you the most peace of mind when you’re on the road. Comprehensive car insurance even covers you for damage and costs to your own car or person if you were at fault in an accident.
What is comprehensive car insurance?
Also called fully comprehensive, or fully comp, comprehensive car insurance gives you the most cover possible for your car. It covers you if your car is stolen, damaged by fire, or by an accident caused by another. And even if you cause an accident, your insurance policy will pay for your own medical expenses and for the costs of repairing or replacing your car – as long as there are no invalidating circumstances, like being under the influence of alcohol when driving.
What does comprehensive car insurance cover?
Individual comprehensive car insurance policies will differ, but most will cover the following as standard:
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What’s usually covered |
What’s not usually covered |
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P Damage to another person’s car and property (third person) |
O Driving a car not on your policy (your car insurance won’t extend to other cars you drive) |
|
P The medical costs of another person (third person) |
O Named drivers not on your policy who cause an accident whilst driving your car |
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P Damages to your car caused by vandalism |
O General wear and tear over the course of driving |
|
P Damage or the loss of your car caused by fire or theft |
O Accidents you cause if you’re driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs |
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P Your personal injury costs, or costs of any passengers, even if you were at fault in an accident |
O Accidents you cause if you’re driving without a valid driving licence |
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P Damage or the loss of your car caused by a crash or accident, even if you were at fault |
|
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P Legal costs |
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All insurance policies vary so be sure to read your policy carefully to make sure you have the cover you need.
Why should I get comprehensive car insurance?
You need to have car insurance to legally drive on the road in the UK. With fully comprehensive car insurance, you can drive with the knowledge that you have the highest level of cover available.
If you cause an accident on the road and you don’t have fully comprehensive car insurance, it can be costly. If you have third-party only for example, the costs for the other person will be covered but what about your own car? You could be left facing an expensive bill to repair – or replace – your vehicle. With fully comprehensive car insurance, these costs are covered so you won’t have to pay them out of your own pocket.
And although comprehensive car insurance offers more protection, depending on your personal circumstances, it could be cheaper than third-party only or third-party fire and theft cover.
How is comprehensive insurance different to other types of cover?
Fully comprehensive car insurance typically offers a higher level of cover than other types of car insurance. It enables you to make insurance claims even when you are at fault and cause an accident. If you're not sure if fully comprehensive car insurance is right for you, there are other car insurance options to consider, including:
- Third-party insurance: This is the legal minimum required for you to drive your car on UK roads. This covers you for the cost of third-party claims made against you if you cause an accident. These include the cost of repairing a third party’s car, replacing their damaged property, or paying for their medical costs.
- Third-party fire and theft insurance: This level of insurance covers you for third-party claims made against you, but also for any damage or losses you suffer due to fire or theft.
- Black box insurance: Also called telematics insurance, with these policies you install a black box device into your car that monitors how you drive (although some providers now use an app you download to your phone). If the black box shows you’re a safe driver, you may get lower insurance premiums.
How much does comprehensive car insurance cost?
As it offers the highest level of cover, you might assume fully comprehensive car insurance is the most expensive type of insurance you can buy, but this isn’t always the case. In many instances, third-party insurance can be more expensive than fully comp, as drivers who opt for third-party cover only may be considered a higher risk.
The price of comprehensive car insurance policies offered to you will vary based on a range of factors. This includes your age and driving history, the type of car you want to insure, and even your job and where you live.
You may be able to bring down the cost of your premium by making some changes to the way you pay for insurance. For example, you could choose to pay annually rather than monthly or opt for a higher excess on your policy. Even small changes such as storing your car in a locked garage overnight rather than on the road could help bring down costs.
Below you’ll see the average prices for each level of car insurance*:
|
Comprehensive cover |
Third-party fire and theft |
Third-party only |
|
£1084.30 |
£1284.27 |
£1346.46 |
*Based on the average annual price of policies sold between January 2023 and January 2024 through the car insurance comparison service with Asda Money provided by Vast Visibility Limited.
Compare fully comprehensive car insurance quotes with Asda Money
With Asda Money, you can compare insurance quotes from over 60 of the UK’s top insurance providers to find the right policy for you.
All you need to do is enter some basic details about yourself and your car, such as your name, address, registration plate, and driving history, and you’ll receive quotes from some of the UK’s top insurance providers.
The car insurance comparison service is provided by Vast Visibility Limited.
Comprehensive Car Insurance FAQs
- Can I drive any car if I have comprehensive car insurance?
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No. Comprehensive car insurance doesn’t cover you for driving cars that aren’t named in your policy. Some car insurance providers may offer you Driving Other Cars (DOC) cover as part of your policy, but that cover is usually third-party only. Remember, if you drive someone else's car without being insured, you could be driving illegally.
- Does comprehensive cover include breakdown?
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Different fully comprehensive insurance policies will vary in what exactly they cover. Some comprehensive car insurance policies will offer breakdown cover as standard, whereas others will offer it as an added extra you can buy.
- Is it worth getting fully comprehensive car insurance?
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It’s important to take the time to understand the right type of car insurance for you. Fully comprehensive car insurance gives you the highest possible level of cover, so you have peace of mind that you’re covered even if an accident was your fault. You won’t need to pay for medical expenses or the cost of repairing your car out of your own pocket as you can claim for this on your insurance. Plus, fully comp insurance can often be cheaper than third party only.
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