In the UK , car insurance is a legal requirement. The minimum level of car insurance required by law before taking to the road is to cover your potential liability to other drivers and road users. Car insurance first became a legal requirement in 1930 when the Government introduced legislation which required every driver in the UK using a vehicle, or permitting others to use that vehicle, to be insured.
Today there are different types of car insurance available, and dependent on your circumstance one policy will be more suitable than another. In order to buy the most suitable car insurance it is important to understand the differences between the policies available and the effect these differences will have on you as a policy holder and other road users.
In the UK , the car insurance market is comprised of different types of insurance companies such as Norwich Union, thousands of brokers, and direct insurers like Esure. Direct insurers revolutionised the insurance industry by advertising directly to the customer and reducing prices by excluding brokers from offering their products. Aggressive marketing ensured that direct insurers are seen as household brands, a direct contrast to brokers!
The result to the customer was a far greater choice of insurance companies but this made the prospect of purchasing the right policy at the right price more difficult. Today, if you use a broker to find an insurance policy you can only expect to search 40% of the available market; the other 60% is controlled by direct insurers!
