The law requires that you be insured as a van driver. This is to ensure that you are fully protected when you injure another person or damage another person’s property. You are supposed to have an insurance policy in place unless you are registered as off road.
Types of van insurance policies
There are plenty of insurance policies that you can choose from. The most common ones are:
Third party only (TPO): This is the minimum level of insurance cover that you need into drive legally on the road. The insurance company pays for the damages caused on others but it won’t pay for your losses. This means that you are liable for the repair costs of your van in the event of an accident or theft. Due to the simple nature of this insurance, it’s cheap.
Third-party, fire and theft: This policy covers you in the event of an accident that came about as a result of your fault. In addition to covering you, the policy will also cover the damage caused to another vehicle, property and if people were injured in the process, the policy pays for the people’s medical treatment. This policy also covers you from theft. When your vehicle is stolen it’s good to note that you will have to pay the excess. This is usually the first amount of claim that you are placing.
Fully comprehensive: It’s the most extensive insurance cover. It provides you with protection against damage to your van, your property, and even to yourself even if the accident was your fault. The cover will provide you with protection against loss of personal effects, damage to your vehicle, medical expenses, and even breaking of the windscreen. You should note that the policy doesn’t cover you in the event your van breaks down. If you want to be protected you have to get a separate van breakdown cover policy.
Getting the van insurance cover
Different companies sell their policies at different amounts. It’s up to you to research and find a company that will sell you insurance cover at a favorable amount. You should visit different companies and collect quotes. When the companies are determining the amount that they will charge you they consider a number of factors such as: your claims history, occupation, use of the vehicle, and security.
Just like when you are getting other car insurance policies, there are a number of things that you can do to lower your premium. Some of the things that you can do include:
Secure your van: As you have seen, one of the factors used to determine your premium is the security of your vehicle. To pay a lower premium you should install security features in your vehicle thus making it difficult for people to break in or steal your vehicle. Some of the things that you can do include: installing an immobilizer, tracker or an alarm.
Buy a small van: The engine size and the physical size of the van are of big impact. Big vans are said to cause more damage in the event of accidents thus attract a higher premium. If you don’t need a powerful machine, go with a smaller van and pay a lower insurance premium.
