Compare Temporary Car Insurance Quotes
What is Temporary Car Insurance?
Short Term car insurance does exactly what it says on the tin, it provides car insurance cover for short periods of time.
It’s an alternative to a standard 12-month insurance policy and it often goes by different names, including: Temporary car insurance, short term car insurance, Pay-as-you-go car insurance or One-day car insurance.
What short term policy lengths are available?
At mustard.co.uk, we like to help you get the car insurance policy that suits you best.
That’s why we’ve taken to Short Term car insurance like a duck to water and added a comprehensive range of policy lengths for you.
Whether you are looking for car insurance for 6 months, 1 week or even just 1 day, temporary car insurance can make sure you’re covered for what you need.
Why choose Short Term car insurance?
Short Term car insurance will suit different people for different reasons but if there are long periods of time when you do not drive your car, a Short Term policy could save you money.
Standard policies are great, they generally keep you covered for 12 months of the year and with auto-renewal clauses common, they often automatically renew at the end of the term so you don’t go uninsured.
If you drive everyday, a couple of times a week or even four or five times a month, a standard policy is probably right for you.
But, if you drive rarely or only drive in emergencies, you’re paying for cover you don’t need if you have a 12-month standard policy.
Example: let’s do the maths
If your 12-month insurance policy costs £600, you will pay £50 per month.
If you do not drive for six months of the year, you are arguably spending £300 worth of your hard earned cash on cover you’re not using.
In this case a Short Term car insurance policy could be cheaper.
Who does Short Term car insurance suit?
Short Term car insurance can suit lots of different people but some of the most common reasons people pick it are:
- I own a Classic Car
Classic cars are not generally used as everyday runarounds; they’re more likely to be used for weekends when the sun is out.
In that case, classic car owners may as well wait until they know they are going to use their car before getting insurance, rather than paying for a whole year.
- I’m a young driver
Young drivers may not be able to afford their own car insurance policies for the whole year.
A Short Term policy means you can get insured only for the time you’re likely to use your car, which can make it a whole lot more affordable.
- I’m a learner
Learner drivers generally struggle to get out on the road outside of their lessons.
This can be for a number of reasons (not having an experienced driver on hand maybe) but the bottom line is that if you have a 12-month policy and you’re not out in your car, you’re paying for cover you don’t need.
By getting a Short Term policy when you need it, you’re only paying for the cover you use.
- In emergencies
In some circumstances, you may have to use a car for a day or two. Short Term cover is designed for times like these and will obviously be much cheaper than a 12-month policy.
What are the drawbacks of temporary car insurance?
There isn’t a catch when it comes to Short Term car insurance, but there are a few things worth pointing out:
- Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN)
If you own a car then it either needs to be insured or have a SORN – there’s no in-between.
So when your Short Term cover expires, you must have a SORN activated straight away. If you don’t, you could be fined up to £1,000 under Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) rules.
The good news is; a SORN is free.
- Temporary car insurance may not save you money
A Short Term car insurance policy may not save you money, it really depends on how long you want the cover for, as well as all the usual factors that determine how much your insurance costs.
If you want Short Term insurance that covers you for 11 months, it probably won’t be cheaper than a 12-month policy.
You should compare 12-month and Short Term policies to decide whether or not it saves you money.
The good news is you can compare Short Term insurance prices and standard insurance policies on mustard.co.uk.