New temporary car insurance policy is launched
Earlier this month, a brand new temporary car insurance policy scheme has been released by the insurer BGL, under a new brand, Jaunt.
The idea behind Jaunt is that drivers will be able to get comprehensive car insurance to use someone else’s car for a period of up to 30 days. The brand joins an ever-growing market in the UK of short-term car insurance policies, meeting the increasing demand for more flexible insurance policies for drivers across the country.
Jaunt car insurance explained
This recently launched product enables drivers who are aged between 18 and 75 to take out a fully comprehensive insurance policy for a car, a motorhome or a van. Jaunt car insurance provides drivers with a great deal of flexibility, as it is possible for you to take out a policy for as little as an hour, or for the entire 30 days.
If you take out this policy, it means that you will have adequate protection when borrowing another person’s vehicle, which is not always the case when it comes to traditional car insurance policies.
Advantages and disadvantages of Jaunt’s temporary car insurance
Experts at Which? have recently analyzed the cover that Jaunt provides and looked at both the best and worst aspects of the policy, in comparison to the standard protection drivers receive from a typical car insurance policy.
Advantages of Jaunt’s car insurance:
In terms of what this temporary car insurance policy scored highly in, Which? experts gave a full five-star rating for the company’s cover for loss of keys, theft, or windscreen damage. The main reason that was given was that Jaunt pays the ‘market value’ for claims made for these things, as opposed to a fixed sum, which may not always provide full cover for the cost of damages.
Disadvantages of Jaunt’s car insurance
When it came to the aspects of the policy that Which? analysts scored badly, one of them was its cover for personal belongings. Currently, the cover limit is just £150 in total. Similarly, its medical expenses cover limit was just £100. As a result, Jaunt scored two out of five years for these.
In addition, the excess that you would be required to pay if you made a claim was considered very expensive by the Which? analysts. For example, if you need to make a claim for fire or accidental damage, you would need to pay a minimum excess of £250. Comparatively, a number of other car insurance providers do not charge excess for these types of claims at all.
Is it worth getting temporary car insurance?
It depends on your individual circumstances. For example, temporary car insurance policies provide drivers with an extremely convenient and efficient way to protect themselves whilst on short trips, providing peace of mind should something unfortunate happen whilst driving someone else’s car.
However, it is worth keeping in mind that a temporary car insurance policy can end up becoming quite an expensive affair, especially if you intend to use the policy for multiple days at a time.
Who else provides temporary car insurance options?
It isn’t just Jaunt that provides a temporary car insurance option to drivers in the UK, there is a range of short-term car insurance providers to choose from, including:
- The AA
- Dayinsure
- Cuvva
- RAC
It is worth remembering that whilst the policies are similar in nature, in that it is possible to get car insurance cover by either the hour or the day, the individual terms and conditions of any policy will vary, as well as the costs. As a result, it is worth taking your time looking at what is available so you can find the best cover for you to suit your needs.
What are the alternatives to temporary car insurance?
Keep in mind that there are different ways you can still get adequate cover whilst driving someone else’s car. For example, you could look at doing the following:
- Adding a named driver: one option you have available to you is to consider adding a named driver to an existing car insurance policy, as it could end up being cheaper overall than taking out a temporary car insurance policy, especially if you intend to borrow someone else’s vehicle for more than a week. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the existing policyholders’ premium may increase for a certain period of time if an additional driver is added.
- Using a hire car: another viable alternative to temporary car insurance is using a hire car instead. This can sometimes work out cheaper, as in most cases, insurance is built into the cost of hiring.