Motor Insurance.quest

UK motor insurance · 2026 data

Motor insurance, compared on cover

Comparison sites sort by price. The things that decide whether a claim pays are your cover level, excess, declared drivers and what you use the car for. Start with what you'd want covered.

Updated 6 October 2026 · Figures sourced and linked
What does each level pay? →Average cost £566
£566Average motor premium paid, Q2 2026Source: Association of British Insurers, 29 July 2026
£3.2bnPaid on motor claims in Q2 2026, a recordSource: Association of British Insurers, 29 July 2026
£4,900Average motor claim, Q2 2026Source: Association of British Insurers, 29 July 2026
34.5mLicensed cars on UK roads, end of 2025Source: Department for Transport, 29 April 2026

Cover levels

Three levels. Which pays?

The law only requires third-party cover: injury to other people and damage to their property (Road Traffic Act 1988). Third party, fire and theft adds your own car if it's stolen or catches fire. Comprehensive also pays for damage to your own car when the accident is your fault (ABI).

Pick what happened to see which policy would pay.

What happened?
Which policy pays?
ComprehensivePays
Third party, fire & theftDoesn't pay
Third party onlyDoesn't pay

Only comprehensive pays to repair your own car after an accident you cause.

General guide to the three standard cover levels. Your policy wording, excesses and exclusions decide any claim.

Comparing quotes

Six lines to read before the price

01

Excess

Compulsory plus voluntary. Only raise the voluntary excess to what you could pay tomorrow.

02

Every driver, honestly

Naming a parent as main driver when a young driver uses the car most is fronting, which the Insurance Fraud Bureau calls fraud. Young drivers →

03

Class of use

Commuting and business use must be declared. Driving to client sites or meetings usually needs business use cover.

04

No claims discount

Check how many years you've earned and whether protecting it is worth the cost. NCD calculator →

05

Courtesy car and windscreen

Windscreen claims averaged £283 in Q2 2026 (ABI). Check whether a courtesy car is guaranteed.

06

Paying monthly

Premium finance APRs typically run 20–30% (FCA). Check yours →

Driving for work

Business use is a different policy

Social, domestic and commuting cover doesn't include driving for work. If you drive between clients, sites or offices, you need business use on your policy, and claims made while using the car for undeclared business can be refused.

That catches out part-time executives in particular. A fractional CFO or fractional COO visiting several clients a week is driving for business, as is a sales or bid team travelling to pitch. Companies that depend on one or two key people often pair business motor cover with key person insurance.

Fractional Quest and Keyperson Quest are run by the same team as this site.

Questions

Straight answers

What is the minimum car insurance required by law?
Third party. Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence to use a vehicle on a road or public place without cover for third-party risks, or to let someone else do so.
What happens if you drive without insurance?
A £300 fixed penalty and 6 points, or in court an unlimited fine and a possible ban; police can also seize the car (GOV.UK). A registered keeper must keep a car insured unless it's declared SORN (DVLA).
Is comprehensive always more expensive than third party?
Not necessarily. Comprehensive is the highest standard level, but insurers price on risk, so get quotes for each level before assuming third party is cheaper.
Can my insurer charge me more at renewal than a new customer?
No. Since 1 January 2022 the FCA's pricing rules have stopped renewal prices exceeding the equivalent new-customer price. Shopping around is still worthwhile.
How do I check a car is insured?
The MIB's free vehicle check searches the national record by registration. It confirms a policy exists, not that you're covered to drive it.
What if my car insurance claim is rejected?
Complain to the insurer, then go to the Financial Ombudsman for free. It received 13,420 car and motorcycle insurance complaints in 2025/26 and upheld 35% (FOS).

Sources

Where the numbers come from

We use primary sources only: the ABI, regulators and government. Figures were checked on 6 October 2026. Spot something out of date? The source link is the fastest way to check.

  1. Association of British Insurers. Record £3.2 billion paid out to support motor insurance customers in Q2 2026. 29 July 2026.
  2. Association of British Insurers. Motor insurance: consumer guidance. accessed October 2026.
  3. legislation.gov.uk. Road Traffic Act 1988, section 143: users of motor vehicles to be insured. accessed October 2026.
  4. GOV.UK. Vehicle insurance: driving without insurance. accessed October 2026.
  5. DVLA. DVLA enforcement of vehicle tax, registration and insurance offences. accessed October 2026.
  6. Motor Insurers' Bureau. Check your vehicle is insured. accessed October 2026.
  7. Financial Conduct Authority. PS21/5 General insurance pricing practices: final rules. in force 1 January 2022.
  8. Financial Conduct Authority. Premium finance market study: final report (MS24/2). 3 February 2026.
  9. Insurance Fraud Bureau. Drivers warned popular car insurance 'hack' is fraud. 13 August 2024.
  10. Financial Ombudsman Service. Annual complaints data and insight 2025/26. 21 May 2026.
  11. Department for Transport. Vehicle licensing statistics: United Kingdom 2025. 29 April 2026.

Keep going

Average car insurance cost →ABI premium data by quarter, and what your own quote means.No claims bonus →Work out what your no claims discount is worth, and whether to protect it.Young & learner drivers →Black boxes, named drivers, fronting and learner rules.Car insurance groups →What groups 1 to 50 mean and who sets them.Temporary car insurance →Short-term cover vs adding a named driver.