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Car driving along a road on the Isle Of Wight coastline

WHAT DOES THIRD PARTY CAR INSURANCE COVER?

For when you decide basic Third Party cover is enough for your needs.

Get the minimum required cover with Third Party insurance

Third Party car insurance provides you with the basic legal minimum cover you need to drive in the UK, but will this be enough for your particular needs? Find out more about what Third Party only insurance provides, and what it doesn’t.

What is Third Party car insurance?

Third Party cover protects you against the costs of any damage or injury you cause to another person, their vehicle or their property. So if you’re in a road accident you shouldn’t have to pay to repair a Third Party’s car or property, but you will still need to cover the costs of any damage to your own car. You’ll also be covered for injuries to any other people involved, but not for injuries to yourself.

What’s covered by Third Party insurance?

If you’re involved in a car accident that is proved to be your fault, Third Party car insurance covers you for:

  • damages to any other vehicle involved in the accident
  • injuries to passengers in your car
  • claims for injuries to that vehicle’s occupants caused by the crash
  • damage to other people’s property, for example if you crash into their garden wall

Saga’s Third Party insurance includes:

  • Protected No Claim Discount (NCD) – if you have four or more years’ NCD, we’ll protect it against two fault claims in a three-year period.
  • Emergency any driver cover – if there’s a medical emergency during your journey, any driver can take over the driving or take your vehicle back home.
  • Cover for trips abroad – you can drive in the EU for an unlimited period with the same level of cover as you have in the UK.

You can also add the option of legal protection to Saga’s Third Party insurance:

  • Legal Protection – Covers up to £100,000 to recover uninsured losses for accidents that aren't your fault in the UK and that an independent legal representative believes you can win your case.

Find out more and get a Third Party car insurance quote by calling 0800 092 3195.

What isn’t covered by Third Party insurance?

The main difference between comprehensive and Third Party insurance is that Third Party cover is only designed to protect you against having to pay for damage to a third party or other person. A Third Party car insurance claim will not pay for:

  • Repairs to your car or any medical treatment if you are injured in an accident.
  • Damage to your vehicle caused by fire or theft – this is only included with Third Party, Fire and Theft, and Comprehensive insurance policies.
  • Extras that are typically included in Comprehensive insurance, such as personal belongings cover or onward taxi travel.

What are the benefits of Third Party insurance?

Although Third Party insurance offers the minimum amount of cover you need to have for your car, there may be certain situations where this is the best option for you.

  • You have a low value vehicle – it may not be worth insuring your own car against damage if the cost of repairs would be higher than the car’s value.
  • You can pay for repairs – if you’re happy to pay for repairs to your own car and can afford to do so, you may choose not to pay for this insurance cover.
  • You will make claims – if you have made or are likely to make multiple claims, it may be cheaper to pay for damage than to pay for insurance, as making a claim may affect any No Claim Discount you have. However, if you’re involved in an accident, you do still need to tell your insurer, even if you choose not to make a claim.

Is Third Party insurance cheaper?

If you’re looking at Third Party car insurance as a more cost-effective option, this may not always be the case. The price you pay is based on the likelihood of you making a claim, and so because historically there is a higher level of claims on Third Party insurance, policies can work out more expensive.

Comprehensive insurance is also more likely to include extras in the cost of your cover, such as protection against windscreen, personal belongings or vandalism loss or damage. These extras are not included with Third Party cover, but could be expensive to put right without insurance.

It’s always worth comparing different types of cover to see which one fully meets your needs for the price you pay.

Do you need Third Party car insurance?

It's a legal requirement to have at least Third Party insurance to drive your vehicle on UK roads. Find out more on the government website at gov.uk.

The only exemption to needing Third Party insurance is if your vehicle is kept off the road and declared as off the road with a statutory off road notice (SORN).

Even if you aren’t currently driving your car, without a valid SORN or up-to-date insurance you could face a fixed penalty, a fine up to £1,000 and have your vehicle impounded or destroyed.

You may choose to have more than the legal minimum of car insurance in the form of Third Party fire and theft or fully Comprehensive insurance.

Get a quote for Third Party insurance – call 0800 092 3195 or compare other Saga policies.

Who are Saga's car insurance policies underwritten by?

Saga’s car insurance policies, exclusively for people over 50, are unique products designed by us specifically for our customers. They are underwritten by a number of carefully selected insurers that provide high standards of quality and service.
Third Party insurance FAQs
Does Third Party insurance cover accidents?

In an accident that is proven to be your fault, Third Party insurance can be claimed for damage to the other person’s vehicle, but not to your own. Damage to property caused by an accident is also included.

Third Party insurance does cover injury to the driver of the other vehicle, and to passengers in both vehicles - but again, not to yourself.

To get a quote for Third Party car insurance, chat with us now.

Does Third Party insurance cover car theft?

Third Party car insurance does not cover you if your car is stolen. If you want to be insured against your car being stolen, you need to look at either Third Party, Fire and Theft, or fully Comprehensive car insurance.

Find out more in our car insurance guide

Does Third Party insurance cover damage to my car?

Third Party insurance doesn’t cover any damage to your own car, so if you have a new or expensive car you should consider how much that would cost to fix if you were in an accident.