Car Insurance protects you against responsibility for any expenses if you injure someone or damage their vehicle or other property while driving. In the United Kingdom, it’s compulsory for drivers to have Car Insurance and the minimum legal requirement is third party insurance.

Third Party insurance only covers you against having to pay if you injure someone or damage their vehicle or other property, but won't pay to repair damage to your car.

Third Party, Fire and Theft cover will also pay to repair or replace your own car if it is stolen, or damaged or destroyed by fire.

The most commonly purchased option is Comprehensive cover. Comprehensive cover pays to repair damage to your car, including windscreens, in addition to all of the cover described above.

Car Insurance policies vary, so always check what your policy offers as standard and what optional extras you have to pay more for.

Legal costs - legal protection cover pays for legal costs if you're involved in a legal dispute because of an accident while driving. John Lewis Car Insurance provides this with a generous level of cover for a small additional cost.

Motor breakdown - motor breakdown policies provide different levels of cover that can include:

• roadside assistance
• recovery of a broken down vehicle to the nearest garage
• assistance if your car won't start at home
• cover in Europe.
  

John Lewis Car Insurance offers three levels of optional cover - Roadside Rescue, Home Rescue and European Rescue.

Courtesy Car - many policies increasingly only provide a Courtesy Car as an optional extra while others only provide a Courtesy Car if your car requires repair, but will not provide a replacement should your car be stolen or written-off.

John Lewis Car Insurance provides a Courtesy Car during repairs (comprehensive cover only) and a Replacement Car for up to 21 days following theft or write-off. These are provided as standard.

Insurance abroad - if you're going to be driving your car on holiday, you'll need insurance. John Lewis Car Insurance offers 90 days cover in Europe as standard, and you have the option of adding breakdown cover in Europe, too.

Personal accident - personal accident cover will protect you or your spouse/civil partner while you're travelling in any car. John Lewis Car Insurance offers up to £10,000 as standard.

Audio or Sat Nav equipment - cover tends to differ on whether in-car equipment has been fitted by the manufacturer or if you’ve organised the fitting of audio systems and Sat Nav yourself.

John Lewis Car Insurance provides unlimited cover if it’s been fitted by the manufacturer and up to £500 for non-manufacturer fitted equipment.

Windscreens - All insurers provide cover under a comprehensive policy for damaged or broken windscreens and windows. However, it's worth checking whether by having the glass repaired instead of replaced, you can avoid paying any excess.

This is the case with John Lewis Car Insurance and if you claim for your windscreen, your No Claims Discount won't be affected.

Most insurers give discounts for no claims. The level of discount depends on the number of claim-free years. Many insurers only offer discounts up to 65%.

John Lewis Car Insurance offers a discount of up to 75% (dependent on the number of claim-free years) and in most instances we also give you the option to protect your No Claims Discount against any two claims in three years.

• Fitting extra security to your car, such as an immobiliser, can help cut the cost of your policy and keeping your mileage low may also mean lower premiums.

• A higher excess usually lowers the premium, but remember this is the first part of any claim that you’ll need to pay, so be sure you’re happy to pay that amount, just in case.

• You can use the voluntary excess to increase your total excess. Compare policies and see what they offer.

• By adding our optional Excess Protection to your policy you can claim back up to £500 in excess payments following accident repairs to your vehicle.