In the UK, it is a legal requirement for all cars being driven to have a car insurance policy. There are three types of policy available – third party only, third party fire and theft and comprehensive. Your car insurance certificate provides proof that you are legally covered to drive your car, so it should always be kept in a safe place.

If you choose a comprehensive, third party fire and theft or a third party only policy, you may be covered to drive another persons car (with their permission) on a third party only basis.  However, not all car insurance companies offer a ‘Driving Other Cars’ option, so you should never assume that you are covered - always check your car insurance Certificate before you drive someone else's car.

Driving without car insurance in the UK is a criminal offence and carries a maximum fine of £5,000 and six to eight penalty points on your driving licence. In some cases, it can even result in a driving ban.

Insurance companies use a combination of factors to set the cost of your car insurance such as:

• Your age
• The number of years you’ve been driving
• Your address
• The make and model of car you drive

All these factors are used to ensure that everyone pays a fair price for their car insurance.