What you need to know about car insurance when buying a car for the first time
Did you buy your first car? Congratulations! What could be more fun than hitting the road for the first time in your own car? Of course, there's a bit of excitement that comes with it. Suddenly, you have to do it yourself and you no longer have help from an instructor. That puts quite a bit of responsibility on your shoulders. Of course, that's normal and those nerves are actually a good thing. They keep you alert when you hit the road. But you also want to be able to relax a bit and enjoy those first kilometers in your new car. That's why a good car insurance is very important, it gives you peace of mind and protects you while you're on the road.
The basic coverage
The first choice you need to make when insuring a car is the basic coverage. You have three options here: WA, WA+ and All Risk. A WA insurance is mandatory in the Netherlands, this is the least comprehensive coverage. The insurance only pays for the damage you cause to others. With a WA+ insurance, the damage to others is compensated and also limited damage to your own vehicle, such as fire, theft, and glass damage. An All Risk insurance has the most comprehensive coverage, which also compensates for damage to others and almost any damage to yourself and your own vehicle.
More than the basics
Do you want just a bit more security than a basic coverage can provide? Then you can expand this with additional insurances. This can be a passenger insurance for personal injury to yourself and your passengers. Or a roadside assistance insurance for unexpected car troubles. You can also choose to add the purchase or new value arrangement to your insurance. Then you can insure the purchase value or the new value of the car for the first three years. If something happens in the first three years? Then you get the purchase value of the second-hand car or the price of the new car in the showroom back. These insurances are of course not mandatory, but they can be very handy. Have you just gotten your driver's license and are you not yet completely confident on the road? Then a comprehensive car insurance can give you a lot of peace of mind. You then know that you are well protected both for yourself and for others, which makes it a bit easier to hit the road relaxed with your new car.
