The amount of that excess may be a relatively modest hundred pounds or so, but if you are a young or novice driver, or have a poor record of previous motoring convictions, the excess may be considerably higher.

There is generally a so-called “compulsory” excess, which you have no choice but to accept if you want to proceed with the cover. As the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) also points, however, by accepting a further “voluntary” excess, you may reduce the cost of your motor insurance premiums – you are then shouldering a greater proportion of the risks, so the insurer then typically charges a lower premium.

The problem arises, of course, if you have an accident, need to make an insurance claim, and discover that there is a particularly hefty excess to pay.

This problem is exacerbated by the fact that any garage repairing your car after that accident is going to demand your contribution of the excess before the vehicle is released back to you. As a result, you face the difficulty of raising that cash to pay the garage or even the expense of borrowing the money that is needed.

The only other option you may be stuck with is to leave the car at the garage – and possibly rack up further “storage” charges – until you can raise the excess that needs to be paid.

Bettersafe To The Rescue

Private car excess insurance from us here at Bettersafe may help you to resolve all of those problems at a stroke.

Simply decide on the amount of private motor insurance excess you want to cover and arrange the supplementary, standalone excess protection insurance. At Bettersafe we even go one step further than many other excess insurance providers by arranging payment of your excess directly to the repairing garage – thus freeing you from the hassle and potential expense of having to raise the cash first and claim reimbursement later.

But our private car excess insurance is more than just a rescue package – it might also help you to make substantial savings on the cost of your main motor insurance in the first place.

If you choose to arrange sufficient excess insurance and pay the corresponding premium, you may have the confidence of knowing that any amount of excess may be safely covered through reimbursement. That makes accepting a higher voluntary excess, in return for reduced premiums on your main motor insurance, an altogether more attractive prospect.

Depending on the amount you choose to cover, you may be able to claim reimbursement of the whole or any part of the excess for which you are liable.