We recognise that every woman is different. That’s why we offer three different levels of Car Insurance depending on your needs. You can compare car insurance quotes to figure out which suits you best. Not only is each option specifically designed for women, but they all also come standard with a range of assist benefits. 

While it’s great to know that your insurance company offers a range of car insurance packages, you’re probably wondering how to choose the right one. Let’s take a look at a few things you should consider when you compare car insurance.

What do I need to know about my car insurance company?

Empowered women take care of themselves and their possessions. That’s why they insure their cars. The first thing you need to do once you’ve decided to insure your car is to find out what packages your insurance company offers and which of those suits your needs best.

Because every woman has different needs, 1st for Women offers three different levels of car insurance: Comprehensive, Third-party, Fire, and Theft, and Third-party Only Car Insurance.

• Comprehensive Car Insurance: Our Comprehensive Car Insurance is the Superwoman of our packages. You get cover for theft, loss, and accidental damage to your car, as well as cover for third-party and fire damage. If you choose this car insurance package, rest assured you and your loved ones will be safe on the road and covered for just about any incident. 

• Third-party, Fire, and Theft Car Insurance: If our Comprehensive Car Insurance isn’t quite for you, our Third-party, Fire, and Theft Car Insurance also kicks butt. If you choose this insurance package, you’re choosing coverage in the event that your vehicle is stolen or damaged by fire. If you’re in an accident, we’ll cover the costs of the third-party damage you may have caused too.

• Third-party Only Car Insurance: Choose our Third-party Only Car Insurance if you're just looking for coverage in the event you may cause damage to someone else's property. This side-kick package is specifically tailored for women who just want the basics. We’ve got the costs to repair the other person’s property covered.

Now that you’ve compared car insurance types, you’ve hopefully got a good idea of the package that fits you best. The next step is to find out how much your insurance company cares, especially when you drive into a sticky situation and require help. At 1st For Women, we offer a range of Car Insurance benefits designed to help you when you need a little extra assistance:

• Guardian Angel on Call: If you have a Comprehensive and Off-Road Insurance package with 1st for Women you can enjoy the benefits of the 1st for Women App. It offers 24/7 accident and roadside assistance to help keep you and your loved ones safe on the road. The benefits include a mobile crash detector, and trackable and trustworthy towing and emergency medical care. There are also road assist benefits which include bringing you fuel, changing a tyre, or just some safe company while you wait for a tow.

• Guardian Angels Lifestyle Assistance: Our Guardian Angels Lifestyle Assistance is designed to keep you safe at home and on the road and is included with every 1st for Women Car Insurance policy.

• Cash Back Bonus: At 1st for Women, if you remain claim-free for four years in a row, there is an optional extra money-back rewards policy. We’ll pay you out your entire first year’s premiums, or up to 25% of all your premiums paid over those four years – whichever is the lesser. Do note however that the submission of a claim is unpredictable, so you cannot take a loan out against your Cash Back Bonus because it has no loan value.

• Handbag Insurance: Let’s face it, in many ways our handbags carry our lives and leaving the house without it is like leaving the house without pants. So having your handbag stolen is nearly unthinkable.

Is it cheaper to buy insurance online or through an agent?

There are pros and cons to buying insurance online. It’s quick, easy, and it only costs what you pay in data and internet fees to do it. It also allows you to design your insurance the way you want it, such as adjusting your premiums and excess amounts. 

Some people prefer to go through an insurance agent so they don’t have to worry about the nitty-gritty themselves. Be aware that brokers will add a fee onto your monthly premiums for their services though. So it is often less expensive to quote directly online than it is to use an agent.

Should I bundle my car insurance with another policy?

See how much you could save and get more out of your coverage when you bundle your insurance policies with one insurance provider. 

Bundling your insurance policies entails taking out several insurance policies from the same provider instead of taking each insurance policy out at different insurance companies. 

Bundling your insurance policies not only comes with the benefit of having everything under one roof, making it easier to pay premiums each month, but it usually also has discount benefits. However, before you decide to put all your eggs in one basket it is recommended to do your own research. Sometimes, but not always, having your insurance policies with different companies can work out cheaper depending on your needs. This is something you’ll need to consider when you compare car insurance quotes.

What could be the cause of high premiums?

Your insurance premiums are based on risks. The higher the risks, the higher the premiums. If your car insurance premiums are feeling a little too heavy, here are a couple of reasons why this might be the case:

• Your age: As much as some of us try to avoid it, age plays a significant role in determining your car insurance premiums. With regards to age, your insurance premiums are usually the best they can be from the age of 25 to 70 years old. Young drivers pay very high premiums because they are considered a high risk, while older drivers are considered ‘experienced’ and therefore pose a lesser risk.

• Your car: The make and model of your car also determines your insurance premiums. Sports cars and luxury cars usually incur higher premiums because special features are expensive to replace and difficult to get hold of.

• Your driving record: If you’re a careless driver, you’re considered a high-risk client. A history of ‘bad driving’ and outstanding traffic fines could be the cause of your high insurance premiums. Make sure you have paid outstanding fines before you apply for car insurance to be certain your premiums are the best they can be.

• Where you park: Do you park your car in a locked garage? Great! Your insurance premiums will be lower than someone who does not keep their car in a garage and even lower than someone who parks on the street overnight. This is because your car is seen as being at a lower risk of being stolen or broken into when you keep it in a safe spot overnight. Consider how safe your car is when you’re at work too. Parking bays in secure, preferably covered or underground spaces mean lower risk and lower premiums. 

• When you drive: Consider your daily driving routes and the time of day you are on these routes, because this will also determine whether you are a high- or low-risk client and have implications on your monthly insurance premiums. Driving longer distances in peak traffic or unsafe areas at night usually incurs higher premiums than driving short distances during the day on fairly safe routes. 
  
  

Which car insurance companies have reduced their premiums due to COVID-19?

This is a tricky one due to the unprecedented scale of the pandemic. While the impacts of COVID-19 have hit every sector of the population hard, women are among those who have been affected the most. 

Car insurance falls under non-life or general insurance. After 2003, most insurers introduced exclusion clauses for communicable diseases and epidemics/pandemics into most non-life products such as car insurance, business interruption and travel insurance. The argument here is that a global pandemic does not qualify as an insurable event and that payouts can only be triggered by physical events like fire or flooding.

At 1st for Women, we have offered financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic to our customers in a number of ways, such as R22 million in premium relief. We’ve also put additional assistance in place to help more vulnerable women like single moms.

Car Insurance from 1st for Women

With Car Insurance specifically designed for women, you can be sure your insurance premiums are the best they can be and that your loved ones are looked after when you’re on the road. We offer a range of Car Insurance Quotes you can compare to suit every woman. Get a 1st for Women Car Insurance quote today by calling us on 0861 11 16 67 or online in your own time.