County Antrim is the gateway to Northern Ireland and the home to several famous tourist sites, including the famous Giant’s Causeway. That ensures a steady flow of tourist traffic that can cause congestion in excess of what the county’s population would imply. Congestions begets accidents, so the people of County Antrim have a strong incentive to purchase a good insurance policy. Even if that was not the case, British law requires every driver on the road to have insurance in order to offer financial protection to the victim during accidents.

Vehicle Insurance Options

The legal requirement for insurance is broad enough to support a market with a wide variety of options to choose from. The simplest option, and the option that many people choose, is to pick a policy that meets the legal minimum of coverage. Those are called third party policies, because they offer protection to third party’s who are involved in an accident with the policy holder, but they do not pay for any damage that the policy holder sustains to their own property. Most people who choose these policies do so because they are the cheapest way to meet the insurance requirement, but some people also pick them because they are confident in their ability to drive safely and avoid accidents altogether.

Cars can sustain damage outside of accidents, such as during fires, or be lost to a thief. Insurance companies recognize that risk, and they have chosen to offer fire and theft policies in order to provide protection against it. These policies will also pay out to third parties as in the case of third party insurance. The policy holder is still left to handle damage that results from accidents on their own. These policies cost slightly more than third party insurance, but the increase is relatively small and affordable for most people.

People who want more protection from accident-related damage can purchase a comprehensive plan. These policies do include a few exceptions, but most people will never encounter a situation where the policy will not cover damage to their vehicle. This type of plan also satisfies the insurance requirements for almost every nation in Europe, so it comes with a green card that serves as proof of insurance in the rest of the continent. This is the most expensive type of policy, but most people can find a good deal with a little bit of effort.

Driving in County Antrim

The drivers of County Antrim need to contend with the usual congestion that occurs in population centers, but they also need to be aware of the tourists that flock to the county’s many attractions. Many of them will have a hard time navigating, which can lead to inattentiveness and increase the risk of accidents. The best way to avoid that problem is for drivers to be especially careful when they are near hotels and attractions. Of course, it would be a shame for drivers to pass up the chance to see those attractions themselves, so a bit of cautious sightseeing is to be encouraged.