There are numerous car insurance companies in Germany. Without automobile insurance, the vehicle may not be driven on the roads. Today, to find a good, but also cheap insurance for the vehicle, there are several options.
Car insurance comparison free of charge
The Internet offers a good overview of the individual insurance companies and their different rates. A car insurance comparison helps to find the best Assekuranz. However, there can be differences in a car insurance – this can not only be due to the place of residence, but also to the regional and type classes. The following guide deals with the topic of car insurance, how the premium is determined and how the calculator works. The form below offers a free rate comparison.
Compare car insurance: 6 important terms
With the search for a Kfz insurance the 6 following terms will appear again and again:
- Type class
- Regional class
- Vehicle registration certificate
- Motor vehicle liability
- Partial casco
- Fully comprehensive insurance
Calculate car insurance – Important points
Type class: The type class has a great influence on the premium of an insurance company. With the type class the vehicle is determined in terms of damage frequency. This means how often accidents and damage are caused with this type of vehicle.
Regional class: The regional class also deals with the damage frequency. Here it goes around the topic of the registration district. All accidents that occur with the vehicle type in the registration district are calculated. The regional class can also be decisive for the amount of the car insurance.
Vehicle registration document: The vehicle registration document is a paper in which all the data of the vehicle was recorded. It is a two-part registration certificate, which every vehicle has.
Motor vehicle liability: Motor vehicle liability is required by law. Every vehicle that participates in road traffic must have motor liability coverage.
Partial cover: Partial cover is a term used in insurance. The partial cover assumes all damages that occur to your own vehicle, including hail and glass damage or damage caused by game.
Fully comprehensive insurance: The fully comprehensive insurance covers the damages that are self-caused. Here, too, mostly on your own vehicle. Part of the fully comprehensive insurance is also the partial comprehensive insurance.
How the type classes are determined?
The type class is an important factor in calculating the car insurance premium. It is determined once a year. All type classes start at 10. The amount is calculated on the basis of third party liability, partial cover and fully comprehensive insurance.
With the motor vehicle liability the points go up to 25, with the partial casco up to 33 and with the full casco up to 34. Basically, the higher the number of points, the higher the type class and therefore the higher the insurance premium.
Accident and damage reports
- The accident and damage records of the previous year are included in the type class.
- The vehicle plays an important role.
- The type class is calculated every year for each vehicle.
- If a vehicle has caused less accidents than in the previous year, then the type class is set lower.
- This then also reduces the insurance.
But it works the same in the opposite case. If a vehicle type appears more often in the accident and damage record, then the type class is set high and thus the car insurance increases.
As soon as a new vehicle model is launched on the market, it does not have a type class at first. The type class is then calculated on the basis of third party liability, fully comprehensive and partially comprehensive. This involves calculating how high the potential risk will be that the vehicle will be involved in an accident.
The classification is usually determined by the previous model, which is from the same manufacturer. In addition, it is calculated according to sample damage and the emerging maintenance costs. Especially for new cars, the type class is quite high at the beginning, but this changes very often in the first few years, when the frequency of damage has actually been established.
Regional class and its function
- Always at 1. October the neutral trustees determine the regional classes. These are therefore also to be considered in a car insurance comparison.
- They are based on current statistics and are binding for all insurance companies.
- They adopt the fixed regional classes and thus calculate the current premium bills.
- Nevertheless, the regional classes of the individual insurances can be quite different.
- Basically, this is due to the exact listing of the values.
The trustee gets the current values of the insurers and based on these values he has to calculate. The final result may be inaccurate due to missing or insufficient data.
There are just under 400 registration companies in Germany. For each registration company there is a trustee who deals with the issue of regional class. From it the so-called damage requirement index value is calculated. In it the amount of damage and the frequency come to bear. Basically, the lower the regional class, the cheaper the insurance amount.
The correct regional class is determined by the vehicle owner's zip code. Basically, it can be said that the regional class reflects the accident statistics of the district.
All registered vehicles are taken into account, no matter what type and the traffic volume of the surrounding area. It also matters whether the vehicle owner is at home in the countryside or in the middle of the city. The higher the regional class is set, the more expensive the car insurance is.
Car insurance comparison: details for the calculator
So that one can let calculate the contribution for the vehicle itself are usually four points importantly. Needed are mostly for a car insurance comparison:
- Information about your own person
- Information about the vehicle
- Details of previous insurance
- Details of the desired insurance cover
To be able to use a premium calculator, the vehicle registration document should be available. The vehicle registration document is a two-part paper, which every vehicle owner must prove. There is a manufacturer's number on the vehicle registration certificate. This has four numbers.
In addition, the type code number is available, which consists of six digits. As a rule, only the first three digits are required. The vehicle can be clearly identified by these two numbers.
Tip: With some insurances also often the garage gives discounts.
Type code number without numbers?
However, it can also happen that the type code number does not contain any numbers, but only zeros. This is usually the case with import vehicles. Then the exact model designation, the year of manufacture and the HP/KW must be noted down. This allows the imported vehicle to be identified.
Car insurance: First registration of the vehicle
Also important for a car insurance is the first registration of the vehicle. This can also be found in the vehicle registration document and must be entered in the premium calculator.
The previous insurance can be communicated by the previous owner. The last premium invoice can be of great advantage for this purpose. There you will find all the data related to the no-claims bonus and the previous scope of services offered by the insurance company.
When registering with an insurance company, the insurance coverage is crucial. Fully comprehensive insurance is worthwhile for a new vehicle. For an older vehicle, the partial coverage insurance is usually sufficient. In addition, the deductible can be selected. The insurance becomes more favorable, if the own participation is higher.
Difference between fully comprehensive and partially comprehensive insurance
Basically, both types of insurance are responsible for replacing the damage to your own vehicle. Especially in the case of a novice driver, it can often happen that he causes damage to his own vehicle. For example, by taking garbage cans, street lamps or curbs.
In this case the insurance company intervenes. However, in the case of partial insurance, there is a possibility that the insurance will also pay in the case of accidents caused by game, lightning, floods, storms and glass breakage. For this the theft of the vehicle or the theft of objects from the vehicle is not included.
Fully comprehensive insurance also covers damage to a second vehicle. For example, after a collision that occurred through personal fault. Comprehensive insurance also applies if the damage was caused by third parties, who are not insured or cannot pay for the damage. In addition, the vehicle is also protected in case of vandalism. In this case the comprehensive insurance will also kick in.
Fully comprehensive insurance only makes sense for new cars
In principle, a fully comprehensive insurance is only necessary if the vehicle is a new car. With an old, used vehicle, comprehensive insurance is usually not worth it.
The fully comprehensive insurance is much higher than the partially comprehensive insurance. This can be determined in a comparison calculator.