Car insurance policies are meant for insuring risk on an automobile. Car insurance provides financial security for any kind of damage to self, or others, or the car, caused by a motor vehicle.

Car insurance provides protection against the cost of purchasing a new car if the old one is destroyed in a fire or stolen (comprehensive coverage); cost of repairing the car when damaged in an accident (collision coverage); cost of medical expenses and lost wages related to ownership, use and maintenance of an automobile (personal injury protection-PIP); cost of medical expenses that are not covered by PIP (medical payments -MP); and the cost of a claim against the driver of owner of the car when it causes damage to a third party (legal liability claims).

In many countries, auto insurance is mandatory for anyone driving on public roads. Liability coverage is also mandatory. However, liability insurance is not applicable when the policyholder drives any other vehicle except his/her own.

In some countries, premiums for car insurance are priced according to several risk factors, like the characteristics of the car, the usage of the car (predicted annual distance driven), the coverage selected (limit, deductible, covered perils), credit rating, driving history, age and sex of the driver. Car insurance plans can also have a flat rate, irrespective of the usage of the car. Other methods used to fix the rates are: reasonable estimation, odometer-based systems, GPS-based systems, OBDII-based systems and more.

The main aspects to be considered while buying car insurance are: coverage, policy limits per person, policy limits per accident, and liabilities like bodily injury liability, property damage liability etc. While choosing a company, look for: any complaints filed with the state insurance commissioner, payment practices of the company and other aspects like denial of medical payments, denying the customer right to arbitration in UIM claims and use of credit scoring to set premiums.

There are hundreds of insurance companies that are offering attractive deals on all kinds of car insurance. You can contact an insurance agent for getting the right car insurance policy. The internet is also a very good source for obtaining quotes, comparing various policies and deciding on the best one.