Child on board: How to choose the right car seat
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Car insurance can cover your child’s car seat or booster if it’s damaged in an accident. If you need it, we can help you find the right cover.
If your car seat’s been involved in a road accident you need to replace it, even if it doesn’t have any obvious signs of damage. It might have become weakened by the impact of the accident, making it less effective in the future.
If you have child seat cover, it’ll save you the cost of a new one if your vehicle's in a collision.
But you shouldn't assume that it'll be automatically covered by your car insurance.
According to Defaqto, 15% of 325 comprehensive car insurance policies wouldn’t cover the replacement cost of a child seat following an accident.
The level of cover wasn’t the same on all policies either. 30% of policies would pay out a fixed amount while 42% would fully reimburse the cost of a car seat.[1]
If you’ve got a particularly expensive car seat, check your car insurance policy to make sure you have adequate cover for it.
Also check whether you’re covered for your child seat being stolen from your locked vehicle.
Although some car insurance policies automatically include car seat cover, you might need to pay to add it as an optional extra, or it might not be offered at all by your provider.
A number of tailored women's car insurance policies offer child car seat cover, as well as other targeted benefits such as handbag insurance.
It’s illegal to use gender to calculate car insurance premiums, but some insurers still target their advertising and products at women - which is perfectly legal.
Don’t worry, dads and grandpas – these companies won’t stop men taking out a policy, even if it’s marketed towards women.
Here’s a checklist for parents and carers to think about when choosing their motor insurance:
Consider excess levels, and how much your no-claims bonus will be affected after an incident, too.
If you work as a child minder or in another job where you transport children in your vehicle, you'll need to tell your insurer - you may need business car insurance
Find out how your job affects your car insurance and how to insure your car for work use so you know what to look out for when comparing policies
Insuring child car seats and other children's accessories could save you money in the long run, and you should be prepared to be asked about insurance by the parents of children in your care
If you need to hire a car, the fees charged by rental firms for including a car seat can be expensive.
Think about taking your own seat, renting one from somewhere other than the car hire firm, or even buying a seat at your travel destination to use for the duration of your trip.
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[1]Last checked 3 January 2023