Third party, only car insurance

Third party only (TPO) cover is the most basic type of car insurance you can buy and the minimum cover required by law in the UK.

With such a policy you'll be covered for liability for injury to others (including passengers), damage to third party property and liability whilst towing.

The cover also applies in the event of you injuring an animal.

You won't be covered for damage to your own vehicle, whether accidental or otherwise, meaning that if your own car is damaged you'll have to pay for it to be repaired or replaced.

It won't include costs arising from your vehicle being stolen, damaged by fire or damaged by vandals, and you should consider other areas such as flood damage.

What's more, if you're injured you might have to pay for your own medical costs, such as physiotherapy.

Remember also that not all TPO policies are the same - they all differ, so make sure you read the terms and conditions.

In our quote process, you'll be given a clear choice of whether you want to compare third party only, third party, fire and theft, or comprehensive car insurance policies, and on your results page you'll also see telematics policies.

Gocompare.com was built on the principle of helping you review policy features as well as price and we use Defaqto star ratings to further distinguish the options you see in the results.

Cost of third party only insurance

TPO insurance is often thought to be the cheapest option, but this isn't necessarily the case and it's always worth comparing all types of cover to see which is the right product for you.

Because statistics show that TPO policies tend to attract high-risk drivers, insurers price products accordingly.

This means that it's possible you could arrange a more comprehensive level of cover for a comparable, or even a cheaper, price.

If you're looking to save a bit of money on your cover and still ensure you get the product you need, try our article on cutting the cost of car insurance.

By Sean Davies