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Comprehensive coverage typically kicks in to help you cover the cost of repairing your car after damage from anything other than a collision with another car. You can think of comprehensive car insurance as protection against some of the more unexpected — and uncontrollable — damages that can happen.
Damages covered by comprehensive insurance can include:
You’ll need a different policy type for other kinds of damages, including:
Because comprehensive typically covers your car for anything other than an accident, you’ll need other types of insurance for everything else. For example, third-party liability insurance pays for damages you may have caused to another driver in an accident, and collision car insurance covers your car repair bill.
When you combine liability, comprehensive and collision policies, you get what’s called full-coverage insurance.
Guide to car insurance coverage
Unlike third-party liability insurance, you’re usually not legally required to have comprehensive coverage. One exception to that is Manitoba, where people are required by provincial law to purchase it. However, even if you’re not legally required where you live to have comprehensive coverage, that doesn’t mean you won’t need it, or that you shouldn’t otherwise get it.
You might want to opt for comprehensive insurance if:
The biggest reason you might want to pass on comprehensive insurance is the value of your car. If your car isn’t worth much, it could cost more to keep up insurance than it would to just put aside money for repairs or replacement.
A good way to tell if your car is worth enough to get comprehensive coverage is to compare the cost of your annual premium and deductible to your car’s value. If the premium and deductible combined are more than your car’s worth, you may be better off without.
The average cost of full coverage car insurance runs around $264 per month, or $3,168 every year. In car insurance terms, full coverage means all provincially-mandated coverage as well as comprehensive and collision.
Some insurers also offer roadside assistance for free with comprehensive coverage, which is an added plus. The best way to find the cheapest comprehensive policy is to compare quotes from a few companies.
To find the average car insurance rate, we looked at full coverage quotes with the following driver profile:
Comprehensive coverage comes with a deductible. You’ll choose how much you want your deductible to be when you’re buying insurance.
To decide what your deductible should be, weigh how much car repairs could cost against how much you’re willing to pay out of your own pocket. The higher you set your deductible, the lower your insurance premiums will be.
You always park your car on the street after coming home from work. One night, a tree falls on your car, smashing the hood. You're now stuck with a repair bill of $5,000.
Luckily, you have comprehensive coverage. After you pay your $500 deductible, your insurance covers the additional $4,500 for your car repair.
* This is a fictional, but realistic, example.
Liability insurance encompasses 2 parts: bodily injury liability and property damage liability. If you’re at fault in an accident, you’re liable for the cost of damages to someone else’s property, as well as the cost of medical care the other driver might incur. Liability does not cover any of your own personal expenses.
While liability covers the cost of injury to other drivers and their property, comprehensive ensures that you’re covered for the expense of replacing or repairing your own vehicle and damages that aren’t within your control and aren’t related to a car accident. Some situations that are covered under comprehensive include natural disasters, fire and theft.
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Comprehensive coverage offers protection against non-collision auto damage. It can offer peace of mind knowing you’re covered when the unexpected happens. To find the best price, compare different insurers.
Typically damage from animals would include a wild animal damaging your car — like hitting a deer, squirrels chewing through wires or a bird flying into your windshield.
You can typically purchase up to the actual cash value of your car. That means if your car is a total loss, you’ll only pay your deductible to replace it.
The best way is to check with your provincial or territorial ministry of transportation. Most likely, you’ll be required to carry third party liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage. You may also be required to buy personal injury protection or medical payments coverage.
If you’re leasing your car, you’ll also want to check with your lender. Most lenders require comprehensive and collision insurance.
Roslyn McKenna is an insurance expert who's driven to help people get a great deal on insurance to protect their families and finances. Roslyn earned a BA in writing and communications from Maryville College and has written professionally for more than a decade, showing up on Bankrate, MSN and Reader's Digest.
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