Many comprehensive car insurance policies come with windscreen cover but how do you know when to make a claim and will it affect your no claims discount? Read our guide to find out more.

Are you protected?

In the UK, car insurance is a legal necessity, but the level of cover you have will depend on the provider and the type of policy you take out. Broadly, there are three levels of cover:

- Third party only - Covers liability against injuries to others, damage to their property and liability from towing a caravan or trailer.
- Third party, fire and theft – Offers the same protection as third party cover while also protecting your own vehicle against fire damage, theft and attempted theft.
- Comprehensive cover – All of the protection offered by third party, fire and theft policies plus cover for the cost of repairs to your own vehicle following an accident (subject to exclusions). Cover varies between insurers but policies typically include personal accident cover, accidental damage and windscreen cover.

So if you have standard third party or third party fire and theft cover you will not be protected for windscreen or glass damage unless your insurer offers windscreen cover for an additional premium. Most comprehensive policies do incorporate windscreen cover but you must read the terms and conditions carefully and check for policy exclusions – for example, are you protected against accidental damage to your windscreen and are you protected for windscreen damage that occurs if you take the vehicle off-road?

Remember that a mirror with a crack or blemish could cause your car to fail its MOT – so deal with any issues as soon as possible.

How does windscreen cover work?

Typically windscreen cover includes the following:

- Repair or replacement of broken glass in your car's windscreen or windows.
- Repair or replacement of broken glass in sunroofs.
- Scratches to the bodywork caused by broken glass.

Some insurers will stipulate that there should be no other loss or damage to the vehicle when making a claim relating to windscreen cover. This is because windscreen cover typically carries a separate excess payment to the other aspects of a policy.

Whereas with most insurance claims you will pay a compulsory excess in the event of a claim, plus a voluntary excess that you have agreed at the outset, with windscreen cover there is usually a separate excess payment – usually in the region of £50-£60. With some insurers you may not have to pay the excess if the glass is repaired and not replaced, so check the terms and conditions carefully.

Due to the excess that applies on many policies it may be more cost effective to deal with some minor repairs without involving the insurer. For example, replacement wing mirror glass is available for as little as £7.99 with some companies and has self-adhesive backing that can be fitted in seconds, so in instances like these, there may be no need to make a claim.

What about your no-claims discount?

A no-claims bonus is effectively a reward for safe driving – for every year you go without making a claim you may be able to build up a discount up to a maximum level which could be worth as much as 60 per cent off your premiums after five years.

Thankfully, many insurers treat windscreen cover separately from other claims and making a claim for repair/replacement of glass won’t affect your no-claims bonus. However, you should check with your insurer before making a claim – with some insurers, for example, you may lose your no-claims bonus if glass needs to be replaced rather than repaired.

What if your premiums rise?

If your car insurance premiums have risen as a result of a claim, then use a comparison website at renewal time to see if there are cheaper deals available.

Typically, insurers offer their cheapest car insurance quotes online due to the savings they make on overheads and many offer introductory incentives to new customers. As such it makes sense to shop around on an annual basis and by using a comparison website you could potentially compare more than 100 quotes with a single search meaning it needn’t be a time consuming task.