all makes and models of car s are given a 'group number' by the insurance trade association, This depends on the risk and costs related to each car and so affects what insurers will charge to insure it.

It ranges from the lowest 1 to the highest 20, based on factors like a car's value, performance, security and costs to repair. Most car magazines with price listings in the back will give the insurance group of the cars featured.

Due to this range of factors, even very similar types of car can have quite different insurance group numbers, and the cost to insure them will vary significantly. So a car's insurance group is always worth checking before buying.

this basically means 'someone else'. The law requires that you must have car insurance that at the very least covers damage you could cause with your car to someone else's property, or to treat injuries you may cause.

Always remember; we can deliver your third party sticker to your door step, just phone us on   +256 776 400 400 or send us an email on insurance @ugandautotraders.com.

when an insurer 'writes off' your car, they have decided that the cost of repairing it is more than its value and so the repair is not worth doing.

Instead they will pay you what they feel was its 'fair market value' before the damage was done. For newer cars, the insurer may find you a matching replacement car, rather than pay you the value of your old car. For cars up to one year old, some insurers will provide a brand new replacement.

There are four categories of write off, depending on the severity of the damage. Category A cars are those effectively destroyed, with no salvageable parts. Cat B cars are too severely damaged to be repaired, but a few parts can be salvaged. Cat C cars are potentially repairable, but the cost of repair would exceed the car's value. Cat D write offs could be repaired for less than the car's value but associated extra costs, such as providing a courtesy car, make it uneconomic for an insurance company to do so.

To dispute a decision to write off your car, first ask your insurer which category your car falls into, to see if a buy-back is possible. Taking the payout from your insurance company - normally market value minus salvage value - it may make sense to have your car repaired independentl y. With some paperwork, your car will be re-classified as repaired. But be aware that its record will still carry a history of 'accident damage' and this may affect your car's future value and ability to sell it on.

For help determining the market value of your car so you can make sure your insurance company pays you a fair amount, contact us on +256 776 400 400 or email insurance @ugandautotraders.com

this is an amount of money that you are expected to contribute towards the cost of any claim you make, whether or not you were at fault for an accident.

There is often a compulsory excess set by the insurance company, which you will have to pay if you make a claim. Plus the facility for an additional voluntary excess - you choose the amount. Volunteering to pay more towards a claim means you take on more risk, so the cost of your policy will be reduced.

If another party is found to be at fault for an accident, you should be able to reclaim from them the excess you have paid, as well as your repair costs.

what you have to do when your car has been damaged and you want your insurance, or somebody else's, to pay for it.

this is the amount an insurer proposes to charge to insure you for one year, on the basis of the information you have provided. Quotes are normally valid for around a month.

To help you get all the important details you need about car insurance - not just the headline price

this is the amount you have actually paid for your insurance policy.

this is a discount that insurers will give you off your premium if you haven't claimed on your insurance in previous years. The more years without a claim, the bigger the bonus - often up to an extremely valuable 60 - 70%.

You can take your bonus between insurance companies if you switch when you renew by just providing your renewal document to prove that you are entitled to it.

But remember, this discount really is as it says - for no claims . It's not fault-related. If you have to claim, even for something that was not your fault, you will very likely still lose your discount - unless it is 'protected' (see below).

Sometimes small claims in specified areas, like claims for broken windows/windscreen, will not affect your discount. But this varies between insurers, so check the small-print of the policy if you're concerned.

if you have had a number of years without a claim on your insurance, and so are getting a big 'no claims' discount, you can often opt to protect it by paying a bit extra.

The deal varies between insurers, but if you protect your bonus you are normally allowed to claim once and keep your entire bonus, and perhaps even twice and have your bonus reduced only slightly - within a given period of normally several years. More claims than that and you are likely to lose your no claims bonus anyway, even if protected.

If you have a good driving record, this is well worth including in your policy. It'll cost a bit extra, but if you have an accident you might lose a discount that could be worth hundreds.

for a further extra fee on top of the 'protected' discount charge, some insurers will maintain your no claims discount no matter how many claims you make. This is normally only available to drivers with a good record, and of course will only make a difference if you choose to renew your insurance with the same company.