Car insurance is the most important aspects of owning a car.  Every driver places great value in their motor vehicle and protecting your investment is absolutely vital.  When you think about it, you use your motor vehicle just about every day and some drivers, especially mothers, use their vehicles to pick up children from school and to do the shopping which requires several short trips a day.

On each of these occasions you’re placing yourself at the mercy of other drivers and of various road conditions that prevail from time to time.  Car insurance gives you the peace of mind you need to go about your daily life because you can use your vehicle knowing that it is protected at all times.

When it comes to renew your insurance it's tempting to stay with the same insurance company, and this is especially the case if you have had previous claims and have been treated fairly.  This is an important aspect when it comes to choosing the correct insurer, but you should also consider the costs involved as insurance is a very competitive industry and you might be surprised how much you can save by shopping around a little.

The question to ask yourself is how many car insurance quotes should I get?

This is a question which is nearly impossible to answer simply so let's look at a couple of things you should be thinking about when obtaining your next car insurance quote.

• Write down the things that are important to you about car insurance.  For instance, are you the only driver or do you need to nominate several family members as alternative drivers of the vehicle?  What are the ages of the drivers and what their respective driving experience is?  One should have a complete list of things that are important to you, or that are peculiar to your circumstances, you'll be able to get quotes from various companies knowing you are comparing apples with apples.
• Do you require an excess?  Changing the excess on your policy affects the premium that will be charged so you should be careful in determining how much you are prepared to pay for every claim that you may lodge.  Make sure your decision fits within your budget.
• How often do you usual car?  Some insurers will discount your policy if you only travel a limited number of kilometres every year.  Look at your vehicle's recent history and work out how much you actually usual car on a daily basis.  Ask every insurer you call whether they have a policy that has a reduced premium for either specialty or reduced usages.
• Market value?  Most vehicle insurance companies give you the option of insuring your car for either market value or a nominated value.  If you have a special vehicle, for example an antique or heavily optioned vehicle, you may wish to nominate a specific amount for your insurance so that you are not underinsured by opting for market value.

These simple questions should be asked of every insurance company you call when organising your car insurance.  Make sure you get at least three quotes or more to get the best price on your vehicle insurance.