Family car insurance

Insurers don't actually offer a specific family car insurance policy. A lot of the time, 'family insurance' is used to describe multi car cover, which lets you insure multiple cars registered at your address under one policy. It can reduce your annual premium – meaning, more money to spend on the kids (or yourself!).

With a multi car policy from Hastings Direct, we'll insure both drivers in a single household – even if you're unrelated.

A multi car policy will mean there's only one renewal date to remember, making it easier to manage.

Whether you have a single or multi car insurance policy with Hastings Direct, you'll get to enjoy benefits such as:

• Windscreen and windows cover (comprehensive policy)
• Personal accident cover up to £5,000 (comprehensive policy)
• Child car seat cover
• No claims discount up to 65%
• Courtesy car if yours is being repaired by an approved repairer
• EU cover for up to 90 days per trip
• Cover for factory-fitted audio equipment
• Uninsured driver and vandalism promise (comprehensive policy).

You can also tailor your insurance policy by choosing from our range of optional extras, such as motor legal expenses, enhanced personal accident insurance and family breakdown cover.

If you have a car insurance policy in place, you could always add another person as a named driver onto your policy – for instance, if your teen has just passed their driving test and you're happy for them to drive your car. Adding them to a multi car policy could help them to keep down the typically high costs associated with being a new driver.

What's really important is that you're honest about who drives the car most – and make sure that person is named on the policy as the main (or primary) driver. This doesn't have to be the owner of the car, but they have to be the person who's behind the wheel the majority of the time, as the premium will largely be based on their driving experience and history.

In fact, wrongly naming someone as a main driver is a type of insurance fraud known as 'fronting'. In most cases, your insurance policy will be invalidated and you could struggle to take out car insurance in the future.

The price you pay for cover depends on a number of factors, from your home address to your job, to more obvious things like how many years you've been driving. The type of car you drive also has a big part to play – if you're looking to upgrade your current motor while keeping costs to a minimum, Compare the Market rounded up the top ten family cars. They include:

• Skoda Superb estate. With a large, pushchair-friendly boot and spacious interior, the Superb estate is a great choice if you have young kids. It's a comfortable drive and has low running costs, meaning even more savings!
• Renault Captur. This supermini SUV has a large, practical cabin, making it easy for kids (or grandparents) to get in and out. It's also known for its low CO2 emissions, so is a good choice for the environmentally conscious.
• Volvo XC90. As well as having low premiums, the XC90 boasts a stylish interior and infotainment system to keep the kids entertained on long journeys.
• Volkswagen Passat estate. If you're a family of intrepid explorers and make regular road trips, you'd be hard pressed to find a better model than the Passat estate. The super-spacious provides ample space for all your gear – and the family dog!