Comprehensive vs Collision Insurance Coverage

Comprehensive vs. collision coverage comparison

Even if you’re not very familiar with car insurance, you may have heard of collision coverage and comprehensive coverage. These coverage types offer physical protection for your vehicle.

Please note: if you’re looking for an in-depth review of what these coverages are rather than the difference between them, see our guide to comprehensive insurance or our guide to collision coverage.

What’s the difference between comprehensive and collision insurance?

As we stated, comprehensive and collision only offer physical coverage to your vehicle. Where this physical coverage differs concerns what caused the damage to your vehicle. Collision coverage refers to damage caused by an actual collision — you collide with another car, a wall or a pole. Comprehensive, on the other hand, refers to things that generally happen outside of your control. Things like theft, vandalism, and animal-related damage. Here’s a handy breakdown:

COMPARISON: COLLISION VS. COMPREHENSIVE CAR INSURANCE

These coverages may be paired with liability insurance coverage, which provides protection for damage you do to others (bodily injury) or their property (property damage).

The benefits of comprehensive and collision

Carrying both comprehensive and collision coverage on your car insurance policy is a combination often referred to as “full coverage”. These protections provide peace of mind for nearly every possible loss your vehicle could endure. Comprehensive coverage is a catch-all solution for many possible damages, so you can rest assured you will be reimbursed if your car is severely damaged or stolen.

With collision insurance, you don’t have to worry about high repair costs after an accident, as you will only be responsible for the deductible you set, which is — in cases of serious damage— often going to be less than the cost of the repairs. Additionally, the collision claims process offers a quicker turnaround time for repairs; you can start the repairs sooner, rather than counting on the other driver’s insurance company to first work out who is at fault. Still, if you file the claim and it is later determined that the other driver’s liability coverage will pay, you are likely to be reimbursed automatically.

All in all, comprehensive and collision coverage offer peace of mind for drivers. While premiums with these protections are generally higher than liability-only coverage, you can save money on costly repairs if you do experience a covered loss.

Comprehensive claims vs. collision claims: which cost more?

One of the primary differences between comprehensive and collision coverage is the difference in premium costs resulting from a claim. A collision claim is often seen as an "at-fault accident," leading to substantial insurance rate increases moving forward. A comprehensive claim, on the other hand, is often seen as outside the control of the driver and doesn’t impact premiums much, if at all.

COMPREHENSIVE VS. COLLISION CLAIMS — AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE INCREASES

The difference between a collision claim and a comprehensive claim is about $589 a year.

How much do comprehensive and collision insurance cost?

On average, your comprehensive and collision coverage takes up about half of your insurance coverage premium. You can save some premium by raising your deductibles, as your deductibles are inversely related to your premium.

AVERAGE INSURANCE COSTS AT POPULAR DEDUCTIBLE LEVELS

When can I drop comprehensive and collision?

As stated, comprehensive and collision coverage are almost always required by lenders for drivers who are leasing or financing their vehicles. Drivers such as these can only drop this coverage once the vehicle is fully owned and paid off. At that point, you may choose to drop these protections.

For drivers of fully-owned vehicles, there is no correct method to determine when to drop comprehensive and collision. However, a good rule of thumb to follow is when the value of your car and its replacement parts become close to the price of your premiums and deductibles.

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