3 Types of Car Insurance in Singapore: What Suits Me Best?

If you are planning to get a car, the Singapore Government requires you to have an effective auto insurance policy. This is to account for potential liabilities and for others’ safety before putting your car on the road. Other than complying with this requirement, this actually presents a good opportunity to invest in not policy that goes beyond a basic precautious insurance policy. You may want to do more to protect your family and property if an unfortunate event occurs.

Beyond basic requirements, insurance companies provide diverse insurance covers to meet car owners’ needs. Of these, three categories of insurance policies sum up what people need concerning car insurance in Singapore. In this article, we enumerate what these policies are and give some insight on whether or not they are for you.

Types of Car Insurance Policy in Singapore

Third-Party Only (TPO)

Third-Party Only provides the essential and legally mandatory car insurance. The policy protects you from legal liability arising from a car accident due to your responsibility. 

The liability may range from a third party’s bodily injury and death, medical expenses, and financial loss to a third party’s property damage caused by you. The policy also covers legal costs incurred.

Pros

• The policy covers all the requirements, particularly legal liability arising from personal injury, death, property damage, and legal expenses by the laws.
• The maximum liability can be up to SGD5,000,000 maximum.
• It is suitable for budget car owner and infrequent driver rarely using their vehicles.
• TPO is the cheapest policy among the 3 types of car insurance policies.

Cons

• Lack of comprehensive coverage like car owner’s personal protection and insured car’s covers.
• No additional insurance add-ons are available.

Third-Party, Fire & Theft (TPFT)

Third-Party, Fire & Theft insurance is a middle-way policy between third-party only and far-away from comprehensive plans in terms of coverage and premiums. Besides basic coverage by TPO, TPFT offers coverage of car damage caused by fire and theft.

Pros

• TPFT may apply to cars over 8 years, which may not be eligible for comprehensive insurance underwriting criteria. Car owners aim to provide minimum protection to their cars.
• Options of workshops are available, so you have a wide choice over the workshop. Usually, insurance companies lower premiums for clients using authorized workshops.
• The policy covers spare parts and other accessories damaged caused by fire and theft.
• Clients can claim a towing charge of up to SGD300.
• You may purchase No-Claim-Discount (NCD) as an additional insurance add-on to keep your premiums low even if you have the first claim.
• A 24-hour roadside assistance add-on is available for purchase so that you can get help around the clock.

Cons

• TPFT lacks crucial insurance coverage like windscreen damage, natural disasters, and value replacement protection. Plan holders are vulnerable to sudden and ruinous loss beyond fire and theft.
• It is a modified TPO plan with minimum property protection against fire and theft. It does not offer to protect drivers and passengers from death or injury, excluding compensation amounts and medical expenses as most needed after an accident. And the insurance does not cover the income loss due to injury and transportation convenience due to vehicle repair. 

Comprehensive Plan

Besides covering the benefits offered by the former two types of insurance, a comprehensive car insurance policy provides car owners with the broadest scope of protection. The coverage ranges from liability to personal injury and death, indemnity, and property damage due to accidents and natural disasters.

The comprehensive policy is the most popular in Singapore as it covers most aspects of protection from accidental losses or an Act of God. Furthermore, insurance companies are more willing than ever to offer premium discounts to comprehensive plan clients.

Pros

• The compensation due to an accident can be up to the total market value of your vehicle determined at the time of accidents or natural disasters.
• It covers spare parts inside your car, like audio and video equipment.
• You can choose your favourite workshop for repair or an authorized workshop for reduced excess or premium.
• The coverage even offers a lifetime guarantee on repaired parts from authorized workshops.
• The “Replacement car” clause on the comprehensive plan offers substitution for your car beyond repair. The replacement value is equivalent to the value at the time of an accident. But the clause applies to cars produced only within 12 or 24 months.
• The comprehensive policy pays for your windscreen damaged by accidents or natural disasters with no or minor excess from 0 to not exceeding SGD100.
• You can reimburse towing charges of SGD200 to 300 if your vehicle breaks down on the way.
• One additional benefit is you may get a courtesy car to use for work or study if your car is under repair due to unfortunate events.
• Or, you may choose a daily transport allowance instead.
• Besides, you can have your belonging insured for a maximum amount.
• The comprehensive coverage offers personal injury or death insurance due to accidents.
• Medical insurance is also available to you, your family members, and other named and unnamed drivers for unexpected medical costs.
• 24/7 roadside assistance is available when you need aid and advice.

Cons

• Some additional insurance may require insurance excess you have co-pay before an insurance company pays the rest.
• You may have to pay higher premiums if you prefer having your car repaired rather than at a specified workshop by an insurance company.
• The premiums and excess for unnamed, young, and inexperienced drivers are higher.

The Best Insurance Plans in Singapore for Each Type

To get you started, here are the best insurance plans for each type offered in Singapore, which you may want to look into. Note that the estimated car insurance quotes below are based on a standard male driver aged 35.

*Prices are for reference only. Please refer to insurance companies for details.

Final Thoughts

Third-party Only, Third-party, Fire and Theft, and Comprehensive plans differ in coverage and premiums. As such, choosing between the three entails an assessment of your needs and budget. 

Key Takeaways

• Third-party only plans cover only the legal liability arising from a car accident due to your responsibility. As such, this is the most ideal for budget drivers or drivers of aged cars who just want to fulfil the legal requirement.
• Third-party, fire, and theft plans and comprehensive plans cover additional scenarios and offer more holistic protection for your vehicle. This is ideal if you’re looking for more coverage and protection. 
• More protection means more premiums. The comprehensive plan provides all-around benefits and ranks with the highest premiums among the 3 policies.
• In any case, additional insurance add-ons are also available to enhance coverage.

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