One in three (32%) UK hire car drivers1 are questioning whether they need excess protection because they consider themselves “good drivers”, including 19% who believe they don’t and 14% who are unsure. These are the finds from the new Opinium research1 from iCarhireinsurance.com, a leading provider of specialist car hire excess reimbursement insurance.
However, even the most careful motorists make claims for hire car damage. Claims analysis2 by iCarhireinsurance.com found that one in five claims involved incidents drivers described as "not their fault", and more than a quarter (27%) of claims2 involve damage done while the car was parked or being parked, such as another driver reversing into the car, shopping trolleys damaging bodywork, or another car door hitting the vehicle in a crowded car park.
Excess cover protects drivers against the excess amount they may face if a hire car is damaged or stolen, even when it is not the hirer’s fault. This can often be around £1,7003.
Despite this, confusion around hire car excess cover remains widespread.
Almost one in three (30%)1 hire car drivers admit to having driven a hire car without fully understanding what their insurance covered, while 29%1 say they purchased excess protection without knowing exactly what was included.
Research also suggests many drivers may be overpaying. Only half (52%)1 of hire car drivers correctly knew that excess protection does not need to be purchased directly from the rental company - yet buying a standalone excess reimbursement policy from a specialist provider could save travellers around £240 over a week-long rental, according to a 12-country cost comparison study3.
A standalone policy from a specialist provider, like iCarhireinsurance.com, starts from just £33.154 for an 8-day policy. Independent policies also often include theft, tyre and windscreen cover as standard - protection that rental desk waivers often exclude.
Ben Wooltorton from iCarhireinsurance.com said: “Many drivers assume that being careful behind the wheel means they don’t need excess protection, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Some of the most common claims we see involve cars that aren’t moving, whether that’s a scrape in a car park, damage while loading luggage or another driver reversing into a vehicle that is legally parked. Even if you're not at fault, you can still face an excess charge of around £1,7003.
“Drivers should check exactly what their hire agreement covers, understand what excess they could be liable for and compare protection options from specialist providers, like iCarhireinsurance.com, before arriving at the rental desk, where cover is often significantly more expensive.”
Sources
1 Opinium online survey with 1,000 adults who have hired a car in the UK or abroad took place between 16 - 23 March 2026.
2 iCarhireinsurance.com analysed claims from June to August 2019.
3 iCarhireinsurance.com surveyed the costs for a week’s car hire and extras (such as excess protection, car seats, sat navs and extra drivers) from 25 July to 1 August 2026 in 12 countries (Australia, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and the USA). Prices were checked across six major rental companies - Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt.
It found that rental companies charge on average £242 per week for excess cover (£208 for super damage waiver and £34 for tyre and windscreen waiver cover).
The average starting excess cover was £1,779.
4 £33.15 based on a 30-year-old UK resident buying an 8-day single-trip car hire excess policy from iCarhireinsurance.com for use in Europe. Price correct as June 2026.
