Searching for a car insurance policy is straightforward if you’re willing to make a long-term commitment. There is no shortage of car insurance providers willing to offer you incentives to jump on board. However, finding car insurance for a short-period can be expensive and frustrating.

There are many reasons why a short-term car insurance policy may be required. You may be test-driving a vehicle, borrowing a car from a friend, lending your car to someone else or teaching someone to drive.

However, in these instances the market is not so competitive. Even though your needs are pressing and you need to find a cheap car insurance quote quickly, many insurers are only interested in long-term commitments. In other words, you’re more hassle than you’re worth.

Now however, one insurer is attempting to plug the gap in the market - Budget car insurance has launched a new product that provides instant cover online or on the phone for as little as 6 a day.

This means that you can pick up car insurance quickly for any period ranging from one day to four weeks, hassle free.

There are other advantages to short-term car insurance too. A separate temporary policy will protect your no-claims discount on your regular car insurance.

For example, if you are allowing your student son or daughter to use your car during a holiday period and they have an accident, this would usually wipe out your no-claims bonus. With a separate short-term policy however, you get the pay-out you need without losing your savings.

Short-term car insurance certainly solves a lot of problems and will provide an ideal solution for many drivers. However, before you buy you should still shop around for cheap car insurance with a comparison tool to ensure you’re getting the most competitive quote available.