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Car Insurance -
Driving without a care in the world |
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A poll from Swiftcover.com has found that almost a third of drivers (29 per cent) wrongly believe they are insured to drive another person's car.
In the same poll, 20 per cent of drivers admitted they are not sure if they would be covered if they were involved in an accident while smoking, eating or drinking. Although none of these activities are illegal in themselves, they could be considered negligent and therefore invalidate your policy.
And ten per cent of drivers assumed that the cost of ruining their engine by accidentally filling it with the wrong type of fuel would be covered – but if you use petrol instead of diesel, your insurer probably won't pay out, according to swiftcover.
Tina Shortle of swiftcover says: "While choosing the lowest price car insurance policy is most people's objective, it is also important to know exactly what is and isn't covered.
"Drivers make a lot of assumptions about their policies, so it's best to read all terms and conditions carefully and to regularly review the terms."
Other results from the poll reveal other worrying trends. 13 million motorists mistakenly believe they do not have to tell their motor insurer if you have fewer than six points on their licence.
A spokesperson explains: "If you have a minor accident – like if you backed into a lamp post and dented the bumper – then you wouldn't have to tell your insurer. But if you make a claim, and you switch insurer, you will need to tell them."
"If you don't and you have to make a claim, they probably won't pay," the Tescocompare spokesperson adds.
"But if it is your first offence, your premium probably won't go up that much. If you have six to nine points on your licence, you can expect a substantial increase. But for three points, it won't be too bad – some won't put it up at all!"
It is also important to tell your insurer of any changes to your circumstances, Erik Nelson from Norwich Union says.
"The important thing is if your circumstances change, you need to let your insurer know. If you move house, and your new house has a garage, actually you could get some money back.
"So a change doesn't necessarily mean an increase in your premium – in most cases, there is not. But we do need to know."
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