Pulled over for tints-Getting 6 points for invalid insurance

Pulled over for tints-Getting 6 points for invalid insurance

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Discussion

e-honda

9,011 posts

148 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
WrekinCrew said:
Probably dumb question but - could illegally tinted windows invalidate insurance even if OP had commuting cover?
If they weren't declared it could have been misrepresentation legal or not, if they were declared no, legal or not they have accepted the risk.

J2daG1990

1,185 posts

128 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
Unfortunately I don't think there's anyway out of this one.

You have Social, Domestic & Pleasure insurance on the vehicle you were driving (not commuting) and you've told the police you were driving to work.

Black and white offence, regardless of it being a genuine mistake or not.

Front tints and illegal number plate spacings are just invitation for police pull-overs. Also knew someone who got pulled for front tints and he ended up with another 6 points for low tread on his tyres.

Edited by J2daG1990 on Monday 20th May 09:49

Dog Star

16,172 posts

170 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
essayer said:
Dog Star said:
I know this because this year I’ve removed commuting from all but one of our cars and bikes… I get the train on the rare dates I go in.
But do you drive/ride to the station? That’s also commuting
No. I do not possess a vehicle that I would leave in a station car park. Mrs DS takes me and collects me - however up until very recently we had commuting cover in everything so it’s irrelevant. Only her SLK has cover now.


motco

16,006 posts

248 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
cay said:
You don't have to include 'commuting' in insurance...

https://www.lv.com/car-insurance/for-car-insurance...
That's LV but Admiral are different Admiral class guide here

It says
Admiral said:
Social Domestic and Pleasure
The class of use described as Social, Domestic and Pleasure covers the drivers named on the policy for normal day to day driving. Shopping, visiting friends or family and pleasure driving such as going to the park or on holiday.

For Admiral, this doesn't include commuting to work, but some insurers only offer a combined class of use called Social, Domestic, Pleasure and Commuting. It’s best to check when you’re getting a quote to be sure of the cover you’re getting.

Commuting
Commuting is the next class up, and covers everything included in Social, Domestic and Pleasure, plus driving to and from one place of work in a day. Driving your car to the train station and leaving it there while you go to work counts as commuting for some insurers.

Durzel

12,302 posts

170 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
Seems like there needs to be standardisation of this. Why does LV= sell "SD&P" when it actuality they also cover Commuting under it? Just call it "SDP&C".

I'd have some sympathy for someone who has only ever insured with LV=, so that's all their experience has been.

Obviously one is expected to read their insurance documents carefully to make sure one is fully insured for the purposes they require. No excuse for not doing that and just assuming - like people do for "drive other cars", just assuming they have it.

As for tints - OP was told the outfit "didn't have any legal tints" but went ahead anyway.


bobtail4x4

3,731 posts

111 months

Monday 20th May
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I suppose everyone still thinks they have driving other cars cover?

119

6,899 posts

38 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
Why aren't people capable of reading 'small print'?

E-bmw

9,331 posts

154 months

Monday 20th May
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119 said:
Why aren't people capable of reading 'small print'?
That isn't even small.

braddo

10,630 posts

190 months

Monday 20th May
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Durzel said:
Seems like there needs to be standardisation of this. Why does LV= sell "SD&P" when it actuality they also cover Commuting under it? Just call it "SDP&C".
I'd say it is pretty standardised and LV is the outlier.

There are millions and millions of people who don't use a car to commute to work, which is why policies that exclude commuting have been around for decades.

Not sure it's helpful for people to be calling the OP stupid. More like a reality check for a young person about how careful one needs to be with insurers and understanding how strict the coverage terms can be.

Edited by braddo on Monday 20th May 11:00

Super Sonic

5,219 posts

56 months

Monday 20th May
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911hope said:
Super Sonic said:
Op I'm pretty sure that if you can show your insurance had been updated you should be able to appeal.
If you Google 'How to appeal a no insurance...' the top article is police advice telling you what to do.
Wrong

Why would ceasing to commit an offence render prior occasions legal?

Edited by 911hope on Monday 20th May 09:03
When I posted this I assumed op had updated his insurance BEFORE driving the car. This was before he said he had updated his insurance 'within the hour' (of being stopped) I nowhere stated or implied 'ceasing to commit an offence (would) render prior occasions illegal'. You have taken my post out of context.

Pit Pony

8,832 posts

123 months

Monday 20th May
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Monkeylegend said:
Forester1965 said:


OP- were your tints declared as a modification on your policy?
There are silly questions and there are silly questions hehe
Silly because we know that they weren't declared.

55palfers

5,926 posts

166 months

Monday 20th May
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What about extra cover for "the school run"?

Just as fraught with danger as "commuting"

Red9zero

7,075 posts

59 months

Monday 20th May
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55palfers said:
What about extra cover for "the school run"?

Just as fraught with danger as "commuting"
As my dog walks coincide with the school run times I couldn't agree more. Some of the young mums are absolutely terrifying behind the wheel.

Rusty Old-Banger

4,128 posts

215 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
To be fair, if I were a commuter, to my "main" office every day, then nearly 90% of my mileage would be commuting. I can see why an insurance company would want to make the distinction there.

Roger Irrelevant

2,971 posts

115 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
J2daG1990 said:
Front tints and illegal number plate spacings are just invitation for police pull-overs. Also knew someone who got pulled for front tints and he ended up with another 6 points for low tread on his tyres.
Agreed. The 'not having commuting on that car's insurance' is an error that a lot of people might have made, me included. But I do always think that if you're going to play silly buggers with things like illegal tints or numberplates on dashboards because it 'fell off', then you need to be very careful that everything else with your car will pass muster. You're basically inviting any passing traffic officer to have a good poke around.

911hope

2,766 posts

28 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
Look on the bright side. Getting points and a fine and loaded premiums is still a much better outcome than having an accident while uninsured.

Had this happened and you were at fault, and you gave someone life changing injuries......

TwigtheWonderkid

43,655 posts

152 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
55palfers said:
What about extra cover for "the school run"?

Just as fraught with danger as "commuting"
If an insurance co had stats to show a significant number of claims were reported as "taking my child to school" when the driver was asked what they were using the car for at the time, they might do. One can only assume their stats don't back up our hunches.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,655 posts

152 months

Monday 20th May
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Sheepshanks said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
So I'm retired. I never leave the house in the car until 10:30am at the earliest. You cannot see how that might make me a better risk than someone driving in rush hour traffic twice a day, 5 days a week, to work? I mean, seriously??
Bearing in mind that commuting, and even Class 1, often don’t seem to make any difference to the premium, it obviously isn’t considered to be that much riskier.
It only needs to be considered slightly more risky by a particular insurer for them to differentiate.

Bigends

5,445 posts

130 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
Interesting question - was the OP under any obligation to declare where he was travelling to?

Caddyshack

11,007 posts

208 months

Monday 20th May
quotequote all
J2daG1990 said:
Unfortunately I don't think there's anyway out of this one.

You have Social, Domestic & Pleasure insurance on the vehicle you were driving (not commuting) and you've told the police you were driving to work.

Black and white offence, regardless of it being a genuine mistake or not.

Front tints and illegal number plate spacings are just invitation for police pull-overs. Also knew someone who got pulled for front tints and he ended up with another 6 points for low tread on his tyres.

Edited by J2daG1990 on Monday 20th May 09:49
How about "The officer must have mis-heard me, I said I was driving to Warwick, not work" Lol - I know it would be perverting the course....


I know a chap who had an accident and mentioned to the Police that he needed to phone the job he was travelling to....OOPS! His insurer did not pay out as he said he did not use it for work as a self employed plasterer.