Commuting without commuting cover on insurance?
Discussion
Aretnap said:
supermono said:
Although as regards the driving without insurance, I'm still puzzled as to why the police claim this is not a civil offence between you and the insurance company (other than because They Are The Law). There is nothing contained in your policy document that stops a third party from claiming, therefore you are insured. Ok the insco can come after you for the money if they decide you weren't honest, but I don't understand how/if/why anyone would ever be convicted of driving without insurance for lying/failure to disclose. Perhaps someone in the know can explain.
Because you're not insured, basically. Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act requires that you only drive if you're covered by an insurance policy. If your policy only covers you to do X and you're actually doing Y then you're not covered by an insurance policy. It's as simple as that, really.Quite separately to that, there are provisions such as Section 151 of the Road Traffic Act and Article 75 of the MIB agreement which can force an insurer to pay out to third parties even though you're not covered by an insurance policy. However they do not modify the terms of your policy or create an alternative policy for you which meets the requirements of s143. They're there to protect other people from the consequences of your uninsured driving - not to protect you from its consequences.
(It's also not a matter of lying/failure to disclose - it's a matter of buying a policy which doesn't cover certain uses of the vehicle)
The RTA does not require an Insurer to pay out a claim whilst the vehicle is being driven for a use not covered by the policy eg commuting when only SD&P covered
MrSanti said:
I bought a motorbike whilst working close to home and only got SDP cover (no commuter cover). I was made redundant. I now have a 2nd interview for a job a few miles away. I called up insurance and was quote £68 to add commuter insurance. They also said I had to change my job title on the certificate.
Agree with that others have said - going to an interview isn't commuting.However when they said about changing the job, did you say you were out of work? I've seen other people comment that their insurance went up a lot when they said they'd lost their job.
I don't know if it's different for bikes, but normally with cars adding commuting doesn't add much, if anything. Often even adding Class 1 business use, which allows travel to various workplaces, can be the same price as SD&P.
BertBert said:
pork911 said:
as with all similar threads, why not just ask your insurer?
What? "Dear Mr Insurer, I am planning on using my bike for something that you haven't insured me for. Is that ok?"mmmmm
Bert
as always with these questions the insurer will confirm whether any changes are needed and the OP can then make those changes
the alternative is he decides based on guessing by himself or posters here that he may or may not be okay
- and later might find that he was totally wrong
OpulentBob said:
Was commuting ever a part of standard insurance cover (whether TPFT or FC) under the Social, Domestic and Pleasure umbrella? I can't remember that far back fully, but I may have a recollection that it's only been in the last say ten years that commuting has been added as a separate entity. Commuting to a regular place of work could, IMO, be argued to be domestic, as that must be a huge percentage of what most cars on the road are used for.
When I drive my toy car to work, it falls under the "Pleasure" category of S,D&P. Especially as I take the long way home.Having said that, I told the broker that I required "occasional communiting" to be included. Wasn't told if it made any difference, but I'm on a limited mileage policy anyway.
Sheepshanks said:
I don't know if it's different for bikes, but normally with cars adding commuting doesn't add much, if anything. Often even adding Class 1 business use, which allows travel to various workplaces, can be the same price as SD&P.
Seems to vary (odd that?).I normally get Business class 1 free on the bike, but for one year three or four years ago they wanted £100. Same company the year before & every year since has done it for free.
Hooli said:
Sheepshanks said:
I don't know if it's different for bikes, but normally with cars adding commuting doesn't add much, if anything. Often even adding Class 1 business use, which allows travel to various workplaces, can be the same price as SD&P.
Seems to vary (odd that?).I normally get Business class 1 free on the bike, but for one year three or four years ago they wanted £100. Same company the year before & every year since has done it for free.
speedking31 said:
So is doing a single trip to work in a different vehicle considered to be 'commuting'? e.g. hypothetically if I normally drive my car which is properly insured but one day I use my wife's on which I don't have commuting cover.
Yes.During tube strikes the Met police used to delight in staking out commuter routes and stopping bikes to enquire as to their insurance arrangements.
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