Doug Dastardly Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Evening all, I've just read an article in a classic car newsletter about a chap who had driven his classic pick up to work but got stopped on the way home and got a producer. When he took his classic car policy in, it was pointed out that he was not covered for commuting and was done for not having valid insurance I'm pretty sure most of us will have done something similar with a car or bike without thinking about it. Is the lesson here to always say you're on a day off? Or should we all be honest when getting insurance policies, even if it's just for a couple of sunny mornings? What do you think......... Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Hyah Doug how's things? When I insure my Westy I allways make sure they include commuting, for those odd occasions when the sun shines on a working day. In fact when google earth first came out and everyone was looking at their house and place of work, there was my Westy in the yard at work, whats the odds of that then? Of course I dont have to worry about that now I've retired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark (smokey mow) Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I was honest as I always am with my policy and declared that I occasionally use it for commuting. The premium was no different to if I'd have just gone for SD&P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff101 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Like most things, it makes very little difference to the premium and is just an excuse for them not to pay you if you haven't added it to the policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meakin Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 This is always an interesting one as I've always insured for commuting and pleasure. Is there much difference in prices to just pleasure, I'm not sure? The question is if you regularly take the car to work or is it only on nice days. I would have thought if you do it on nice days only it could be argued that it is pleasure, esp. if you take a scenic route. Certainly the news story seems odd. One interesting one is if your job involves very occasionally going to a different location (eg in mine it could be an examiners meeting or training) you are still going to "work" but not the "permanent place of work" I always thought it would count as pleasure (or domestic) as you took the car for pleasure to drive. Is this not the case and am I driving uninsured? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark (smokey mow) Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I was honest as I always am with my policy and declared that I occasionally use it for commuting. The premium was no different to if I'd have just gone for SD&P. The only thing I should probably add is that while at work the car has to be parked in my employers car park and not a public car park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff101 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 This is always an interesting one as I've always insured for commuting and pleasure. Is there much difference in prices to just pleasure, I'm not sure? The question is if you regularly take the car to work or is it only on nice days. I would have thought if you do it on nice days only it could be argued that it is pleasure, esp. if you take a scenic route. Certainly the news story seems odd. One interesting one is if your job involves very occasionally going to a different location (eg in mine it could be an examiners meeting or training) you are still going to "work" but not a "permanent place of work" I always thought it would count as pleasure (or domestic) as you took the car for pleasure to drive. Is this not the case and am I driving uninsured? Standard cover for commuting covers only going to and from one fixed place of work. Anything (or anywhere) else requires business use cover, of which there are various levels depending on your (or your employer's) business type. If you are being paid mileage for the journey that you are doing, then it is likely that you need business use cover because the vehicle is being used for the purposes of your (or your employer's) business. If you do not have cover for either and you are driving to work then yes, you are probably driving uninsured. I always get commuting cover so I don't exactly know the price difference but I don't seem to pay much different to others on here. It can limit your choice of underwriter though as some only cover S,D&P on kit car policies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KugaWestie Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I have mine insured for SDP and commuting to work. Easier to declare it and be honest, then you dont need to worry about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meakin Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Ahh, Geoff the interesting part is what if i don't claim the money from my employer. I often don't bother, as its the difference in mileage not the actual mileage you can claim as I travel 25miles to work its often not worth the hassle. I have paid for commuting and the different place is perhaps once or twice per year. I've always thought it was a bit of a jolly anyway especially as I once had an examiners meeting in Birmingham and then came home via country roads, that was definitely pleasure I would have thought any job may have the occasional "away day" (even if its to the annual conference, or different branch) Business insurance is a lot more expensive esp.in my line of work as when you say business that means I'm carrying students as passengers (which I would never do) I don't see how an insurance company or even the police could claim you were not insured for that journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff101 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I don't see how an insurance company or even the police could claim you were not insured for that journey. Not sure I'd want to test that in court for the sake of a tenner or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meakin Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Its not a tenner! Business for my line of work would triple the insurance as it adds personal liability for passengers (which are minors). I asked an insurance company about this and they said as soon as you said "Teacher" and "business" that was what it covered, some companies would simply not cover me. Only a moron would take a student in a two seater sports car, so I would never use it for that "business" purpose. As the insurance company knows my line of business it would not seem unreasonable for them to understand that commuting may involve the occasional different location. Certainly I would argue that travelling to Birmingham and back was pleasure not commuting as I didn't take the direct route, didn't claim any mileage and had fun. The fact I had a meeting at the end seems to be a trivial point, the insurance is for the journey. What if I chose to take the day off and drive to Birmingham? Oh then decided to have a meeting, then took the rest of the day off to drive back? Certainly my business would not pay for the difference in insurance (whereas other companies would). It is also not a requirement that I go to these meetings but is desirable for me and the college. Is it commuting? or a day off to pursue an interest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff101 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I understand your difficulty in that you don't want to pay a lot more for a day or two use per year but I'm not sure that changes anything. Still, it's not me you have to convince so it doesn't really matter what I think. Perhaps you'd get away with it but insurance underwriters are not known for their caring sympathy. In your situation, although I understand it's not what you might choose, I simply wouldn't use it for those journeys. I travel all over for work but I don't have business use so I don't use the Westy. We'll just agree to differ. I hope that you won't ever have need to find out either way - certainly you'd be pretty unlucky! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bispers Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 The simplest answer is the honest answer. I think the circumstances of the journey will determine its primary purpose, however any of us may choose to answer a question from the Police. (Of course they will have heard most answers before!). I have commuting cover on an REIS limited mileage policy and commuting cover makes minimal difference to the premium, with the simple, and true explanation, that a drive to work can be the simplest way of giving the car a run-out and refuel it prior to an event. I might be a little more cautious because I work in the Insurance industry, so any 'innocent mistakes' won't have much credence but that's the way I deal with it. In any event, if my car should get damaged I'd like the reassurance that the circumstances of the drive won't come back to bite me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meakin Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I hope that you won't ever have need to find out either way - certainly you'd be pretty unlucky! me too now you've got me worried I've just had a check with union documentation and it says that going to a different location could be classed as business use. hmm. I think if I have to do a meeting I may just ring my insurance co and ask them about 1 day business or how to get it cheaper. (ie occasional business, no student transportation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajpearson Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 It also happened to a guy at work, the civvie police were outside the airbase recently and stopped numerous people for not having insurance. I have business insurance on the truck, but not the other cars and luckily the day they were there I was in the truck, so had no issues But several people were reported for driving with no insurance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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