But making a non-essential car journey during lockdown could also prove even more costly a mistake than you first thought, as your insurance could be invalid if you have an accident, The Mirror reported. You can unsubscribe at any time. MORE : Will the Pfizer Covid vaccine be available in the UK and who will get it first? However, if you are a Community First Responder or other ‘Blue Light’ volunteer, you should contact your insurer or broker to inform them. While making a non-essential journey during lockdown in England this month might break the rules – or in some cases, the law – it won’t automatically invalidate your car insurance. And when your policy is up for renewal (or you choose to switch to another insurer), then you do need to update this information as you will be taking out a new policy. And according to the Mirror, making a non-essential car journey during lockdown could also prove to be a costly mistake, as your insurance could be invalid if you have an accident. Motorists have been issued a warning about their car insurance during lockdown. If caught breaking these rules, you could be fined. Motor insurers continue to cover those using their vehicle for commuting to work and NHS volunteering without you having to first tell them. Unfortunately, this has not been helped by misinformation being spread on certain issues. ‘The important thing as always, is to check the terms and conditions of your policy before taking a journey that you are unsure of, to make sure you are properly protected should you need to make a claim.’. It’s well worth a read. As the UK moves in and out of lockdown restrictions like some really unappealing game of hokey-cokey, there have been plenty of questions arising from motorists about what they can and can’t do with their cars. This has been my biggest worry during this time. That's because it could invalidate your car insurance during lockdown, according to experts. Drivers who continue to use their vehicles to make non-essential journeys could soon find their car insurance is no longer valid. While making a non-essential journey during lockdown in England this month might break the rules – or in some cases, the law – it won’t automatically invalidate your car insurance. England is currently in a month-long national lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus cases. How to get some of your money back MORE : Has Wales’ lockdown worked and what are the new rules now the firebreak is over? Is car insurance valid during lockdown? A warning has been issued to drivers during lockdown who might have their insurance invalidated if they drive for non-essential reasons. The origin of this appears to be an insurance-switching organisation that published a press release last Friday, saying: “you may find your car insurance policy won’t cover the damage and you could end up paying thousands of pounds for repairs”. That would mean that any accident could see you having to pay thousands to cover the repairs. Driving during lockdown could invalidate your car insurance, according to experts. Lockdowns around the world have proved to be an effective measure to stop the spread of COVID-19. Is my car insurance still valid during lockdown? If you were to have an accident you could end up paying thousands to cover the repair. You can unsubscribe at any time. If you were to have an accident you could end up paying thousands to cover the repair. This incorrect information was picked up and used for articles by several newspapers and websites over the weekend and today, including Sky News, the Daily Mirror and several regional news organistions. Motor insurers continue to cover those using their vehicle for commuting to work and NHS volunteering without you having to first tell them. Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This site uses cookies to improve your experience. This article replaces a previous version from April 2020, and has been largely re-written to address ongoing speculation about car insurance validity during the latest coronavirus lockdown. ‘This is not the case for our car insurance customers and isn’t something they need to worry about. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has issued a lot of advice in recent months and has set up a specific coronavirus FAQ page for car insurance questions. He stated that “empty roads and the current state of lockdown may distract many drivers from thinking about staying safe and legal on the roads”. There have also been (unverified) claims on social media over the last week or so that drivers are being fined and/or issued with penalty points on their driving licences if they are using their car for commuting to work when their policy doesn’t allow it. Drivers across England are being warned that driving during lockdown could invalidate their insurance. video. By Matt Allan. With England currently being under lockdown until December 2, people are being told to stay at home and only leave for specific reasons. Will "non-essential" driving during the coronavirus lockdown invalidate your car insurance? Will the Pfizer Covid vaccine be available in the UK and who will get it first. At present anybody caught doing so in England could be hit with a £200 fine. Further guidance from the ABI also indicates that anyone who has signed up for the NHS Volunteer Responders service will not have to update their car insurance for it to be valid. In recent days, there has been mounting concern and speculation online that motorists who are not on an essential trip could be invalidating their car insurance. Has Wales’ lockdown worked and what are the new rules now the firebreak is over? Anybody caught doing so could face a fine of up to £200 for breaking the lockdown rules. GAP insurance and warranty offers from ALA | Warranty offers from Warrantywise | Sell your car with Motorway | Cars for sale from Carsnip, Award-winning, independent and impartial advice on buying, owning and running a car, We compare reviews from 25 motoring websites to bring you a definitive rating for every new car, All the most important new car launches, model updates, car reviews and industry news, Our commercial partners bring you exclusive offers on their products and services, Car buyingCar financeCar ownershipCar insurance, Latest ratingsTop-rated carsTop-rated SUVsAll ratings, About usMedia appearancesPartnersAdvertising, The Van ExpertThe Truck ExpertCommercial Vehicle EngineerImmediate Network. The introduction of the second lockdown has created confusion amongst motorists over … A spokesperson told the Banbury Guardian: “Contrary to reports, using your car for non-essential travel will not risk invalidating your car insurance. Drivers across England are being warned about driving during lockdown for non essential travel, but have been reassured that they will stay insured if they do. This was also picked up by tabloid media and some other news sites. Specialist lawyer in traffic and speeding offences, Nick Freeman (otherwise known as Mr Loophole), has said that driving during the coronavirus lockdown could invalidate your policy. Drivers are being warned their insurance may be ­invalid for non-essential journeys during lockdown. And anybody caught leaving home without a "reasonable excuse" could incur a £200 fine under Covid-19 regulations. supports HTML5 Some drivers’ car insurance policies have been made invalid … These purposes can include work, childcare, shopping for essential items and education, amongst others. He stated that “empty roads and the current state of lockdown may distract many drivers from thinking about staying safe and legal on the roads”. With England currently being under lockdown until December 2, people are being told to stay at home and only leave for specific reasons. Leaving home without ­“reasonable excuse” may … Confused.com car insurance expert Alex Kindred said: “The number of people who applied for a Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN) more than doubled at the start of the lockdown in March." But now according to the Mirror, making a non-essential car journey during lockdown could also invalidate car … Would you like to stay up to date with all the latest advice, ratings, news and offers from The Car Expert? There are many things that can invalidate your car insurance. Drivers in Lancashire are being warned their car insurance may be invalid if they make non-essential journeys during the latest national lockdown. Confused.com car insurance expert Alex Kindred said: “The number of people who applied for a Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN) more than doubled at the start of the lockdown in March." A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers said: "Your cover will not be affected if you drive during the lockdown period. England is currently in a month-long national lockdown in a bid to … Specialist lawyer in traffic and speeding offences, Nick Freeman (otherwise known as Mr Loophole), has said that driving during the coronavirus lockdown could invalidate your policy. latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more, Dad who won £58,000,000 in lottery takes friends on extravagant trip to Dubai, Matt Hancock ‘absolutely backs’ police who fined women walking in park, Covid-denier ‘arrested for refusing to leave bench’, Police spotted ‘breaking’ lockdown rules with group breakfast inside café, Every adult to be offered Covid vaccine by autumn. Drivers across England are being warned that driving during lockdown could invalidate their insurance. Stuart is the Editorial Director of our suite of sites: GAP insurance and warranty offers from ALA. Some experts have suggested your car insurance might be invalid when driving during the lockdown. An LV= spokesperson commented: ‘ Customers may have read press stories online over the weekend suggesting that car insurance policies won’t be valid in the event a driver has an accident during lockdown. Car insurance firms have saved billions in the past 12 months as people stayed home, cancelled trips and stopped commuting - but premiums are rising. Under the rules for the second national lockdown in England this month, people are being asked to stay at home as much as possible and only go out for ‘specific purposes’. New driving rules explained - and how to check you’re still covered Clearing up rumours around cover for non-essential travel. Drivers in Lancashire are being warned their car insurance may be invalid if they make non-essential journeys during the latest national lockdown. He added: “For any drivers who have decided to do the same for the second lockdown, it’s important that we’re taking the right steps to avoid receiving a fine when we return to the roads." Car insurance could be invalidated by using parking service [COMMENT] These are usually more expensive than traditional agreements and may not … Motorists have been issued a warning about their car insurance during lockdown. https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/coronavirus-hub/motor-insurance/. In the event they need to make a claim, we’ll support them as normal.’. Driving during lockdown could invalidate your car insurance, according to experts. You can unsubscribe at any time. We’ve put together this helpful guide with ten points to check: Part of the confusion about whether your car insurance is valid may be coming from police forces across the running a co-ordinated crackdown on uninsured drivers. However, there is a difference between police issuing a penalty for you not having the correct insurance and an insurance company refusing to pay out. browser that Is car insurance valid during lockdown? When asked directly by The Car Expert today (9 November), a spokesperson for the ABI said: “During lockdown the Government has advised against all but essential travel. While it’s true that you don’t need to update your current policy to add ‘commuting’ if you are now driving to work as a result of Covid-19, you should probably do it anyway. Here’s how to sort out the mess, New car market ends crazy year on a low note, Britain’s best-selling cars, November 2020. We're looking at what you need to do during lockdown to keep your car in good working order. The Car Expert has the answer. The Government has published 32 pages of regulations including exceptions to the general stay-at-home message. Get your need-to-know If you were to have an accident you could end up paying thousands to cover the repair. ‘However, there are some reports that doing this could invalidate car insurance policies if a claim is made, which is both confusing and worrying for drivers who may need to use their car. You should follow Government restrictions, but if you do use your car for non-essential travel, you will not risk invalidating your car insurance.”, “Further information, including the pledges made by motor insurers to support customers, can be found here as well: https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/coronavirus-hub/motor-insurance/“. By Matt Allan. You can unsubscribe at any time. Metro.co.uk also spoke to car insurance experts at GoCompare who explained that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have issued advice to insurers to ‘act reasonably. But this isn’t the case. Drivers are being warned that driving during lockdown might invalidate their insurance. You should follow Government restrictions, but if you do use your car for non-essential travel, you will not risk … When asked directly by The Car Expert today (9 November), a spokesperson for the ABI said: “During lockdown the Government has advised against all but essential travel. New driving rules explained - and how to check you’re still covered Clearing up rumours around cover for non-essential travel. Rumours are swirling that making a non-essential journey in your car during lockdown that breaks the government guidelines could invalidate your car insurance. Car insurance firms have saved billions in the past 12 months as people stayed home, cancelled trips and stopped commuting - but premiums are rising. UPDATE, November 2020: There has been a lot of confusion in recent days about whether your car insurance is still valid, fuelled by misinformation from an insurance-switching company. Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com confirmed to Metro.co.uk: ‘While the government have advised against non-essential journeys in England, people do still need to use their cars for commuting to work or other essential trips. That's because it could invalidate your car insurance during lockdown, according to experts. Car insurance could be invalidated by using parking service [COMMENT] These are usually more expensive than traditional agreements and may not offer the same level of protection. The ABI has confirmed drivers who use their car for non-essential travel during lockdown will not risk invalidating their insurance.’, To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web For example, we checked with car insurance providers LV=, who told Metro.co.uk that they plan on ‘supporting their customers as normal’ during lockdown. Please read below for the full story and ignore speculation in social media or tabloid newspapers. He added: “For any drivers who have decided to do the same for the second lockdown, it’s important that we’re taking the right steps to avoid receiving a fine when we return to the roads." Award-winning, independent and impartial advice on buying, financing, owning and running a car, We analyse and aggregate dozens of media reviews for each new car into an overall Expert Rating, The latest news from all the major car brands and across the automotive industry. And anybody caught leaving home without a "reasonable excuse" could incur a £200 fine under Covid-19 regulations. The Government has published 32 pages of regulations including exceptions to the general stay-at-home message. If true, this would mean that you would not be able to claim on your car insurance if involved in an accident or incident that damages your vehicle. Yes, your car insurance is still valid during lockdown. Even though you don’t have to worry about your car insurance not covering you for non-essential travel, it’s still important that the details you give your insurance provider are 100% accurate. How to get some of your money back But making a non-essential car journey during lockdown could also prove even more costly a mistake than you first thought, as your insurance could be invalid if you have an accident, The Mirror reported. That would mean that any accident could see you having to pay thousands to cover the repairs. More car insurance news and advice at The Car Expert, Used car warranty – the law and your rights, Been in a shunt? Lee Griffin, CEO and one of the founders of GoCompare, said: ‘Taking a non-essential journey during lockdown could be outside of the terms of your car insurance policy and so could invalidate your insurance, but insurers have been given guidance by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) stating that it expects insurers to act reasonably when deciding whether or not to reject a claim made because of driving during lockdown. Thanks for clearing the air! But could there be wider repercussions too? ‘Operation Drive Insured’ saw all of the UK’s 43 police forces working to detect and seize uninsured cars a couple of weeks ago, so it’s entirely possible that some of the law enforcement activity affected those who didn’t have their insurance details up to date. You can unsubscribe at any time. Car insurance during lockdown: Your car insurance should still be valid if you drive during lockdown . Some experts have suggested your car insurance might be invalid when driving during the lockdown. Anybody caught make any non-essential journeys in England could land themselves with a £200 fine. Drivers are being warned that driving during lockdown might invalidate their insurance. But how much truth is there to these claims? Could you be invalidating your car insurance? If you were to have an accident you could end up paying thousands to cover the repair. 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