Mistakes that could void your Insurance Policy

Drivers could be risking up to £114 million in rejected car insurance claims due to easily avoided mistakes, according to new research by uSwitch.

With 43,000 car insurance claims rejected every year and the average claim costing £2,671 (according to the Association of British Insurers), drivers that make simple mistakes could risk invalidating their cover and lose thousands in the event of a claim.

Two out of three drivers at risk

Almost two thirds (63%) of drivers admitted to making simple errors that could invalidate their cover, including wearing the wrong shoes and letting pets roam free in the car. A quarter (25%) said they didn’t realise these small mistakes could void their cover, while 37% said they simply forget that these behaviours could affect an insurance claim.

In fact, forgetfulness seems to be a common reason for making mistakes that could invalidate an insurance policy. More than a fifth (21%) of drivers said they’ve forgotten to renew their MOT on time, with 9% neglecting to update their car tax. Young drivers are three times more likely to forget to inform their insurer of a new address than their parents are (15% of young drivers compared to 5% of older drivers).

Top 10 mistakes that could invalidate cover

The uSwitch survey revealed the mistakes that could invalidate insurance, and the percentage of drivers who admit to these errors:

1. Wearing high heels/flip flops while driving (25%)
2. Leaving car unlocked (24%)
3. Putting off car maintenance (21%)
4. Forgetting to renew their MOT on time (16%)
5. Letting pet(s) roam free in the car (15%)
6. Lending car to a friend or family member (14%)
7. Not informing the insurer when changing jobs (9%)
8. Attaching fluffy dice (or other) to rear-view mirror (9%)
9. Forgetting to renew vehicle tax on time (9%)
10. Underestimating mileage (8%)

Rod Jones, insurance expert at uSwitch, said: “We know the British public are increasingly time poor, so it’s unsurprising that motorists can be forgetful when it comes to locking up their cars or renewing their car MOT and taxes on time.

“With claims now running into the thousands of pounds, people can’t afford to make a careless mistake that could invalidate their cover and leave them out of pocket. It is therefore really important that drivers note down their key renewal dates, and avoid making the easy to forget mistakes to ensure they are covered should they ever need to make a claim.”

Submitted by Denis Hale