One in 15 drivers couldn’t remember if they had declared visits to clients, off-site meetings and conferences to their insurer.
According to the survey of 1,855 drivers who use their personal car for work, while 75% have informed their insurer of business miles, 16% admit to underestimating the distance travelled.
The AA, which carried out the survey, is now urging drivers to check documents and add business insurance to policies if needed so that a claim can be made (and paid out).
The motoring group explained that while many standard policies will protect the main policyholder commuting to one regular place of work, if you carry out visits to multiple sites or clients, you should upgrade your policy to include business use.
Similarly, some companies provide schemes where they have an insurance policy that will cover the business miles travelled by employees, but they need to be registered with the scheme and may be required to undertake online learning or have a driving assessment.
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Gus Park, managing director of AA Insurance Services, said: “Some drivers who use their own cars for regular off-site business trips are running the risk of not being covered should the worst happen.
“Adding business use to your policy is a small task, but can make a big difference. If you regularly travel to see customers or attend conferences, it is really important to make sure your policy is fit for purpose.
“As well as checking your own policy, it’s also worth checking if your employer offers some form of business cover, and if so, what you need to do to join the scheme.”
Business car insurance in more detail
The AA explained that business car insurance falls under three classes:
Class 1: This covers driving between multiple places of work or occasional travel to meet clients. An example includes a care worker who drives to visit patients, but it excludes door-to-door sales. Your spouse may also be covered, but it’s best to check the policy’s wording.
Class 2: Offers the same as Class 1 but includes an additional named driver who’ll usually work for the same business. Deliveries and door-to-door selling aren’t included.
Class 3: This is the most expensive class and usually covers unlimited long-distance driving and door-to-door selling.
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