Driving in the dark

As many as 17.21000000 Brits don’t know if their car insurance covers them abroad. USwitch.com urges motorists to make sure they’re covered before they set off.

Uncovered: one in ten British people drivers think traveling insurance screen them for drive abroad.
Unaware: two out of three don’t realise that many car insurance providers only offer third party cover oversea, regardless of the policy terms in the UK.
Accidents waiting to happen: 2.8 million are breakage speed bounds abroad.
Unsafe: one 1000000 fail to wear a seatbelt or to go hands-free for Mobile River calls when drive abroad

The British people are ‘drive in the dark’ when they take their car oversea, as two-thirds (68%) have perfectly no idea what they are covered for by their insurance company. Research by uSwitch.com, the mugwump online comparing and switch service, also reveals that one in 10 (2.5 1000000) drivers wrongly think they are covered by their traveling insurance for any motoring mishaps they have when they take their car abroad.

uSwitch.com warns drivers planning a trip abroad that their domestic help fully comprehensive car insurance cover will not automatically extend exterior the UK. Under EU law supplier only have to offer lower limit cover, which is third party only.

Basic third party insurance only screen the harm you cause to another vehicle or driver – it does not cover against theft, accidental damage to your car or hurt to yourself.

In some cases, a policy can be upgraded to fully comprehensive insurance, but drivers will incur an additional cost if it is for thirster than the free time period offered by the supplier.

And be warned, research by uSwitch.com has found that few major supplier automatically offer more than three days cover for free whilst driving abroad.

Aron Homer Thompson, Head of Insurance, says, “This is a major issue for holidaymakers, as they can end up facing an unpaid claim if they drive their car abroad without getting their insurance lined up properly beforehand. This is a classic case of ‘know before you go’.

“Many providers demand extra payment from drivers to take out insurance for overseas use. Even if a policy does extend to cover driving abroad, motorists need to be aware that insurers often limit the number of days that a car can be driven abroad in any one year, and that sometimes you cannot use this allowance in one go – you have to return to the UK in between.”

Policies can vary, with some insurers offering up to 365 days a year for free to cover trips abroad, while other providers offer just a few days.

Making sure the car insurance is up to scratch may be even more vital, as the euphoria of a holiday seems to bring out the less responsible side of British motorists.

When driving abroad, one in 10 (2.8 million) are more likely to break the local speed limit, and four per cent of drivers admit they would talk on a mobile phone without a hands-free set or would not bother to wear a seatbelt.

“Motorists really have two choices – they should either check which providers will cover them fully for driving abroad before buying car insurance or, at the very least, pull out their current car insurance policy and check the small print before they go away. If in any doubt, call your insurer before you get behind the wheel,” concludes Mr Thompson.

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