Car insurance during lockdown

Catsjen

I recently read that your car insurance may not be valid during lockdown if you use your car for unnecessary journies. Can this be true?

AdrianC

Hold your policy Ts & Cs up a bit, I can't read them from here.

But it's vanishingly unlikely to be anything more than scaremongering. Lemme guess, a red-top "news"paper?

NottinghamKnight

Catsjen said:

I recently read that your car insurance may not be valid during lockdown if you use your car for unnecessary journies. Can this be true?

Where did you read this?

Supersonos

Catsjen said:

I recently read that your car insurance may not be valid during lockdown if you use your car for unnecessary journies. Can this be true?

Of course.  We're in a lockdown where non-essential journeys are not allowed.  If you go on a non-essential journey your insurer could argue you shouldn't have been driving and therefore refuse to pay out in the event of an accident.

AdrianC

Quick google suggests a few local papers have picked it up from original "EXCLUSIVE!" scaremongering guff by the Mirror...
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/drivers-warned-insurance-invalid-non-22974841

Quotes in the article supporting that guff include Nick "Mr Loophole" Freeman, a spokesman for an insurance comparison site, and an insurance broker.

But the article then goes on to quotes the Association of British Insurers debunking it, and the comparison site then going "Oh, right. Glad that's sorted."

https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/coronavirus-hub/motor-insurance/
"If I drive during the lockdown period, will my insurance be invalidated?
Your cover will not be affected if you drive during the lockdown period. However, all motorists should follow Government advice and avoid non-essential travel."

Anybody'd think there was no real news going on anywhere at the mo.

neilmcl

Catsjen said:

I recently read that your car insurance may not be valid during lockdown if you use your car for unnecessary journies. Can this be true?

No it's complete scaremongering nonsense.

RBN20

It’s scaremongering but if you’re unsure ask your insurer. I know that LV have addressed the story already