Car insurance keeps you and others safe and is a legal requirement for every driver in Ireland. its4women car insurance provides that extra peace of mind, however it’s crucial you don’t invalidate or restrict your cover – unintentionally or otherwise. 

It may be surprising to learn how some everyday habits and small mistakes can render your car insurance invalid. So, to help keep you covered, here’s our guide to the behaviour that could leave you driving without insurance.

Personal Details

Have you recently been promoted? Maybe you’ve changed careers completely? Or have you packed up and moved to a new home? Whatever the change, don’t forget to let us know. Your insurance company need to know about any changes in your circumstances in order to update your policy to reflect the change in your needs, otherwise your policy could be considered invalid. Insurers take your occupation and eircode into account when setting your car insurance premium, as certain jobs and areas are deemed riskier than others.

Be clear on where you keep your car overnight

We understand you may not keep your vehicle at the same location every day of the year, however if you tell your insurance company that you keep it at one address but park it at a different location every night, this could render your car insurance invalid. Always keep your insurer up to date on where you park your car at night, whether this is in a garage, a driveway, at work, or on the street, so we can help keep your vehicle protected.

Modifying your car

If you’re in the market for spoilers, a roll-cage, lowering suspension, or even a turbo engine you could be unable to make a claim or left without cover if you fail to tell your insurer. Any changes will likely impact the vehicle’s value and power and, subsequently, the cover you’ll need. Its4women cover standard optional extras fitted by the manufacturer or approved garages, but if you’re still feeling unsure, visit the live chat facility on our website to instant message with an adviser for clarification.

Fronting

Many parents often consider adding their son or daughter to their car insurance policy at first or being listed as the main driver in order to cut the cost of their child’s insurance policy.

While this might seem like a legitimate loophole, taking out insurance in someone else’s name to get cheaper cover is known as “fronting” and is a form of insurance fraud. Premiums are calculated largely on the risk presented by the policyholder, so pretending that an experienced parent is a more regular driver of the car than their inexperienced child is illegal.

Such situations often come to light when a claim is submitted and can result in the insurance policy being deemed void. In addition, the driver could find themselves fitting the bill for the damages, and then in court charged with driving without valid insurance. If you need a quote for a young driver, get an its4women black box insurance quote. 

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Keep your car in good condition

To keep your car insurance valid, you must ensure your vehicle is always maintained in a roadworthy condition and your car has a valid NCT. Don’t forget to check tyre levels and top up the water in your car’s radiator. Take a read at our car maintenance checklist to help keep your vehicle in top gear throughout the year.

Don't drive recklessly

This one may be obvious, however it’s important to avoid taking to the roads like a race car driver and always comply with the law observing all road traffic rules. Driving sensibly goes hand-in-hand with keeping your car in good condition, so make sure you adhere to speed limits, follow the rules and drive carefully so as not to invalid your car insurance.

Choose the right class of use

At its4women, we offer three different classes of use which will be outlined on your Certificate of Motor Insurance.

1. Social Domestic and Pleasure

   Choose this class of use if you, or any drivers named on your insurance, only drive for social purposes, such as visiting family and friends or nipping to the shops. Travelling for work purposes is not included.

   
   

2. Commuting

   As well as covering you for the above usage, ‘Commuting’ also provides cover for travelling to and from one permanent place of paid employment, school or college. Keep in mind that if parking your car at a train station before hopping on a train is part of your daily commute, then you’ll require this level of cover. Dropping someone else at their work is also classed as commuting too, so don’t get caught out.

   
   

3. Class One

   If you use your car as part of your job to travel to other locations as well as your usual place of work, you will require Class One Business Use. Cover for commercial travelling, soliciting for orders and the carriage of goods and/or samples is excluded.

You can select your class of use that reflects how you will be using your car at the start of your policy, or, if your circumstances change, you can add it throughout the policy term via your Online Portal. If you choose the wrong class of use, you run the risk of your car not being covered if you’re involved in an accident and a claim being declined. 

Declaring your accident

You should declare details of accidents to your insurer, including minor knocks and dents. If you have been involved in an accident, but are not making a claim, you must still advise us of the incident, and you must confirm whether anyone else was involved in the accident who may have suffered an injury or damage to their property.

If you have been involved in an accident, or your car has been stolen or is damaged by fire, you should contact our 24-hour Claims Team on 01 859 9700 who will advise you how to proceed.

Penalty points and driving convictions

You must disclose all penalty points and motoring convictions when applying for a car insurance policy. Its4women policy holders should notify us immediately of any penalty points received during the term of their cover – rather than waiting until it comes up for renewal. For such queries, the best method of contact is via the live chat facility on our website.

Always make sure you fully read your policy documents to understand what’s covered. You can find your policy documents within your online account, where you can manage your policy 24/7.

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