Drivers warned common insurance mistake could 'invalidate your policy' and raise prices
As the cost of car insurance rises once again, a motoring expert has shared an easy mistake that could see cover cancelled.
The insurance price comparison website SimplyQuote.co.uk has warned motorists not to fall for common errors that could lead to their policy being invalidated.
With the average cost of car insurance continuing to rise through the first quarter of 2024, many drivers are looking for tweaks that could reduce the price.
However, Chris Richards, owner of SimplyQuote.co.uk, suggested that drivers must remember to be accurate when stating what the vehicle will be used for.
He advised: "Make sure your policy matches your actual vehicle use. For example, using a car for business when it's insured only for social and domestic use can invalidate your policy.
"We've seen cases where a driver insured under social, domestic, and pleasure policies used their vehicle for commuting. After an accident, their claim was rejected because their policy didn't cover commuting."
When getting car insurance, drivers need to specify what they plan to use their vehicle for, such as commuting to work, social purposes or various types of business.
Since this information can affect how a motorist uses their car, these categories can heavily alter the category and cost of cover, with business use generally being the cheapest.
Nevertheless, if a motorist gets into an accident and the insurer finds it was being used for a different purpose than that specified in the policy, they can refuse to pay out.
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Chris also recommended that motorists are careful with the job title they add to the policy, which must be as accurate as possible.
He added: "Our data shows that job titles can influence premiums by up to 51 percent.
"Accurately representing your occupation is crucial for both cost and validity."
Another important way in which insurance companies estimate the cost of cover, job titles are used to calculate the likelihood of a driver getting into an accident.
Whilst it is important that the role drivers select on their policy reflects their job accurately, trying different occupations can help them to save a good amount of money.
The financial advice company Money Saving Expert features a service that allows drivers to find similar job titles that insurers typically consider as lower risk categories.