General Insurance Article - One in six fail to declare business miles to their insurer

 One in six (16%) drivers who use their personal car for business trips have failed to inform their insurance provider, according to a poll by The AA.

 The survey of 1,855 drivers who use their personal car for work, also found that one in 15 (6%) could not remember if they had declared their visits to clients, off-site meetings and conferences.

 While three quarters (75%) of drivers have advised their insurer of the business miles they carry out, 16% say that they have underestimated the distance they travel.

 The AA is advising business drivers to check their policies to ensure they are adequately covered when they use their own car for work. While many standard policies will protect the main policyholder commuting to one regular place of work, those carrying out visits to multiple sites or clients should upgrade their 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 the be registered to the scheme and may be required to take online learning or have a driving assessment.

 Without the correct insurance cover, some drivers may find themselves unable to make a claim if they were using the vehicle for a business trip but had not informed their provider.

 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.”