Insurance Up? Whoops!

First, ensure yourself and any passengers within the vehicle are OK before moving.

Assess the nature and damage caused before exiting the vehicle and make sure it is safe to do so. If a third party is involved check on them also if safe to do so.

It is good practice to call the Gardaí, no matter how minor the collision as some insurers will request a pulse number or Garda report form in the event of a claim.

When assessing the incident take pictures/videos of where vehicles have landed and collect the insurance and contact details of the third party if one is involved.

Once the above has been done assess whether it is safe to move vehicle(s), generally for minor tips or scrapes this should be no issue but if a vehicle has sustained major damage or you are unsure then leave in situ until authorities arrive.

Then contact your broker or insurer to report the incident and give short concise breakdown of the nature of the incident and they will advise on how to proceed further.

Some new drivers fear it will be impossible to get cover with no prior experience. However, this is not the case. Initially premiums for younger or more inexperienced drivers may be high but this is dependent on a number of factors such as; age of insured, type of license, age and type of vehicle and main area of use. Discuss these with your broker to get an idea of what to look out for to get the best possible premium to suit your budget.

Most insurance policies will allow a period of driving abroad within the policy conditions. The length of this can differ from company to company so it is always best practice to contact your Broker or insurer to confirm their terms.

This can often cause confusion as sometimes people think they are one in the same type of cover.

• Driving of other cars is an extension of your policy that allows you to drive another person’s private car that is loaned to you and that is road legal i.e. Taxed, NCT and insured. (Some limits to it may apply). This is a general inclusion on most standard policies where the policyholder was 25 years old or more at the inception of the policy and holds a full driving license.
• Open drive is an extension that allows anyone within a specified age group (Usually 25-70) who holds a full clean driver’s license to drive your vehicle with your permission. This is quite a common addition for Commercial Vehicle policies. However, it can be quite expensive to include this on a private motor policy due to the increased risk the insurer bears with a potential unlimited amount of drivers.