Insurance for your Business Car
If you or your employees use a car for business then you need a proper business car policy.
A private car policy will not cover you for business use. Some private policies will include commuting cover, but this is only to and from a single, regular place of work, which is sufficient for most people who work in the same location every day. If you use a car for any business purpose other than this, then a private policy will not cover you and you are technically driving around uninsured. Even if it’s just dropping off a business letter on the way home, this is business use and falls outside commuting, so should an incident occur, it could be costly to you personally, and result in points on your licence and higher insurance costs.
An employer also has to be aware that there could also be comeback from an incident involving an employee. Under Health and Safety Law, an employer is responsible for their employee’s welfare whilst at work. This still applies in a vehicle if they are on work business. On top of this, in certain circumstances, an employer is also liable for an employee’s actions, so if a third party is injured badly in an accident involving an employee the company may be held partly responsible too, so proper business use insurance is a necessity.
There are several different types of policy for business insurance use to cover the different types of trade or use the vehicle will be put to. Most insurers use the following classifications, with minor differences.
Business insurance for Cars – Class 1
Specifically for drivers who own their own vehicle, which they need to use for business purposes as will as private use. You can cover your other half, and private use is usually automatically included.
Business Car Insurance Class 2
Class 2 business insurance covers a car belong to the policyholder for business use. This class differs from class 1, in that the policy holder is generally a company or other corporate entity, so the cover is used for pool cars or other vehicles. It can be applied to an individual, but in this case, care must be taken to include social, domestic and pleasure, in case the vehicle is ever used for non business use, (such as posting a personal letter on the way home).
Class 3 business car insurance
Also known as “commercial travelling”, this class of insurance will cover driving when it is part of the driver’s job, for example, sales reps. It shouldn’t be confused with jobs where passengers or goods are transported, as this is hire and reward.
Hire and Reward
When a trade is specifically for transporting things or people, such as a taxi service or a haulage company, then this sort of insurance is needed, although sometimes it is described more specifically. For instance, insurance for a courier is generally described simply as courier insurance, although it is still a form of hire and reward.
In conclusion, if your vehicle is used in connection with any business at all, bar commuting, you will need company car insurance.
M Withers is Commercial Manager at Coversure who offer all classes of business use car insurance