Myths and misconceptions about car insurance
Common misunderstandings about car insurance, such as choosing the wrong cover or not fully understanding your policy’s terms and conditions, can sometimes cause problems. In some cases, they could affect your cover or lead to delays or issues with a claim. They could void your entire policy.
We explain 7 common motor insurance myths to help you avoid situations such as rejected claims, cancelled policies, or unintentionally breaking the law.
Must know
Fronting means listing a parent or low-risk adult as the main driver when a younger person drives the car. It can invalidate your policy and may be treated as insurance fraud.
In short
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Uncover the 7 misconceptions about car insurance:
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Myth 1: Listing yourself as the main driver on your child’s insurance cuts their premium.
If you’re a driver aged 17 to 24, you’ve probably noticed insurance premiums tend to be higher. We get that some parents might think about listing themselves as the main driver to bring those costs down — a tactic known as ‘fronting.’ But it’s important to know this can be really risky since it might lead to serious consequences, including policy cancellation or fraud allegations.
Premiums are higher for this age group because they face a greater risk of fatal or serious injury (FSI) collisions. According to official road casualty data, young men are four times more likely to have a FSI than drivers aged 25 and over.1 Also, the safety organisation RoSPA points out that 17- to 20-year-old males are 17 times more likely have a collision at night.2
The main driver on the policy should be the one who uses the car the most. If the information given isn’t accurate, your insurer may cancel the policy and could treat it as insurance fraud, which may also make it harder to get cover in the future.
Tip: Some young drivers may find black‑box (telematics) insurance a helpful option, as it can take driving behaviour into account.
Myth 2: I won’t have to pay anything if an accident was not my fault
It’s easy to think you won’t have to pay anything if an accident isn’t your fault, but that’s actually a common misconception.
Let’s say you’re in an accident and the insurer decides another driver was at fault. You might have to pay your insurance excess upfront if you are initially claiming through your own insurer. This means your policy terms apply straight away, including paying your excess. It is a temporary payment to help get your repairs started quickly. Behind the scenes, your insurer will work to recover the costs from the other driver’s insurer. Once that happens, your excess is refunded to you.
If you choose to claim directly through the other driver’s insurer (a third party claim), you won’t need to pay your excess upfront and your no-claims discount (NCD) will stay protected. It’s a good option for some customers, although it does mean you’ll manage the claim yourself, which can offer less protection if anything doesn’t go as expected.
If things aren’t clear and the person at fault cannot be decided, you might not be able to get your excess back. We understand how frustrating this can feel, especially as it could also affect your NCD. We’ll always try to make the process as smooth as possible, and we’re here to help you understand your options.
Whatever you decide, please make sure you let your insurer know about the accident. This helps avoid any issues with your policy later on.
Myth 3: My insurance allows me to drive other cars
Unfortunately, a lot of motor insurance policies don’t cover driving other cars.
In the past, if someone had comprehensive insurance, third-party, fire and theft, or third-party only cover for their vehicle, their policy sometimes included a clause called ‘driving other cars cover’(DOC). DOC meant they were usually insured on third-party terms when driving someone else’s vehicle, provided that person also had insurance.3
However, only a few policies include these clauses, so you should review your cover carefully. If you’re not sure, it’s best to assume your insurance might not cover you, so take a minute to check your policy first.
Here are Rias’s terms and conditions from the policy booklet.
Myth 4: I don’t have to tell my insurer I modified my vehicle until renewal
Many people mistakenly believe they have to wait until their renewal date to tell their insurer about any changes. They may have accidentally overlooked changes that happened during the policy term.
Be sure to let your insurer know about any changes to your vehicle or main driver, either before you make them or right after. Doing this helps make sure your claim stays valid. If you don’t do this, the insurer could reduce or reject a claim if they can show the change affected the terms of cover.
Another thing to mention is performance-related changes, such as suspension modifications or the use of non-standard wheels. These alterations might not be worth it once you factor in additional insurance costs.
For more questions, check our car insurance frequently asked questions.
Myth 5: I don’t need to report minor accidents if I don’t plan to claim
If you get a small scrape in a car park and don’t plan to claim the repair costs because the repairs might cost less than your policy excess, you might think there’s no need to tell your insurer.
In most cases, you still need to let your insurer know about any accidents or damage to your insured car, no matter how minor or who was at fault. If you don’t want to make a claim, you can contact your insurer and tell them it’s ‘for information only’. This means your insurer is aware of what happened, and if another driver involved in the accident later decides to claim for damage to their vehicle, your insurer can step in and take care of things. It will also reduce the claim of the other party even if they report the claim immediately.
Not reporting an incident could go against the terms of your policy, which might put your cover at risk. Letting your insurer know helps keep everything clear and protects you if anything changes later on.
If the accident involves specific animals, you must report it to the police as soon as practicable even if you don’t plan to make an insurance claim.
Myth 6: You can’t buy back or keep your car after a write-off
The idea that you can’t buy back or keep your car, or that it has to be scrapped after an insurer writes it off, is outdated.
There are four write-off categories – A, B, S and N – and only A and B must never return to the road.4 In category A, the entire vehicle must be crushed. For B, you’ll need to crush the body shell, but you can still salvage other parts.
You can keep vehicles in categories N and S:
- N means you can use the car again as long as a garage can repair it and make it roadworthy, provided the damage isn’t structural.
- S means if the vehicle has structural damage but is properly repaired and made roadworthy, you can drive it again.
Your insurer will explain any write-off decision they make and tell you how much they’ll pay based on the car’s market pre-accident value (PAV), minus the estimated salvage value. If you want to keep an N or S category vehicle, they’ll give you the insurance payout and sell the car back to you.
Insurers will usually consider repair where it is economically viable, aiming to offer you a fair and practical solution.
Myth 7: It’s fine to leave my car on the road uninsured if I made a SORN
You can’t leave a SORNed car on the road, even if it’s just outside your home. You must keep it off the public road to follow the regulations.
SORN stands for ‘statutory off-road notification’. You need to tell the DVLA if you’re taking your vehicle off the road, meaning you’re keeping it in a garage, driveway or on private land.5 Insurers may use information provided in your policy, such as declared parking location, to assess whether cover conditions are being met.
If it is on a public road, you must keep it taxed and insured.
Here’s the government guidance on registering a car as SORN.
Get a quote for Rias’ car insurance.
4 https://www.gov.uk/scrapped-and-written-off-vehicles/insurance-writeoffs