Moneysupermarket.com Advises Those Driving Themselves Abroad to Check the EU Small Print

NCD News: Moneysupermarket.com Car Insurance - 25.06.08

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Moneysupermarket.com Advises Those Driving Themselves Abroad to Check the EU Small Print: Most UK auto insurers provide at least some auto coverage if you are traveling across the Channel. It will meet EU minimum coverage for a driver who has an accident on the roads abroad. However, the amount of such coverage beyond that can vary considerably. In many cases, you may have only third-party insurance overseas. That means that if you are in an accident, the other person involved will be covered for all losses but you will not be.

Moneysupermarket.com‚Äôs head of insurance Peter Gerrard cautions Britons against assuming that the insurance coverage they have in Britain is similar to the EU minimum coverage they‚Äôll get driving overseas. He urges policyholders to check their policies in detail before using their cars abroad.

TravelbiteUK notes that over 1 million Britons drive abroad each year uninsured - most likely unknowingly. The risks involved are significant: Aviva estimates the average cost of an automobile accident in France to be £1,445 and in Sweden and Denmark up to £5,180. In such instances, not only will your holiday be ruined, but you will invariably endure the very uncomfortable (if not somewhat frightening) experience of overseas legal processes.

The good news is that most insurers can provide upgrades to policies so that the protection afforded drivers at home is extended abroad. The price for doing so varies among insurance companies:

Insurer:

AA
Admiral
Norwich Union
Barclays
Churchill
Direct Line

Direct Line
Endsleigh
esure
M&S
Post Office
RAC
Swiftcover
Tesco (22-day)
Tesco (8-day)
EU Coverage (Per Year):
£0
£23
£25
£23
£0
£19

£23
£0
£23
£0
£0
£25
£23
£65
£45
Important Terms:

Automatic coverage within EU to UK level
For trips up to 30 days
For trips under 90 days
For trips up to 90 days
Automatic coverage within EU to UK level
Based on a driver in mid-30s age bracket in average vehicle
For trips up to 90 days
Automatic coverage within EU to UK level
For trips up to 90 days
Automatic coverage within EU to UK level
Automatic coverage within EU to UK level
Upgrades to same coverage received in UK
For trips up to 90 days
(same as 8-day package)
Includes roadside assistance and recovery, replacement car (while yours is not roadworthy), replacement part delivery, legal fees and medical help
*source: The Independent

Drivers must also be certain to bring their insurance details with them when they are on holiday. This not only insures things go smoother from a legal perspective in case of an accident, but as they are written documents they make for easier communication with non-English speaking authorities whose abilities in reading and writing English are usually superior to their speaking skills.

Drivers venturing beyond the EU will need an International Car Insurance Card, better known as a motoring green card, to maintain UK-levels of coverage. The green card certifies that you meet local levels of insurance protection. The cost of a green card will be additional to that of EU coverage. Britons renting cars abroad should also confirm that their rental agreements include insurance as this is not always the case.

Mr. Gerrard of Moneysupermarket also encourages UK drivers to be aware of the possibility of substantially increased excesses if they rent a car abroad instead of taking their own vehicles. Excesses depend on the country one is driving in, but can be as high as £1,000 within the EU. He notes that British drivers can avoid this by purchasing an excess waiver which eliminates this in case a driver has an accident.

As msnUK, and former BMW, writer Henry Biggs reports - one thing that most overseas car insurance policies have in common is that they only cover limited periods of time. If you will be abroad for extended periods, such as more than 90 days, it may be very difficult to get a UK-level of coverage. Brits that fall into those categories, such as diplomats or long-term business expats, should contact insurers that specialize in such coverage. †