Driving for Work: Mythbusters
52 common misconceptions – and the facts employers and drivers need to know
Myth 35: A vehicle can be used for work even if the driver’s insurance doesn’t explicitly include business use
Standard private motor insurance policies do not cover driving for work purposes – they only cover the driver for commuting, which is to travel to and from a single main place of work.
Not different offices on different days of the week, not to offsite training sessions, not to meetings, not to work events. Using a vehicle for work on such a policy is technically driving without appropriate insurance – a serious offence carrying a fixed penalty, licence points, and the possibility of a court summons.
In the event of a collision, the insurer may decline to meet any claim, leaving the driver with a substantial personal liability, and the employer with some uncomfortable questions to answer about why they had allowed this to happen.
Employers must confirm that any driver using a personal vehicle for work holds a policy that explicitly includes business use and should keep records of this confirmation.
Driver takeaway:
Check your insurance policy carefully before making any work journey in your own vehicle.
If it does not include business use, a single work trip could leave you personally uninsured and facing criminal charges.
Manager takeaway:
Confirm in writing that every employee using a personal vehicle for work holds a policy that includes business use.
Keep records of those confirmations. The fact that you didn’t know a driver was uninsured is not a defence if you permitted the journey.
