If you tow things, you're a safer driver...

ahar · 7 Jul 2019 at 09:47

.... at least according to eSure.

Got a 3rd party tow bar fitted to my Skoda Kodiaq to attach a bike rack to, and tow my Caterham to race tracks (its road legal, but not much fun on a 3 hour motorway trip).

Phoned up and told my insurance company about it and they reduced my premium and refunded me £16 - the total premium before was around £400 for the year (lots of car thieves in my area), but I only have 2 months left to renewal so it might work out to a significant drop if you scale that to a full year.

I can only assume that in their risk model, the kind of person who has a tow bar is less likely to have a crash - maybe those bloody caravaners aren't so bad after all!

Philz0r · 7 Jul 2019 at 10:21

Better fit one to my m3!

peterwalkley · 7 Jul 2019 at 10:55

ahar said:
.... maybe those bloody caravaners aren't so bad after all!

I can't see that being a popular opinion in here

jpaul · 7 Jul 2019 at 11:58

Do you have to take out any liability insurance for what you are towing ? I guess if its a road-legal car and came detached would that cars insurance cover it

Interesting comment the other day on Hotuk that you should check with insurance companies about roof-racks annd bike racks ... never even considered it before

MartinPrince · 7 Jul 2019 at 12:10

Well it kind of stands to reason as if you're towing something you're probably travelling slower than the average motorist.

Dandle · 7 Jul 2019 at 18:59

jpaul said:
Do you have to take out any liability insurance for what you are towing ? I guess if its a road-legal car and came detached would that cars insurance cover it

Interesting comment the other day on Hotuk that you should check with insurance companies about roof-racks annd bike racks ... never even considered it before

With the caravan we have separate insurance for the caravan itself. From what I believe your car insurance covers you if something is attached or the car as in a roof box or bikes on a rack, once they leave the car (i.e. fall off) its no longer covered by the car insurance though. Most household policies have some sort of public liability and it would be covered under that unless you have specific insurance for the items. I had a friend who lost his bikes on the M3 when the spoiler on his car that the bike rack attached to broke under the strain, he was told then that the car insurance wouldn't have covered him for any third party liability if anyone had hit the bikes in the road.

Nasher · 7 Jul 2019 at 19:36

What if you're towing a hydrogen bomb?

Dandle · 7 Jul 2019 at 20:05

Nasher said:
What if you're towing a hydrogen bomb?

No insurance needed.

Chris Wilson · 8 Jul 2019 at 12:45

ahar said:
.... at least according to eSure.

Got a 3rd party tow bar fitted to my Skoda Kodiaq to attach a bike rack to, and tow my Caterham to race tracks (its road legal, but not much fun on a 3 hour motorway trip).

Phoned up and told my insurance company about it and they reduced my premium and refunded me £16 - the total premium before was around £400 for the year (lots of car thieves in my area), but I only have 2 months left to renewal so it might work out to a significant drop if you scale that to a full year.

I can only assume that in their risk model, the kind of person who has a tow bar is less likely to have a crash - maybe those bloody caravaners aren't so bad after all!

Or a car with a tow bar has some added protection against minor rear parking damage...?

pastymuncher · 8 Jul 2019 at 20:10

I think the reason that Chris above has stated is more likely. The rear end of your car is much stronger now. I was rear ended at a traffic lights in Germany in 1992 by a MT driver just come off shift. I was in a 1986 Nissan Bluebird hatchback with a towbar fitted and he was in a brand new Fiat Punto. It was a hell of a impact as he was looking down at something and not looking where he was going. I pulled to the side of the road after the crash to swap details and check the damage only to find that I only had a couple of small scratches on the rear bumper. His Punto not exactly being a tough car anyway had the front end destroyed. It was quite a staggering difference in damage and the towbar was what saved my car.

Nasher · 9 Jul 2019 at 08:45

Probably a bit like aftermarket bracing. One of the side effects is reinforcing the crumple zones. Bad news for the other guy

Dandle · 9 Jul 2019 at 20:43

Chris Wilson said:
Or a car with a tow bar has some added protection against minor rear parking damage...?

It might do but another factor is that the electric folding towbars can be over £1500 to replace if damaged by an impact so I would think that would cancel that theory out.