Insurance question does driving to university count as commuting?

Rroff said:
Hate these areas of insurance - same as the way commuting often doesn't cover driving to a different place occasionally for work or giving colleagues a lift, etc.
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I've pondered from time to time how it applies for those who's place of work changes.... how permanent is permanent?

If you work on construction sites and don't report to the companies office, it would make sense for travel to the site to be classed as commuting, you go there do a days work and go home, obviously this doesn't apply if you get to site and find you have a situation on another site that needs sorting (that would be like reporting to your office and then being needed at a branch office, thats business travel not commuting)

But to be classed as your permanent place of work, how long do you have to be based at one site, I don't think it should matter, you are driving to one place to do your job, and back again, but I think it might... a week? month, 6 months, a few years, hell some office workers change companies with a shorter duration than some construction projects last
 
Adam_151 said:
I've pondered from time to time how it applies for those who's place of work changes.... how permanent is permanent?

If you work on construction sites and don't report to the companies office, it would make sense for travel to the site to be classed as commuting, you go there do a days work and go home, obviously this doesn't apply if you get to site and find you have a situation on another site that needs sorting (that would be like reporting to your office and then being needed at a branch office, thats business travel not commuting)

But to be classed as your permanent place of work, how long do you have to be based at one site, I don't think it should matter, you are driving to one place to do your job, and back again, but I think it might... a week? month, 6 months, a few years, hell some office workers change companies with a shorter duration than some construction projects last
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I asked a similar question a while back as I am meant to do short-term projects, however I have been with my most recent client for 4 years. HMRC tax my expenses 89% because I exceeded the "2 year rule" - but Insurance still considering it "business use" (versus just regular SDP+C).
 
I was going to call them tomorrow but the price did not seem to change much adding it so mite as well to cover myself lol.
Also then once I finish uni I don't have to mess about or forget to call insurers up to change it.
 
If you’re regularly travelling to a single location for anything that isn’t social/pleasure, I’d consider it commuting.

Even though it isn’t a job as such, you are considered to have an occupation of full time education.


I suspect a similar question would be raised for those driving to college.
 
I am pretty sure permanent place of study is treated the same as a work place
I am sure when I got my first car (albeit at 6th form many years ago) it needed to be commuting and that first policy was actually sorted by my father and one of his mates who happened to own a large insurance brokers, so I got a very very very good mates rate price
 
I assume its worded to stop people like taxi drivers doing it. I suspect if you go to workplace a 3 days a week and workplace b 2 times a week it would be fine as commuting.
 
It comes down to the wording "single place of work" if that went to court because they wanted to argue that a place of study counts then I'd be very surprised if the judge didn't just laugh at them and say "well write that then".
 
I just got off the phone to a mate who still works where I did, hes a senior underwriter and he said that it varies from company to company so you need to check the wording of the policy.
Some do classify it with commuting (not as commuting) some don't.

He said if you want to play safe if its unclear its far safer to take commuting because that also covers things such as if you get a weekend job.

He suggested that you want to check the definition of commuting (you know where they define what terms mean) on the policy document as some will define study within that. Commuting isn't necessarily the dictionary definition if its defined specifically within the policy. Thinking about it, this I think could be where I have seen places of study mentioned.
 
The single place of work is the restriction to commuting. It isn't attempting to define commuting.

If you commute or travel to multiple work locations, then it isnt covered.

However, I can see how people could interpret it. I doubt insurance companies could refuse a claim.
 
Ask the insurer? This is one of those I'd want confirming in writing, so they have no excuse should you need to claim.
 
When taking out insurance, i've very often seen it written as "Commuting to a permanent place of work or study". I'd definitely ask whoever you go with to clarify to save yourself any hassle if you do have to claim.
 
If you had a crash and made a claim, how would they even know if it was work or a social journey? They can't unless they can read minds.

They should just get rid of the option tbh, it's a bit like the car's value one which they ignore anyway and go off market value.
 
Adam_151 said:
I've pondered from time to time how it applies for those who's place of work changes.... how permanent is permanent?

If you work on construction sites and don't report to the companies office, it would make sense for travel to the site to be classed as commuting, you go there do a days work and go home, obviously this doesn't apply if you get to site and find you have a situation on another site that needs sorting (that would be like reporting to your office and then being needed at a branch office, thats business travel not commuting)

But to be classed as your permanent place of work, how long do you have to be based at one site, I don't think it should matter, you are driving to one place to do your job, and back again, but I think it might... a week? month, 6 months, a few years, hell some office workers change companies with a shorter duration than some construction projects last
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Interestingly I just noticed Admiral have updated their policy guide as of July:

Commuting is the next class up, and covers everything included in Social, Domestic and Pleasure, plus driving to and from one place of work in a day. Driving your car to the train station and leaving it there while you go to work counts as commuting for some insurers.

Business use
If you use your car as part of your job, or to drive to multiple sites in one day, this counts as Business use.
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Will have to log in and check my documents but the terms of my (Admiral) insurance are worded as permanent place of work without any mention of per day - when I phoned for clarification back along that didn't cover for instance going to a different site one day for training purposes, etc. but the wording above would seem to cover that.
 
Rroff said:
Interestingly I just noticed Admiral have updated their policy guide as of July:



Will have to log in and check my documents but the terms of my (Admiral) insurance are worded as permanent place of work without any mention of per day - when I phoned for clarification back along that didn't cover for instance going to a different site one day for training purposes, etc. but the wording above would seem to cover that.
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It is such BS though isn't it? I mean, large manufacturing sites have multiple gates and offices. I very much doubt they are going to fine tooth comb which gate you were at, and which gate number. I appreciate I'm on the borderline given my office is 100 miles away and often I'll stay over 3 nights but I wouldn't want to be having sleepness nights if I was a permy there just travelling between gates on my own office campus.
 
I've asked a previous insurer about driving to the train station before and they counted that as 'business use' as I wasn't driving to my office. For one i'm home based and don't have a main office, if i picked an office most are in the middle of London so surely its 'safer' to drive to a tiny station in the middle of no-where :rolleyes:
 
Nasher said:
If you had a crash and made a claim, how would they even know if it was work or a social journey? They can't unless they can read minds.
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Having made a couple of claims, they specifically asked what the purpose of the journey was
 
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