We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.
Car insurance agreements may be at risk from suspension as road users break policy terms and conditions by failing to keep their car in a roadworthy condition. The analysis from Money.co.uk has found that 48 percent of drivers have delayed repairs or services for their vehicles in 2020.
Just under a fifth are driving with at least one service light or warning light on their vehicle which could be highlighting a major car issue.
Under one third said they had one or more warning lights on their vehicle or were driving with known faults.
A massive 64 percent says they did not see the point in addressing the issue immediately as they rarely use their car.
Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at Money.co.uk has warned failing to keep your car in a good condition can have “serious consequences”.
He warns road users may also face picking up fines and penalty points which can impact future agreements, a major concern.
Mr Haqqi said: “Between remote working and local travel restrictions, right now many of us are using our vehicles less than ever before.
“With most regular drivers making smaller, more infrequent journeys, it’s easy to see why some might be tempted to put off repairs and maintenance, especially particularly expensive work.
“However, doing so could have serious consequences to the safety of your journey, and even invalidate your insurance.
DON’T MISS
Car insurance customers warned ‘there could be an opportunity’ to save [COMMENT]
Car insurance experts warn drivers could face insurance scams [INSIGHT]
Car insurance customers can make savings as firms offer extra support [ANALYSIS]
“Most insurance policies will require you to keep your car in a roadworthy state, which includes ensuring your tyres and lights meet the minimum legal requirements.
“This means if you were to have an accident and it was found that you didn’t do so, you could risk your insurance being invalidated, leaving you to foot the bill.
“This is in addition to legal implications which could see you fined and receive penalty points which could impact your ability to get insurance in the future.”
According to analysis from the group, tyre maintenance was the most commonly ignored issue on the road.
A massive 68 percent of drivers said they had not checked their tyres since the start of the year in a major safety concern,
Other issues likely to be ignored include regular oil checks and changes which are missed by over a quarter of road users.
Unrecognised warning lights accounted for over one-fifth of issues with drivers failing to top up their washer fluid 15 percent of problems.
A total of 40 percent blamed the lack of vehicle use as the reason why they did not regularly address their car issues.
However, budgetary concerns were responsible for 32 percent of issues while a delayed MOT was blamed by 17 percent of drivers.
The AA has confirmed that drivers need to keep their car in a roadworthy condition at all times to avoid having their policies axed.
Failing to carry out the necessary maintenance could be considered negligence and any claims may go down as your own fault.
This will cause firms to suspend payouts and will likely force owners to pay for repairs themselves.
Source: Read Full Article