When you first get a quote on your car insurance, you’ll be asked about the class of use you’ll need. How you intend to use your car will help your insurer determine how much risk you’ll be as a motorist, so the class of use you specify could affect your premium.
Because of this, your cover could be invalidated if you choose the wrong class of use on your car insurance and if you need to make a claim then this could be refused. It’s therefore important that you understand the different classes of use. That’s why we put together this short guide!
Car Insurance Classes of Use – Social, Domestic and Pleasure, and More
In the world of car insurance, there are three main classes of use. But beyond this, there are a few other things to think about if your job involves a lot of driving.
Social, Domestic and Pleasure Insurance Cover
Sometimes referred to as just “social”, with this type of cover the insured car can only be used by the named drivers for journeys that are not work-related. This type of cover is for your standard everyday driving – trips to the shops, or to see family or friends.
If you use your car to travel to and from work, the basic social, domestic and pleasure class won’t be enough for you. Instead, you’ll need to choose the social and commuting class.
Social and Commuting Cover
This one covers everything that’s included in the social, domestic and pleasure class. But it will also cover you for commuting – for journeys to and from a single permanent place of work.
The definition of “commuting” may vary from insurer to insurer. Do you park your car at a station and complete your journey to work on the train? Even though you’re not driving the entire distance, some insurers may still class that journey as a commute.
You might also have a situation where you drive someone else to their place of work. Even though you’re not travelling to and from your own job, some insurers may still class this as commuting.
For more information about what’s classed as commuting, check your policy wording, or give your insurer a call.
Do I Need Business Cover?
If you’re using your car to drive to and from one place of work, then no. You’ll be fine with social and commuting cover. But if your job involves driving – whether it’s to make deliveries or to attend meetings – then you’ll need to choose a business use option that fits your needs.
Then there’s the business use by you and/or your spouse class. Essentially, this means if your spouse is a named driver, both of you will be covered for all social, domestic, pleasure and business driving.
Finally, there’s the commercial travelling class. This is for people with jobs that require extensive driving every single day, beyond the odd trip here and there. A good example of this is a travelling salesperson, or an area manager. Both roles will require a lot of mileage, so both will fall under the commercial travelling class.
Insurance websites sometimes use different descriptions for each class of use. It’s best to read the descriptions on the website carefully to make sure that you are selecting the correct option for your needs.
So what sort of business cover do you need? It depends on what you do. If you’re not sure, don’t hesitate to contact your insurer for advice before you get a quote for car insurance.
