By law, car insurers in the UK must provide their policyholders with a minimum of third party insurance cover so, if you want fully comprehensive cover you will need to contact your insurer to have it upgraded at extra cost. You may also wish to consider adding on European breakdown cover in case you are unfortunate to break down on your overseas holiday.
Aviva recently carried out some research that revealed 73% of UK motorists have been involved in potentially dangerous situations or breaking driving laws in the European country they are in whilst driving a car.
Five per cent of drivers had an accident driving abroad, twenty eight per cent did not understand or misread road signs and a staggering sixteen per cent drove on the wrong side of roads.
A car will be the most popular form of transport for 54% of holidaymakers and 14% will drive a car from the boat, train or airport to their holiday accommodation.
Motorists will be driving for 5 hours to travel 250 miles to get to their destination. Thereafter, they will drive 125 miles pottering about.
Interestingly, motorists are more affected by boredom and tiredness when driving in the UK (11% and 10% respectively) compared to 2% and 6% respectively when travelling in Europe. Perhaps this may be attributed to a change of scenery.
Nigel Bartram who is a senior motor underwriter for Aviva, stated: “While all driving comes with its hazards, this is particularly true when there are foreign roads and rules to contend with and it is essential that motorists make sure they have the correct insurance to cover them should anything go wrong.
“Motorists may not be aware of the level of cover they have if they decide to head overseas. By law, all UK insurers provide the minimum third-party cover for driving in Europe but if you want comprehensive cover while you’re driving abroad, you need to get in touch with your insurer to get the cover upgraded as this is not included automatically. Breakdown cover is also usually restricted to the UK so holidaymakers should check their cover with their provider.”
So, before travelling, contact your insurer to sort things out and also find out what other things you need to consider such as in France you need to carry a breathalyser testing kit. You may need a spare set of bulbs, a hazard-warning triangle, reflective vests etc.
