There are no doubt going to be occasions when you give a friend a lift in your car say to work or to a party. However, are you permitted to receive a monetary payment from your friend for the journey?
Assuming that you are not a taxi driver or offer a private vehicle hire service then yes you can accept a payment from your friend but you are not permitted to make a profit from the journey. In very simple terms, this really means that you can receive a contribution towards your fuel cost.
So, if it cost say £3.00 in petrol costs and your friend gave you £10.00 then this would not be acceptable and you run the risk of your car insurance being invalidated. You could also face a fine of up to £2,500 and presumably get points on your driving license resulting in the cost of insuring your car increasing. It would be so easy just to accept the £10.00 but, we are sure that you will agree, it is not worth taking the risk.
Another consideration worth bearing in mind is the pandemic. If you give a friend a lift in your car which is a confined space then you may wish to ensure that your friend does not have COVID-19. In that respect, check with them first before committing to giving them a lift.
Whilst writing, if your existing car insurance is shortly due to be renewed or you have just passed your driving test and are looking for car insurance for the very first time, why not make contact with us at the earliest opportunity and obtain a competitive quote without any obligation. We have an extensive panel of well-known insurers at our disposal. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that we are able to help save you some money.
