Does Shiftwork Impact On My Car Insurance
Caeva O'Callaghan | February 15th, 2024
I Do Night Shifts And Drive To And From Work – Will That Affect The Cost Of My Car Insurance?
No. Your shift pattern has no impact on your car insurance. It does not matter whether you drive more at night, during the day, or how long for.
But, some aspects of your job which may affect your insurance, such as where you store your car. It’s best to always be upfront with your car insurance provider about what you do, and how you do it.
In this article, we’ll cover the following queries:
- Does my job affect my car insurance?
- Will my car insurance need to know what hours I work?
- Do I need to tell my car insurance if I drive more at night?
Working shifts will have no impact on your car insurance. However, commuting to work will. In what way depends on where you work and where you live.
When you start working night shifts
Let’s say you’re picking up a few night shifts at work, which you’ve never done before. Insurance application forms often ask where your vehicle will stay overnight. This is because it is one of the factors that they use to determine the level of risk. The fact of the matter is, more crime happens at night.
Most people store their car on the street, in a garage or carport at night. And if this is your case 99% of the time, you probably don’t need to tell your insurer.
The crux of the matter is this: where will you store your car regularly?
If you’re just picking up a bit of extra work before Christmas or staying nights to finish a big project, it’s no big deal. However, if your shift pattern change is permanent or semi-permanent, this could affect your insurance.
This isn’t so much because your office car park might be more dangerous than wherever else you park when you’re home. It’s because if you need to make a claim, and your car’s parking situation is a surprise to your insurance, they may refuse to pay out. You need to tell them of any changes in your circumstances that may affect your claims.
Finding the right place to park
Many insurers will argue the safest place to store your car overnight is in a carport, at home. This is because it’s off the street, closer to your house, and at a lower risk of theft or damage.
Notice they say a carport – not a garage. Why?
Because although technically a garage is more secure, it’s not the safest place for your car. In an enclosed space like a garage, your car is at risk of scrapes and scratches when you drive in or out. If you keep tools, bikes or sharp objects in your garage they can cause damage to paintwork and glass. If someone were to break into your home, they may have free access to your garage and car. And, if your garage is particularly large or separate to your car, you might not hear someone breaking in.
A carport provides shelter and coverage, as well as being off-street. But if that isn’t available, you may find that on-street is cheaper than a garage. This is because if it’s a very visible spot, with overhead lighting, there’ll be more potential for others to be aware of anything that occurs.
Be up-front with your insurer
Always tell your insurance provider if you intend on changing your routine. Bear in mind that if your information is inaccurate, whether deliberately or not, this will affect your cover. You should never try and hide your circumstances from your insurance provider – and in some cases, you won’t be able to, even if you try.
For example, many young drivers are able to reduce their insurance premiums by installing telematics devices on their cars. These gadgets gauge average speed and GPS information which is relayed back to the insurance company. Let’s say you decided to work nights at the local supermarket, but didn’t tell your insurance. Your telematics device would pick up driving patterns inconsistent with the information on your application, and render any claims void.
So as long as you’re honest about where you park your car and do so in the safest way possible, you’re in the clear. Wondering whether your office’s car park or a nearby street is safer? Give us a call, and we’ll be able to help you work it out.
If you need to talk to us about car insurance, call us now!
If your car insurance is up for renewal or your circumstances change and you need to chat to us about the potential impact on your insurance and cover, feel free to pick up the phone and talk to us anytime Mon-Fri between 8.30am and 5.30pm on 0818 224433 or 042 9359051.
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