Am I insured to drive a hire car?

Not too long ago, your own comprehensive car insurance would typically cover you for driving somebody else’s car (this included rented vehicles). Due to the rising cost of claims though, most insurers have cut back on this policy, so nowadays you’ll only be covered for the car listed on your policy in the UK.

Before you jump behind the wheel of a car belonging to someone else (a friend for instance), it’s absolutely vital that you check your policy to ensure you’re protected. If you’re not, you could be prosecuted for driving without insurance – and you could also end up getting your friend’s car impounded. They won’t thank you for that!

So that’s personal usage - but what’s the law on rental vehicles these days? Well, even though fewer personal policies cover hire cars these days, you’ll be glad to hear that insurance generally isn’t too tricky to get sorted either way. All rental cars come with some level of insurance - they have to, in order to be legally drivable! And if you’re thinking of renting a vehicle with us here at Intack Self Drive, our car hire, van hire and minibus hire services all come with the option to purchase a Collision Damage Waiver, which lowers the cost of your deposit (we’ll get into that last one in a moment). We also offer a discount to anyone who’s able to use their own insurance to cover their rental vehicle.

With that in mind, here are the basics of what you need to know about insuring a rental vehicle.

Damage waivers

Most rental companies will include a ‘damage waiver’ in the initial cost of the rental. It’s basically an agreement where the company supplying you with the vehicle ‘waives’ its right to charge you for the full cost of any damages the car may sustain. If the vehicle does get damaged while you’re renting it, you’ll only have to pay the agreed ‘excess’ charge established in the waiver.

Here at Intack Self Drive, we offer a Loss Damage Waiver, which reduces your excess to £95 for cars and most vans/minibuses and £250 for Luton box vans.

That’s a serious reduction from the standard £750 for cars, and £1000 for most vans and minibuses and £1,500 for Luton Box vans that you’d otherwise be accountable for.

Plus, the price of a Loss Damage Waiver here at Intack starts at £9.90 per day for all cars, and £14.90 per day for most vans and minibuses and £19.90 for Luton Box vans. It’s a small price to pay for extra peace of mind!

Car hire excess insurance

If you’re looking for some extra peace of mind, there are plenty of options out there for you to purchase car hire excess insurance from an independent insurance company. If you like, it works a lot like travel insurance, as it can either be bought as a one off, or as an annual policy.

The policy covers the charge of your excess as well as any extra costs that may be incurred like damage to tyres or the windscreen. It’s a handy policy to get your hands on if you can foresee the cost of your excess being a potential problem. Ultimately, it’s more of a personal preference though, and isn’t essential for hiring a car. By and large, most people usually stick with the standard damage waiver, as it offers an adequate level of protection and is the only car hire insurance that you really need.

That’s the basics covered! If you’ve got any more questions regarding our vehicle hire service, you can find more answers over on our FAQs page, or get in touch with one of our experts. You can get in touch via our Contact Form, or simply give us a call on 01254 57811 - we’re here to help!