By Lois Avery
Angry drivers will have to watch their temper after it was revealed that only one in eight car insurance policies cover road rage.
New research from Defaqto has shown that 94 per cent of motor insurance policies will not cover drivers if they’re involved in a road rage incident.
This comes despite Defaqto's consumer research that identified cover for road rage incidents as an important factor for consumers when deciding on a policy purchase, particularly among drivers aged 55-plus.
But most drivers will have to shop around to find an insurer willing to cover them for road rage. And even if your policy does include road rage cover it could still be difficult to claim because of the strict exclusions.
Mike Powell, author of the Defaqto report, said: “Exclusions include incidents caused by a relative or a person known to the policyholder, or incidents caused or contributed by anything said or done by the insured person or passenger in the car.
“In the heat of the moment, many people may find it difficult to stay calm, and it could therefore be hard to prove to the insurer that the insured person did not contribute to the situation by anything that was said.”
The majority of road rage cover will offer benefits ranging from £500 to £5,000 and usually cover costs incurred for professional counselling, although some also give a benefit for physical assault.
Although the number of insurers willing to cover road rage is low it’s an improvement from 2005, when 99 per cent of motor insurance premiums would not cover it at all.
