Hoot guide to car insurance policy jargon!

Confused by car insurance policy jargon? Trying to work out what ‘excess’, ‘comprehensive insurance’ and ‘business use’ actually mean? The Hoot guide to car insurance policy jargon, will help you make sense of it all!!

  • Type of cover

  • Policy excess

  • Social, domestic and pleasure use (SD&P)

  • Legal expenses insurance and uninsured losses

  • Immobiliser

  • Tracking device

  • Modifications

  • Business use

  • Foreign use – Green card

  • Disabilities or medical conditions

1. Car insurance policy cover type
Third party only (TPO)
The most basic level of car insurance, most policies cover you for damage to another person’s property and your liability for death or bodily injury to another person (known as a third party). This includes passengers in your car. See Levels of car insurance cover for more information…

Third party fire and theft (TPFT)
Most policies cover you for everything described in the TPO cover above, plus the risk of a fire or theft of your car (check policy documents to be certain of exact cover provided).

Some car insurance policies will provide motor insurance cover for the contents of the car and details will be provided with your online quote. Audio equipment cover is provided with a number of policies and again, details will be provided with your motor insurance quotation. See Levels of car insurance for more information…

Fully comprehensive (FC)
This is the highest level of cover you can buy and covers you for everything described above, as well as loss of or damage to your car caused by accidental or malicious damage and generally includes some personal accident benefit in respect of personal injury to you or your death (please refer to your policy terms when received). Theft cover for the contents of your car is provided by most policies but only to a specified amount and subject to policy terms. Details will be shown with your car insurance quotation. Audio equipment cover is provided by all policies. Details of the amount of cover will be provided with your car insurance quotation. See Levels of car insurance cover for more information…

2. Policy excess
This is the amount of money you must pay every time you make a claim on your car insurance. There are two types of excess.

A compulsory excess
This is an excess that has been applied as a requirement by your insurer and will vary according to your personal circumstances and the terms of car insurance cover provided. A compulsory excess can, for example, be required if you drive a particular make or model of car, if you have a protected no- claims discount or you have inexperienced drivers on your policy. There is also a compulsory excess for fire, theft or windscreen claims.

A voluntary excess
This will apply where you agree with your insurer to pay a greater part of each claim than the minimum compulsory excess. Agreeing to a voluntary excess will reduce the cost of your car insurance premium.

3. Social, Domestic and Pleasure use (SD&P)
Including commuting
This means you’re insured to use your car for social, domestic and pleasure use and includes the use to and from one place of work (but not for use in relation to your work or for commercial gain).

Excluding commuting
This means you’re insured to use your car for s ocial, domestic and pleasure purposes only. But means you’re not insured to use your car to get to and from work. 

4. Legal expenses insurance
This is a separate policy to your car insurance that, will help you recover your ‘uninsured losses’ if you are involved in a non-fault accident. Uninsured losses are things that are not covered by your car insurance such as loss of earnings, loss or damage to personal property and policy excess if you are comprehensively insured. Hoot's legal expenses insurance product, Box Motor Legal Protect, can arrange a replacement car whilst yours is off the road* and help you pursue a claim for personal injury compensation if you or your passengers are injured. See Legal expenses insurance for more information…

* Conditions apply

5. Immobiliser
There are two types of immobiliser:

Manual immobilisers
These are devices that physically immobilise your car and protect it from being driven. They are usually fitted to the steering wheel of your car, and can be fitted and removed quickly with a key e.g. Krooklok.

Electronic immobilisers
These are devices which prevent the engine of your car being started by temporarily disabling the electronics. Some cars may have these fitted by the manufacturer in the factory. You can also have these immobilisers fitted by a garage or specialist. Electronic immobilisers can help reduce the cost of your car insurance, so speak to a member of our motor team for advice before getting one fitted.

6. Tracking device
This is an electronic device that enables your car to be located if it is stolen. This device normally requires you to pay an annual subscription, to a company who provide tracking services.

7. Modifications
If your car's engine, suspension or body has been altered in anyway since it was manufactured, it may affect your car insurance premium. Modifications could include alloy wheels, spoilers, sunroof and/or any performance enhancements.

Given the number of modifications that can be made to a car, we are unable to quote for modified cars online. Please call our motor team and we’ll provide you with a car insurance policy quote over the phone.

8. Business use
This means your car insurance covers the policyholder travelling to and from more than one place of work and between different places of work.

9. Foreign use
Hoot Private Car Policies can provide the necessary cover required for you to drive in abroad. Check your policy schedule for clarification.

If you want to increase the level of cover you have when driving your car abroad, you will need to have a Green Card.

A Green Card is a legal document issued by your insurance company which acts as proof that you are adequately insured to drive the vehicle named on the card in Europe .

In theory, with the Single European Union, you should not need to have a Green Card as a UK car insurance policy is automatically valid in all countries in the EU. However, we are aware that not all police staff in EU countries are aware of this fact, so it’s better to be safe than sorry! If you intend to drive your car in a country outside the EU, you definitely still need proof of your insurance in the form of a Green Card.

Some motor insurance policies provide Green Cards free of charge – please check your schedule details or call us for further information .

10. Disabilities or medical conditions
If you have certain disabilities or medical conditions you will need to report them to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency), as they may affect your or any named drivers' ability to drive.

You must inform the DVLA if you (or any named drivers) have any of the following:

  • Any severe psychiatric illness or mental disorder

  • Continuing/permanent difficulty in the use of arms or legs which affects your/their ability to control a vehicle

  • Dependence on or misuse of alcohol, illicit drugs or chemical substances in the past 3 years. This does not include drink driving offences.

  • Severe mental handicap

  • A pacemaker, defibrillator or anti-ventricular tachycardia device fitted

  • Diabetes controlled by insulin or tablets

  • Problems with memory

  • A major or minor stroke

  • An epileptic event, seizure or fit

  • Sudden attacks of disabling giddiness, fainting or blackouts

  • Any type of brain surgery, brain tumour, severe head injury involving in-patient treatment at hospital

  • Any visual disability which affects both eyes. There is no need to declare short/long sight or colour blindness.

If you (or any of your named drivers) have a disability or medical condition we will need to ask for some information in relation to this in order to ensure your car insurance policy provides you with adequate car insurance cover. Please call our motor team and we will provide you with a car insurance quote over the phone.

NB: These definitions are for guidance only, and you should refer to your Private Car Policy document for full definitions.

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