Glossary of terms

UK car insurance – motor insurance glossary
UK car insurance policies can seem very complicated and may include many unfamiliar terms. The following information is provided to help you get a cheap car insurance quote at duck2water Car Insurance Services. These definitions are for guidance only. For full definitions please refer to your policy document.

1. Type of cover
2. Excess
3. Social, Domestic and Pleasure use (SD&P)
4. Business use
5. Foreign use
6. Legal Expences Insurance
7. Immobiliser
8. Tracking device
9. Modifications
10. Disabilities or medical conditions

1. Type of UK car insurance cover

Third Party Only (TPO) motor insurance cover
This is the most basic level of UK car insurance and covers your liability for death or bodily injury to another person (known as a third party), including the other occupants of your vehicle, and your liability for damage to third party property (another person’s property). See What level of UK car insurance should I choose? for more information…

Third Party Fire and Theft (TPFT) motor insurance cover
This level of UK car insurance covers you for everything described in the TPO cover above, plus the risk of a fire or theft in connection with your vehicle (in accordance with relevant policy terms).

Some insurers 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 insurers and again, details will be provided with your motor insurance quotation. See What level of UK car insurance should I choose? for more information…

Comprehensive motor insurance cover*
Comprehensive car insurance 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 vehicle 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 insurers but only to a specified amount and subject to policy terms. Details will be shown with your motor insurance quotation. Audio equipment cover is provided by all insurers. Details of the amount of cover will be provided with your motor insurance quotation. See What level of UK car insurance should I choose? for more information…

* All new duck2water car insurance policies are sold as comprehensive cover only.

2. UK car insurance excess
This is the amount of money you must pay every time you make a claim on your motor insurance policy. 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 motor 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 amount of your annual UK car insurance premium.

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

Excluding commuting - This means social domestic and pleasure purposes only. As above, but excludes your use in relation to travelling to and from work.

4. Business use
This means your motor insurance policy will cover the policyholder for their own business travel to more than one place of work and between places of work.

5. Foreign use
All private car policies offered through us provide automatic cover for your car when it is being driven within the European Economic Area for up to 90 days for any one trip. We would always recommend that you ensure you have enough miles remaining to cover your trip before leaving and, if not, Top-Up your mileage to ensure you have adequate cover throughout the duration of the trip. Click here for more information on driving in the EU and abroad....

6. Legal expenses insurance
This is an additional policy that will help you recover your uninsured losses as a result of a non-fault accident. Uninsured losses are things such as loss of earnings, loss or damage to personal property and excesses under a comprehensive policy. The policy may also include, amongst other things, a replacement car facility and repair facility and will help you pursue a claim for personal injury compensation for you and your passengers. See legal expenses insurance for more information…

7. Immobiliser
There are two types of immobiliser.

Manual immobilisers , these are physical immobilisers which
you place on the steering wheel of your car such as a Krooklok.

Electronic immobilisers , which disable the engine of your car.
Some newer cars have these fitted by the manufacturer in
the factory and these are normally shown within your car brochure.
It is also possible to have these immobilisers fitted by a garage
or specialist, who will supply a certificate of installation detailing
the exact model of your car's immobiliser.

8. Tracking device
This is a device which enables the police to electronically locate your car if it is stolen. The telematics device fitted as standard on purchase of all duck2water private car policies provides a tracking service in the event that your car is stolen. Some newer cars may have this device installed by the manufacturer, however, this device normally requires you to pay an annual subscription.

9. Modifications
This is when the car's engine, suspension or body has been altered after it was manufactured. The most common modifications are alloy wheels, spoiler, sunroof and/or any performance enhancements.

Given the wide range of modifications that can be made to a vehicle, we are unable to offer a motor insurance quotation for modified cars online. Please call our motor team on 0333 123 1308 and we’ll provide you with a UK car insurance quote over the phone.

10. Disabilities or medical conditions
Certain disabilities or medical conditions will need to be reported to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency), as they may affect your or any named drivers' ability to drive.

The DVLA must be informed if you or any named drivers have any of the following:

An epileptic event (seizure or fit)
Sudden attacks of disabling giddiness, fainting or blackouts
Severe mental handicap
A pacemaker, defibrillator or anti-ventricular tachycardia device
fitted
Diabetes controlled by insulin
Diabetes controlled by tablets
A serious problem with memory
A major or minor stroke
Any type of brain surgery, brain tumour, severe head injury
involving in-patient treatment at hospital
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)
Any visual disability which affects BOTH eyes (no need to
declare short/long sight or colour blindness).

If you or any of your named drivers have disabilities or medical conditions we will need to ask for some information in relation to this in order to ensure you have adequate motor insurance cover. Please call our motor team on 0333 123 1308 and we will provide you with a UK car insurance quote over the phone.