Am I still insured if I crash without a warrant?

It’s the stuff of nightmares. The family car is booked in for a Warrant on Tuesday, but you still have to do the Monday school run.

Everything runs to plan until a distracted driver rear-ends you at the lights. Will your insurance still cover the damage?

Don’t worry, your insurance company won’t automatically decline your claim just because your WoF expired.

The government requires a WoF on cars to keep people and roads safe. It means a certified mechanic has confirmed the vehicle is safe to operate on our roads, including safety features, and mechanical components like tyres and brakes.

While a WoF is a legal requirement, we’ve all been in the position where you simply forgot, or just have to get through another few days before you can get it to the workshop.

 

When would your claim be declined?

If you make a claim on your car, and your insurance company discovers it doesn’t have an active WoF (they can easily find this), they will want to find out:

  1. Was the cause of the accident an issue with the car?

  2. Would the issue have been resolved by a WoF check?

Your claim could be declined if it’s proved that an issue with the car was the cause of the accident. This could be bald tyres with no tread causing you to spin out, or tattered brakes meaning you couldn’t stop in time to avoid a collision.

These are obvious causes that are easy to pick up. If the issue is something less obvious, your insurance company might determine whether the issue would’ve been picked up by a WoF. If it would’ve, your claim could be declined. These are all reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

What if the cause was not an issue with the car?

Generally, most accidents don’t involve an issue with the car, so it won’t affect the ability to make a claim.

If your car wasn’t being operated at the time of a crash, there’s no reason to deny your claim as the lack of warrant has nothing to do with the damage. If someone else reverses into you and caves in your front bumper while your car is parked, that’s hardly your fault and nothing a warrant would prevent so you won’t be pinged.

Remember not to drive your car if you notice an issue, and fix it as soon as you can. This way if you have an accident and forgot about your WoF, your insurance coverage is still valid.