When you apply for either Road Risk or Garage motor trade insurance, there are several levels of cover to opt for.

We’ll discuss a few of them below, but of course you can always call us to discuss your individual needs.

Third Party: This is the minimum level of cover available under motor trade road risk insurance. A third party road risk policy covers not you or the vehicle you are driving but any other party involved in the accident if you are deemed responsible for the accident. i.e. You are test driving a customer’s vehicle and rear ended another vehicle on the road.

Third Party, Fire & Theft: This is just as it sounds – it’s the same as third party cover but it also includes damage caused by theft (as long as no blame can be placed on you) or fire as a result of an accident.

Comprehensive: This is the highest level of road cover and insures you whether you are at fault or not. Any damage to a vehicle (as stipulated in your policy) ie, Car or light commercial vehicle, under your custody or control can be claimed for under comprehensive cover. You will however be liable for the excess on the policy and your no claims bonus will be affected.

The level of cover you require greatly depends on the nature of your work. This is very much the case when choosing cover under a garage policy.

There are optional extras to add to any policy, such as:

• Employers’ liability – for if you have employees working for you
• Product liability/ Service Indemnity– covers faulty parts put into cars, especially useful for mechanics
• Public liability – good for a physical location where customers can visit. If a member of the public gets hurt whilst on your premises.

Don’t forget, Garage insurance cover is also made for those with premises where equipment and vehicles may be stored. Road risk only policies tend to exclude vehicles whilst stored or on your garage premises.

How do I know what’s right for me?

The best way to know what the right insurance is for you, is to talk to the people who know insurance inside out! Britton Insurance has been providing insurance policies for nearly 40 years and we’re happy to talk through your case on a one-to-one basis.

If you want to chat through your options, think about the following in preparation:

Who do you want to include on your insurance policy?

Remember that the more people that are included in your road risk policy, the higher the risk, therefore premiums could rise. Make sure you have all the details of who you would like to add and we can talk through the various options available to you, working out the best cover and optional extras.

What are you required to do legally?

It’s a good idea to write down a list of all the things you will be carrying out as part of your motor trade business. This may help us to advise you on what motor trade insurance you will need, but it will also help you to understand what cover you need and what options you want. Your insurance will be rated according to the percentages of work you do to 100%. So if you do 30% Sales, 50 Repairs and 20% Tyre fitting your policy will differ from someone doing 100% Repairs.

What feels right for my business?

The best we can do is advise you, but you also have to be satisfied that you’ve got the right type of cover and liability for your situation, your premises and any customers you deal with. Ultimately, motor trade insurance is made to help you out, not to make anything more difficult. Don’t always go for the cheapest option, make sure that you’re happy with the cover offered and that it includes those extra covers you really need.

Tell us everything!

That’s the most important thing when a) we’re deciding what cover to offer you and b) when you’re signing on the dotted line. When we discuss your business with you, make sure you don’t withhold any important information from us – this conversation will form the basis of your quotations and if you later disclose information that we should have known, this will change your premium and your options.

Treat your first call to us as helping us get to know you better. We’re happy to help and we want to know the best cover options for you.