Motor Insurance: Classes of Use
Social, Domestic and Pleasure
This is the most common class of use applicable to nearly all policies. Cover includes any social use of the vehicle, for example, shopping, the school run or visiting relatives.
Social, Domestic, Pleasure & Commuting
As above, with the addition of commuting to one fixed place of work (or educational establishment).
If you are not in employment (perhaps due to retirement,) or if you are someone who chooses alternative methods to complete the daily commute (that do not require the use of your car), then Insurance companies may give you the option to reduce your annual premium by specifically excluding commuting cover from the policy. In such cases, the use of the vehicle for commuting will be excluded from the use permitted on your certificate of insurance.
Business Use
If using your private vehicle for business associated use, there are 3 different classes to choose from; each class providing a difference in the level of cover.
Business Class 1/ Class A
This class is the most common and will normally permit the policyholder (and/or spouse) to use the car for travel between multiple fixed places of work, in addition, to use for social domestic and pleasure use. Common occupations that might require such class of use would include a supply teacher, a care worker who drives to see various patients or any person who might have to work at more than one location.
Any named drivers other than the spouse will not normally be permitted to use the vehicle for business-related mileage. The cover provided is for travel between multiple places of work but excluding the use of the vehicle as a tool of trade.
Business Class 2/ Class B1
This class normally extends the cover under Class 1 (above) to any named drivers on the policy. Most insurance companies will require both the policyholder and the named driver to use the car for the same business (i.e. the insured and the named driver cannot use the vehicle in connection with different businesses)
The same restrictions found in Class 1 still apply in relation to the usage; so again, any commercial use relating to delivering goods or selling products will not be covered under this class of use.
Business Class 3/Class B2
The final business class is the broadest. In addition to the level of cover provided under a Class 2 policy, the policyholder will be allowed to use the car for ‘commercial travelling’ purposes as well.
This class ensures that any employment-related car travel, to an unlimited number of destinations that are not fixed, will be covered. Persons requiring this business class of use are likely to be high-mileage drivers and this is, as you would expect, normally the most expensive annual premium cost.
Note that this Class 3 use, although the widest of the Classes of Use, will still exclude certain uses regarded as non-standard; such as use as a taxi (public and private hire use) or use in connection with the motor trade. For these uses it will be necessary to purchase a commercial ‘Trader’ policy.