Car insurance question.

[AM9]

I would be grateful if anybody here could help with this question:
If a driver sustained a left leg injury that prevented them from driving their existing manual transmission car for six months, would they increase the premium if the car was changed for the same model of similar age with an automatic gearbox*? The injury was not resulting from anything wreckless or careless, nor was it caused by any other person.
I suspect that different insurers would have different approaches to the issue but is the a presumption that premiums would rise?
Thanks in anticipation.

* there may of course be a premium adjustment if the auto version was more expensive than the manual.

 

[JamesT]

I would be grateful if anybody here could help with this question:
If a driver sustained a left leg injury that prevented them from driving their existing manual transmission car for six months, would they increase the premium if the car was changed for the same model of similar age with an automatic gearbox*? The injury was not resulting from anything wreckless or careless, nor was it caused by any other person.
I suspect that different insurers would have different approaches to the issue but is the a presumption that premiums would rise?
Thanks in anticipation.

* there may of course be a premium adjustment if the auto version was more expensive than the manual.

https://www.admiral.com/magazine/gu...al-vs-automatic-which-cost-the-most-to-insure reckons automatics tend to cost 5-6% more than the manual equivalent. This is put down to automatics breaking more often and being more expensive to fix/replace when they break.

 

[AM9]

My question was really asking whether an insurer might raise/load a premium because of the health issue, maybe taking a view that the driver may be a greater risk in accident terms.
As for the potentially greater cost of repairing an automatic gearbox compared to a clutch/manual gearbox transmission, I would expect that to be recovered through the higher group rating of the vehicle, hence my asterisked footnote.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Does one even have to declare a health issue that doesn't in any way affect their ability to drive the vehicle in question? It's not a question I recall seeing.

(Note: don't take out a policy from the meerkat and the likes, they ask far too many questions "just in case" and you don't know which ones your insurer is actually acting on. Use them to get an idea who's cheapest and purchase direct, then you see their actual questions and policy wording - I found this particularly important when needing to insure a car that was going to spend a lot of time in airport car parks rather than at home - same with the home insurance to cover a house left empty for 4 days out of 7, which some underwritings are fine with and some not.)

 

[Busaholic]

Does one even have to declare a health issue that doesn't in any way affect their ability to drive the vehicle in question? It's not a question I recall seeing.

That's my thinking too. When I had to re-apply for a driving licence at the age of 70 last year I had to fill in a form from the DVLA which asked me all sorts of 'health' questions that I could answer both simply and honestly: from memory, it was mostly 'no' I didn't have any of these named conditions: 'no' I don't use glasses for anything: and, 'yes' I can read a number plate at the distance stated. Any other health condition I had/have that doesn't affect my driving and doesn't concern the DVLA is irrelevant to my insurers imo, and won't be volunteered.

 

[thejuggler]

Nobody knows. It would be a mid policy change based on the new vehicle and any fees charged for changing mid term.

It may be more, it may be less.

 

[AM9]

OK, here's the situation. My son has just ruptured his left achilles tendon and will be wearing a 'boot' for 3 -6 months. He needs to keep working but can't drive his current car (small KIA or similar). He wants to get an auto version of the same car so that he will still be mobile. Apart from the cost of changing the car and the fact that it might be slightly more expensive because of the auto transmission, we wonder whether his (or any other) insurer would see his injury as an increased risk. If as you (Bletchleyite) say, such an injury is not notifiable then there should be no issues. Is there a definitive list of medical notifiable conditions, maybe DVLA led - apart from the obvious ones such as eyesight shortcomings, epilepsy and maybe any condition with potential sudden onset events, e.g. heart, respiratory etc.?

 

[AlterEgo]

OK, here's the situation. My son has just ruptured his left achilles tendon and will be wearing a 'boot' for 3 -6 months. He needs to keep working but can't drive his current car (small KIA or similar). He wants to get an auto version of the same car so that he will still be mobile. Apart from the cost of changing the car and the fact that it might be slightly more expensive because of the auto transmission, we wonder whether his (or any other) insurer would see his injury as an increased risk. If as you (Bletchleyite) say, such an injury is not notifiable then there should be no issues. Is there a definitive list of medical notifiable conditions, maybe DVLA led - apart from the obvious ones such as eyesight shortcomings, epilepsy and maybe any condition with potential sudden onset events, e.g. heart, respiratory etc.?

Is he planning to drive the car using only one foot? Or is the boot on his foot impeding his ability to actually drive?

 

[AM9]

He will be driving (an auto) with his right foot, - I've yet to see an auto transmission that requires any use of the left foot. I've driven my auto car when I had plantar fasciitis (luckily a left foot that time as well) and with a boot for some of it. As I already had the car, there was no necessity to inform the insurer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

He will be driving (an auto) with his right foot, - I've yet to see an auto transmission that requires any use of the left foot. I've driven my auto car when I had plantar fasciitis (luckily a left foot that time as well) and with a boot for some of it. As I already had the car, there was no necessity to inform the insurer.

If he's changing his car, surely all he's informing them of is a change of vehicle?

No automatic requires use of the left foot unless you're getting into fancy driving techniques.

 

[thejuggler]

As long as there is no problem with the boot interfering with the brake pedal all should be ok. People with no left leg drive autos without an issue.

However also consider the effect of any drugs he may be taking for the problem.

 

[ComUtoR]

People with no left leg drive autos without an issue.

They aren't allowed to drive a manual and it must be declared to the DVLA. Pretty sure you have to declare to the insurance company too.

 

[PG]

The DVLA have a list of medical conditions which you could check and/or seek advice from your son's doctor.

https://www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving

 

[Busaholic]

I have a friend, now 70, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease two years ago. She was very concerned when her licence was up for renewal last August that she mightn't be allowed to continue driving, as there was a specific question relating to Parkinson's. In practice, an enquiry was made by DVLA of her GP and she had just had her 2 year assessment by NHS which found her limited symptoms had not got worse since diagnosis. In her case, she drives a manual car but her slight tremors are confined to her right hand, so don't affect her gear-changing or any foot pedals. She got her licence, without restrictions.

 

[AM9]

Thanks for all the helpful posts.
I will suggest to him that:
a) he gets specific advice from his GP as to his ability to drive
b) he checks carefully that he can safely drive with the boot fitted, (which will have graded inserts to progressively change his foot-leg angle from pointing downwards to a normal position I.e. forming a right-angle).
The insurer will be informed only if the GP advises it.

 

[robbeech]

Just to reiterate what others have said, there likely won’t be a need to declare this to the insurance company but try and check.

You might find a small price increase as the cars value may be more. It may be that they use the opportunity to get a slightly newer one at the same time if they find a good deal so this may have an effect. A few vehicles (turn of the century Mercedes for example had about 10 years of foot operated parking brakes that were on the left but most are now a normal hand brake or an electronic one on a switch or button.