1 August 2007
Millions of car owners are at risk of permanent and possibly total damage to their cars due to the fact that they live on a flood plain, it has been found.
As car insurance firms are bracing themselves for a 2.5 billion payout to flood-hit areas across the south of England and Yorkshire, independent comparison and switching website uSwitch has found that 1.5 million cars are at risk of further flooding.
And it would appear that as many as one in four drivers living in flood-prone areas do not have specific cover for flooding. On top of this many people may not realise that if their car breaks down while navigating through flood water their claim may be void.
Aron Thompson, Head of Insurance at uSwitch.com, said: "Too many motorists are playing a risky game by failing to secure adequate cover should the worst happen. As the events of the last few weeks have proven, flooding is a real and present threat. If drivers do not take the necessary insurance precautions they could be suffering the financial consequences long after the flood water recedes.
"Motorists, particularly those who live in a designated flood area, must ensure they confirm with their insurer the adequacy of their current level of cover and gain clarification on any kind of activity involving their vehicle that could potentially invalidate a flood-related claim.
"Insurers must also take responsibility to provide their customers with clear, unambiguous information relating to a flood claim at the time a policy is taken out. If a customer feels that their policy isn't clear, they need to call their insurer immediately to find out what level of cover they have."
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
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