Car insurance policies 'failing to cover road rage'

Just one in eight car insurance policies offer protection for road rage incidents, new figures suggest.

Defaqto found that 94% of policies do not provide any cover, although the situation has improved slightly over the course of the past five years.

An assessment of the car insurance market in 2005 showed 99% of products would not pay out in road rage situations.

In some cases, companies will only provide compensation if the situation does not involve a relative or person known to the policyholder, or if the claimant did not exacerbate the situation.

Report Author Mike Powell commented: "Many people may find it difficult to stay calm, and it could therefore be hard to prove to the insurer that the insured person did not contribute to the situation by anything that was said."

This follows recent calls from Defaqto for car insurance companies to drop price-led messaging, as it can often encourage people to take out inadequate cover.

Posted by Martin Ellis