Senior Action Forum No 3 - Insurances No 2 - Volunteer Drivers and Motor Insurance [Update 10 May 2012]

These posts are offered by a non-expert in the matters covered - they arise from experience or concern about matters arising from  participatinon in a forum or other voluntary organisations as a member. Comment and illustrations about managing a Forum would be welcome. If you have a concern about a matter, it would be imperative to discuss it with other members, and if necessary seek professional or at least informed advice.

I recently renewed my motor insurance policy so what follows in this post may be pertient to a Forum offering expenses for informal volunteer driver services concerning members, such as:

• taking fellow committee members to a meeting;
• driving a member to hospital following an accident at a meeting.

Of course, taking a fellow committee member to a meeting, etc  may be a personal matter  and the driving member should ensure that his or her motor insurance policy covers the "lift", perhaps under "social" driving.

A Management Committee's interest arise when the expenses policy allows the volunteer driving scheme's members to claim expenses: then it may need to develop a management policy on motor  insurance.

Two particular insurance concerns about a driver's insurance may arise, namely:

1. it is compulsory for the driver to hold a valid motor insurance policy in place before a motor vehicle can be used on the highway; and,
2. the driver's insurance cover does not have any of the terms and conditions which preclude the type of service offered.

The wording of a driver's policy may include a reference to driving for "social" purposes. One pointer to consider is whether the definition includes "volunteer" driving and if so whether there is a caveat of any kind. For example, the payment of any driving expenses allowance may be mentioned as needing to be reasonable, eg perhpas reflecting the cost of fuel and other relevant consumables used. I guess any payment in the form of "remuneration" may invalidate the insurance policy. If in doubt in might be worth enquiring of the insurer or a broker etc. At least one volunteer dring scheme as an "insurance form" which the driver is advised to complete and send to his or her insurer

Finally, if the Forum develops a formal programme to help members of the public get to hospital, it is likely that such arrangements are beyond "social" and the Forum might need to arrange insurance for the perils likely to be faced by:

•  their employee drivers, if any;
• volunteer drivers;
• others, say "desk" workers on the scheme; and,
• the Forum itself including the Management Committee.

If the drivers are to be employed the Forum is obliged to have the statutory employers' compulsory insurance as well as motor insurance - I must admit that these are beyond my experience so a bit more digging is needed!