My insurance is up for renewal. I am properly paranoid as I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them after they refused to pay out for a claim years ago when my old FZR600 got nicked.
Anyway, I digress. I always phone them up to double-check things and this year, for the first time, they asked if I wanted pillion cover. I think it cost an extra £35 or something (I am old, so my insurance is pretty cheap!).
Anyway, when I asked them what the pillion gets for me paying an extra £35 the insurer told me they get nothing. They reckon the pillion can’t benefit from the breakdown cover, or the kit insurance, etc.
It makes no sense to me. Can you help me understand what the pillion gets for me paying extra for them.
Answer
It sounds like there are a few crossed wires. It is not about paying extra so the pillion gets something.
You have been asked if you are going to carry a pillion on your bike so your insurer can assess the risk. The bigger the risk, the higher the insurance premium. So, if you’re not carrying a pillion, the lower the risk for the insurer, i.e. if you crash there will be no pillion claim against you/your insurer. In that scenario, your insurance premium will be lower.
However, as a point of note, if you tell your insurer you’re not carrying a pillion (to obtain a cheaper policy) but then have a crash that’s your fault with a pillion on the back and they get hurt, that pillion can claim against you/ your insurer and your insurer will have to pay out.
HOWEVER, because you lied to your insurer and broke the terms of your policy, your insurer can come after you personally for the money they pay out to the pillion. I had a case where a client broke the terms of his policy and the insurer came after him for £120,000 personally.
My advice is if you want to carry a pillion, tell your insurer if they ask.
Andrew Prendergast
More Bikes – October 2023
Source: https://www.whitedalton.co.uk/motorbike-blog/2024/05/how-a-pillion-affects-your-insurance-premium/
