Motorists have been reassured they will not be invalidating their insurance cover if they use their vehicle for non-essential journeys.

The confirmation comes from Dave Williams, from The Henshalls Group, in who said there had been some confusion over media reports that said otherwise.

“During the lockdown, the Government advice is to avoid all but essential travel, and some media sources had suggested anyone travelling for anything other than a vital reason could be putting their motor insurance at risk.

“But both the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have strongly refuted the claims and asked the media involved to change the reports.”

Dave said motor insurers had also confirmed they were continuing to cover anyone who used their vehicle to commute to work or volunteer with the NHS, and that motorists didn’t need to contact them to declare their key worker status before they travelled.

“It’s clear that we should all be following the Government restrictions and avoiding unnecessary journeys, but it’s also important that there are strong and accurate messages delivered through all forms of communication channels to avoid any further confusion.

“The rules we’re all being asked to obey are complicated and difficult enough as it is, without incorrect information being shared.”

It is believed the initial claim that insurance would be invalidated during non-essential journeys may have come from comparison site Uswitch, and both BIBA and the ABI have asked the online provider to correct the advice.