Ian Beevis

Motoring convictions cover a wide range of offences, from a single speeding endorsement to a drink driving ban. Each one carries a different code, and that code shapes how insurers assess risk.

Speeding codes like SP30 are the most common, and the insurance impact is usually manageable. At the other end of the scale, drink and drug driving codes can stay on a licence for 11 years. The age of the conviction matters almost as much as the offence itself.

Drivers with multiple codes face higher loadings because the combination signals a pattern, not just a one-off event. But even a single serious conviction can narrow the field of insurers willing to quote.

Rehabilitation periods vary by offence. Understanding when your conviction becomes spent, and how insurers treat convictions at different stages, could make a real difference to what you pay at renewal.

Electric vans are no longer unusual, but the best policy wording still does more than swap diesel for battery power. I would check three things before buying: who owns the battery, how the charging cable is covered, and whether the policy responds if someone trips over a cable while the van is charging.

The 4,250kg Category B rule is useful for payload, but it does not remove the need to tell the provider exactly what the van is and how it is used. A heavier zero-emission van, a depot charging setup and paid delivery work all give the underwriter important context.

For working vans, I would also separate vehicle cover from goods cover. The van policy may protect the electric van itself, while tools, stock or customer goods usually need their own cover or extension.

Deliveroo riders often assume the app's own insurance covers them end to end. It doesn't. Deliveroo provides limited third-party cover only while a rider is actively completing an order, so any incident between orders, while waiting or while riding home from a shift falls outside that cover entirely.

The Supreme Court's 2021 ruling on Deliveroo riders confirmed their worker status for some employment rights, but the insurance obligation remains personal. Every rider still needs their own hire and reward motor policy to be legal under the Road Traffic Act 1988. Deliveroo checks for proof of that cover at sign-up.

Multi-app riders face an extra risk. A rider who adds a second platform mid-year and forgets to tell their insurer is carrying food on a use class the policy doesn't cover. Adding the platform takes minutes. Skipping it can turn a routine bump into an uninsured incident.

Motorcycle couriers are some of the hardest-working drivers on UK roads, and some of the hardest to insure through a standard broker. Many general bike insurers simply don't write hire and reward cover at all.

The licence issue catches a lot of riders out. A CBT-only rider on a 125cc is in a very different position to a full-licence rider on a 600cc. Check the DVLA motorcycle licence categories guidance to make sure you're riding within your entitlement before you take on paid work.

Protective gear isn't covered by your motor policy. If you come off your bike and lose a helmet or jacket, that's an out-of-pocket cost. Personal accident cover is the add-on I'd always look at first for riders who depend on the job for their income.

Riders uncertain about the coverage differences between their motor policy and cargo protection should check whether goods in transit applies to their delivery type.

Parcel delivery has grown fast, and a lot of drivers are on the road with a standard social and commuting policy that stops working the moment they pick up a paid job. Multi-drop routes push mileage well above what most personal van policies are rated for.

The Road Traffic Act 1988 requires your insurance to cover hire and reward use, and driving without the correct cover is a criminal offence for any paid parcel delivery. That's not optional, and it applies regardless of which carrier you work for.

One thing a lot of couriers miss is goods in transit cover. Your motor policy won't always pay out for the parcels in the back if they're lost or damaged. It's worth checking that gap before you need to claim.

Operators who carry high-value or fragile goods should also review whether a separate goods in transit policy provides the cargo protection their motor policy may not.