If you’ve hired a 4×4 or SUV, the temptation to take a cross country shortcut can be high. Doing so however could be disastrous. Suppliers such as Alamo, Europcar, Hertz, and Thrifty all say that driving off-road will void your car hire insurance and leave you liable for an expensive bill.
Photo by: Grafvision/Fotolia
Our Managing Director, Rory Sexton, said; “Where the conditions are especially wintery, it can sometimes be difficult to see where the roads are. This does not mean however that you can drive off-road. It is your responsibility to ensure that you stay on the road. The best advice is to stay on main roads where possible and try to avoid taking smaller roads.”
What the suppliers say
Alamo and Thrifty leave customers in no doubt as to what the result of driving off-road will be.
Alamo: Driving on unpaved roads voids Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) coverage.
Thrifty: You must not take the vehicle off road or on roads unsuitable for the vehicle.
Hertz on the other hand state:
Off-road driving is not allowed in any vehicle type. Should these restrictions be ignored, all insurances if accepted shall be deemed null and void. The driver will be held fully responsible in case of damage to, or loss of the vehicle and will bear all consequences, including the cost of repatriation of the damaged vehicle.
Basically, you should never drive off-road unless you’re prepared to accept the risk that you could end up with a hefty repair bill. If you void the collision damage waiver you will be liable for the entire cost of the repairs to the vehicle, not just the excess amount.
Check what’s covered
Remember to check the level of insurance you have. If you only have standard collision damage waiver (CDW) included, you should be particularly careful. Damage to the wheels, tyres, glass parts, underside and roof isn’t usually covered by CDW.
If you purchase additional insurance (such as Top Up Insurance), check what the policy includes so you don’t get a nasty shock. As Top Up Insurance covers damage to the underbody, tyres, and wheels, and glass parts this isn’t as much of a problem.
Provided you stick to the roads and abide by the terms and conditions, any damage caused by a pot hole or obstruction being covered by snow WILL usually be covered by additional insurance.
Photo by: aetb/Fotolia
It’s also worth noting that in some areas, driving off-road isn’t just prohibited in the T&C’s, it’s actually illegal. Iceland is one such place as vehicles can damage rare and important vegetation so make sure you stay on the main roads!
Is the vehicle even suitable for off-road driving?
We know you’re not going to go off road but it never hurts to remember this.
A jeep or crossover isn’t necessarily 4 wheel drive. You could end up stuck off-road in the middle of nowhere if you were to attempting to go off-road. Some manufacturers offer 2 wheel drive with 4 wheel drive on demand, others require you to manually lock the wheels with a special bolt. We’ll be looking at this topic in more detail shortly so if you have any questions, leave a comment below.
Also, don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest travel tips and news. If you have any questions about insurance, check out our Ultimate Guide to Car Hire Insurance.
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