Those thinking of taking a sneaky non-essential trip in their car during lockdown may find themselves receiving more than just a fine, with doubts about whether insurance would cover any accidents suffered while driving anywhere that isn't considered necessary.
Non-essential travel is a phrase that was rammed home all too often during the first wave of coronavirus and it's back again as England sits through a four week lockdown.
Those who leave home without 'reasonable excuse' could already face a fine of £200, but beyond that they may also find themselves without coverage if there was any damage done to their vehicle while out on such a trip.
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Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Florence Codjoe, of website Uswitch.com, said: "You could end up paying thousands for repairs.
"If you're unsure about cover during lockdown speak to your insurer for clarification."
Codjoe also warned drivers looking at leaving their cars stationary for a while not to cancel their insurance unless they have off-street parking because parking. It's illegal to park on the road without it and offenders can face on-the-spot £200 fines up to £6,400.
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With so much of the government's guidance and rules around Coronavirus restrictions, though, there's confusion about what would constitute non-essential travel.
However, specialist motoring lawyer Nick Freeman, known as Mr Loophole for helping celeb clients facing driving charges, attempted to clear things up by explaining: "Essential travel is largely defined as shopping for necessities, picking up medical supplies, caring for a vulnerable person and getting to and from work if you cannot do so from home."
He added: "Anything else is not really acceptable. If you have an accident and can't prove your journey was essential your insurance may be void."
John Neill, of Castle Insurance Services, backed this up by saying: "If it's a non-essential journey and being used outside the terms of the policy then there may be grounds for an insurer to reject a claim."
During the last UK-wide lockdown car travel plummeted by 73% but discipline around non-essential travel was thrown into turmoil when Boris Johnson's advisor Dominic Cummings drove to the north east of England because he was worried about his health.
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Cummings then made a now infamous 25 mile trip to Barnard Castle in county Durham allegedly in order to test his eyesight. Where that would leave him under current restrictions is anybody's guess.
On investigating the incident, Durham police felt that Cummings may have committed a minor breach of Covid regulations but opted not to take the matter further.
The incident led to opposition leaders calling for Cummings to quit, while over a million members of the public signed a petition also asking for his resignation.
Featured Image Credit: PixabayTopics: UK News