Car insurance jargon buster M-Q

A-D E-L M-Q R-Z

M

Main Driver

The main driver is the person who uses the car the most. It’s important that you tell your insurance company who the main driver is correctly, otherwise a claim may be reduced, or you may be treated as uninsured.

Market Value

This is the value of your car as determined by the ‘market’, the value for cars of a similar age and condition at a point in time.

With Sheilas’ Wheels if your car is more than a year old (or less than a year old, but you’re not the first owner of the car) then the market value will be used to calculate how much you’re paid out for a Claim.

Material Fact

Any information that may influence either an insurer's decision to offer you cover or the premium they charge for it. It’s important that you tell your insurer all relevant facts, because if you leave out information that may influence the decision to give you cover, your policy may not be valid and you may be treated as uninsured.

See also Duty of Disclosure.

Medical Conditions

Certain medical conditions preclude you from driving. If you have a medical condition and you are unsure as to whether you should drive, you should check the DVLA website to see if you are affected. If this is the case, you may not be eligible for car insurance cover. If you fail to disclose a medical condition to your insurer your car insurance may not be valid.

See Material Facts and Duty of Disclosure.

Medical Expenses

If your car is involved in an accident we’ll pay medical expenses of up to the amount shown in your Schedule for each person injured (comprehensive cover only).

Modifications

These are any changes made to your car's standard specification (including factory fitted extras) and the addition of such things as alloy wheels, spoilers or engine modifications at the time of your purchase.

If your car is modified in any way you need to let us know. See Material facts and Duty of Disclosure.

Motor Insurance

See Car Insurance.

Motor Insurance Database

See Motor Insurers Information Centre.

Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre

See Thatcham.

Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB)

The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) is funded by the insurance industry and reimburses consumers who are left out of pocket because of incidents involving uninsured drivers.

Motor Insurers Information Centre

The Motor Insurers’ Information Centre (MIIC) looks after the Motor Insurance Database (MID). This database holds details of every UK registered and insured vehicle. The aim of MIIC is to stop the crime of uninsured driving.

Motoring Legal Protection

This helps you recover uninsured losses that you may incur as the result of a claim from the person responsible for the accident. Uninsured losses can include your policy excess, loss of earnings and solicitors fees and expenses.

You can add Motoring Legal Protection to your Sheilas’ Wheels car insurance policy, for an additional fee, but this cover can only be added to your policy at the start of the Period Of Cover. For more details, please refer to the Sheilas’ Wheels Motoring Legal Protection page.

MOT

The Ministry of Transport test, more usually referred to as an MOT, is an annual test of car safety and roadworthiness. Any UK registered car that is over 3 years’ old and is used on a public road must have a current and valid MOT certificate.

Many garages in the UK are authorised to carry out an MOT test and issue you with a certificate.

MOT Scheme

The MOT scheme is there to ensure consistent standards of MOT testing. The scheme is monitored by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

 

N

Named Driver

A driver named on an insurance policy who is not the main driver of the vehicle.

New Car Replacement/New Car Cover

Subject to terms and conditions, some insurers will provide a new car of the same make and model should your car be involved in an accident.

With a Sheilas’ Wheels car insurance policy you’re eligible for ‘new car replacement’ if your car is less than one year old and you’re the first and only owner and registered keeper. That means if your car suffers damage covered by your policy and the cost of repairs is more than 60% of the last UK list price, we’ll replace it with a new one of the same make and model.

See our online Policy Booklet for more details.

New Drivers Act

The New Drivers Act states that if you get 6 or more penalty points on your licence within two years of passing your driving test the DVLA will revoke your driving licence. If this happens you’ll have to reapply for your driving licence as a learner driver and resit your driving test.

If you have any points on your driving licence you need to let us know.

New Vehicle Security Rating (NVSR)

See Thatcham.

No Claim Bonus (NCB)

See No Claim Discount.

No Claim Discount (NCD)

This is a discount offered by an insurance company that may increase every year if a claim is not made, to a set maximum. A No Claim Discount is a discount that is offered for not making a claim, so even if a claim is not your fault, your No Claim Discount can be affected. Some people think of it as "A No Blame Discount, not a No Claim Discount".

No Claim Discount Scale

See No Claim Discount Step-Back.

No Claim Discount Step-Back

Most insurers have a No Claim Discount scale, which shows how No Claim Discount can be earned for claim free years, as well as how it is reduced in the event of one or more claims.

Non-Fault Claim

A non-fault claim is a Claim where the insurer is able to recover their costs from someone else, usually another insurance company.

Not Driveable

This literally means your car cannot be driven as the result of an accident. If you have comprehensive cover with Sheilas’ Wheels you will be provided with a courtesy car within 2 working days of damage insured by your policy if your car is not drivable (Sheilas’ Wheels recommended repairers only).

 

O

Owner and Registered Keeper

There may be a reason for the owner and registered keeper to be different people. For example if you drive a leased car then the car is owned by the lease company but you will be the registered keeper.

 

P

Pass Plus

Pass Plus is a training course aimed at new drivers. Statistics show that new drivers are more likely to have an accident in the first two years of passing their test. Pass Plus helps build on newly acquired driving skills and knowledge.

Penalty Points

Points (also called penalty points) are added to your driving licence if you’re convicted of a driving offence such as speeding. If you have points on your driving licence you need to let us know.

See also Conviction Codes.

Period of Cover

Period of cover or Period of Insurance is the duration of your insurance policy. This is the period between the start date and the renewal date, usually 12 months for car insurance. The start date, or effective date, is shown in your Schedule, as well as the expiry, or renewal date.

Sheilas’ Wheels sends its customers a Notice of Renewal before their Policy expires.

Personal Accident

If you or your partner are accidentally injured as a direct result of an accident involving your car your insurer will pay the injured person or their legal representatives the amount shown in your Schedule (only available with Sheilas’ Wheels comprehensive cover).

Personal Possessions

Personal possessions, also called personal effects or personal belongings, are items worn or carried on you, such as clothing or luggage (only available with Sheilas’ Wheels comprehensive cover).

A Sheilas’ Wheels comprehensive car insurance policy gives you up to £200 cover for personal belongings as well as Handbag Cover up to £300.

See Compare our Cover or our online Policy Booklet for more information.

Policy

A policy details the contract between the Insurance Company and the Policyholder.

With Sheilas’ Wheels your policy is made up of:

You need to read all of the policy documents as a whole to understand the cover you’ve bought, together with any restrictions or exclusions that may apply.

Policy Booklet

A Policy Booklet contains all the details of our Policy. Please make sure that you've read the most recent version of the Policy Booklet before you buy a policy. This can be downloaded from our website on the Policy Information page.

Policyholder

The policyholder is the person who the insurer issues the policy to.

Price Comparison Website

A Price Comparison Website, also known as an aggregator, is an insurance system that captures and displays quotations from many insurance providers in one process. This allows you to compare prices at a glance. There are a number of websites that offer this service.

Premium

A premium is the money you have to pay in return for insurance cover. With car insurance your premium is usually paid annually. Your premium includes Insurance Premium Tax (IPT).

Proof of Discount

An insurance company will issue you a certificate indicating the amount of discount earned by you. This is your proof of No Claim Discount.

Proposal Form

This is an application for insurance cover.

Proposer

This is the person or company who applies to take out insurance.

Pro Rata Rates

Sometimes if you cancel your policy before it has expired, you’ll only be charged for the time you were covered by the insurer and not for the full term of the policy, though a cancellation fee may be applied which will reduce any refund you may receive.

Protected No Claim Discount

If you’ve had a few years without a claim on your insurance, some insurers may let you opt to pay a bit extra to protect it. This then allows you to make a claim without losing your entire no claim discount, though this is subject to the No Claim Discount Step-Back scale. Even though your No Claim Discount may not be reduced by a claim if you have chosen to buy No Claim Discount Protection, your premium may still be affected.

Protected No Claim Discount for Life

Our no claim discount protection protects your no claim discount for the life of your policy*, regardless of the number of claims you make. By doing this you continue to get a discount on the price of your insurance.

We’ve introduced this to both new and existing customers and protecting your no claim discount for life costs no more than our standard protection previously did. We aim to treat all our customers well.

*Subject to continuing eligibility and your policy remaining in force. Does not protect your premium going up.

Provisional Licence

See Licence Types.

Public Liability

Public Liability covers legal liability for injury or damage caused to others.

 

Q

Quote

This is process of obtaining a price from an insurer and the amount an insurer intends to charge you for the stated period of time based on the information you’ve given, in addition to any other stated assumptions.

Q-Plate

Q Plate is a vehicle registration mark that starts with a 'Q'.

This means one of the following: either the vehicle wasn’t originally registered in the UK and proof of age was unavailable at registration; or, the vehicle has been built using a high number of used parts, such as a kit car.

A word of caution, Q plates can be used to disguise stolen vehicles.

Sheilas’ Wheels does not insure vehicles with a Q plate.