Road rage cover with car insurance

What is road rage cover?

Road rage insurance can cover you if you’re the victim of violence on the road. For example, someone losing their temper or carjacking.

It pays out a set amount if you, or possibly others travelling in your car, are killed or injured in a road rage attack.

It’s rare to find it as part of your car insurance policy. We checked Defaqto and only 15% of 363 comprehensive car insurance policies include road rage cover as standard. Another 3% allow you to add it as an optional extra.^[1]

Road rage-inflicted injuries are more often covered by personal injury cover, if you have it.

It’s unlikely you’ll be covered for road rage with a third party, fire and theft policy - a tiny 1% of 193 policies include road rage cover as standard.^[1]

But with over a fifth of UK drivers admitting they’ve got out of their car to express anger at another motorist, it’s cover worth having.

What to do if you’re involved in a road rage incident

Call the police immediately if you’re the victim of a road rage attack - the perpetrator could be arrested, then prosecuted, fined or have penalty points added to their licence.

Next, give your insurer a ring and explain the situation.

They’ll let you know what you’re covered for - things like medical expenses, trauma counselling or intentional damage to your vehicle.

Make a note of the other person’s details like their reg number before you leave the scene and get the contact numbers of any witnesses.

Take photos of the damage caused and make a note of things like the weather conditions too - this will all help with your claim.

What’s excluded from road rage cover?

If you lose your temper and cause an accident or are aggressive towards another driver, you could invalidate your car insurance policy and be fined by the police.

Insurers might not pay out on road rage cover if:

• You, or anyone in your vehicle, do or say anything to trigger or aggravate an attack
• You assault the other driver - even if it’s in self defence
• The other driver is known to you or your passengers – because this would look like a fraudulent claim

You’ll also need to report the incident to the police as soon as you can to get a crime reference number to tell your insurer.

How to avoid road rage

Keep your cool

Road rage situations can escalate quickly and it’s safer to not retaliate. Pull over if you need to take a moment

Space invaders

If someone is driving closely behind you, pull over and let them pass rather than racing against them or feeling pressurised into driving faster

Dashcams

Fitting a dashcam in your car will make sure that if you’re involved in any accidents or altercations you have evidence to show your insurer or the police

Give yourself plenty of time

If you need to be at an appointment, leave early so you’re not rushed and stressed out on the way

Be considerate

Try to be understanding of other people on the road too - they could be a new driver making a simple mistake