Refused car insurance due to drink driving, what to do?

Have you been caught drinking and driving? This can have major consequences for your car insurance. Your insurer may not reimburse you for any damage or may even cancel the insurance with immediate effect. It is also possible that you are refused a new car insurance. We explain to you the consequences of driving with alcohol on your car insurance.

Effects of drink driving on your car insurance

Did you cause an accident after getting into your car under the influence of alcohol? With a third-party insurance, damage that you cause to another person is compensated. It is a legal obligation in the Netherlands to take out third-party insurance and the insurer is obliged to pay out in the event of damage. In a number of cases, however, car insurers have an alcohol clause. An alcohol clause means that the insurer reimburses the other party for the damage, but that you subsequently have to pay these costs back to your insurer. Not every insurer has an alcohol clause, so it is important that you look carefully at the policy conditions when you take out car insurance.

With only a third-party insurance, damage to your own car is not covered anyway. Do you have WA + Beperkt Casco insurance or all-risk insurance? Normally, damage to your own car is then (partly) insured. However, when this damage is caused by driving with alcohol on board, the insurer will not reimburse the damage to your own car. The repair costs of a car can be quite expensive, even if you only hit a pole.

If you have been arrested with a blood alcohol level that is too high, you can also be banned from driving. You are not allowed to drive a motor vehicle for a certain period of time. Even when your driving disqualification is lifted, you will have trouble getting car insurance. Because of a driving denial you are registered at CIS. CIS keeps all important insurance data in its database. All affiliated insurers and agents have access to this database and check it for each insurance application. Do you have a CIS registration? Then there are only a few regular insurance companies who want to insure you.

Insurer can cancel insurance after alcohol abuse

When you get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol and cause an accident, your insurer can terminate your car insurance. Also when you get a driving disqualification from the Justice department, the insurer has good reason to terminate the insurance. As soon as the policy is terminated, you are no longer insured in case of damage or accident. You will then have to insure your car with another company. However, this can be quite difficult as long as you still have a CIS registration.