Our Motor Insurance Policy also covers staff and students driving hired vehicles on University business.

When hiring a vehicle on behalf of the University please notify the Insurance Section by completing and returning the Vehicle Hire Form once the vehicle information becomes available. With the introduction of the Motor Insurance Database, we are now required to inform insurers immediately of acquisitions and disposals of motor vehicles, and any vehicles on temporary hire or loan for a period of more than 14 days.  If hiring a minibus, please refer to the 'Driving Minibuses' section above. 

For car hire within the UK, to ensure that the hire vehicle is covered, it is vital that users read the guidance and conditions laid out on this page. Failure to do so may mean that the vehicle is not insured.

Users should also ensure that a visual check of the vehicle is undertaken both before and after the rental and that, before accepting the vehicle, if any damage exists, this is recorded, by the car hire provider, in the associated paperwork.

If a personal vehicle is used for the purposes of University business the driver must notify their own insurer of this and confirm to the University that their policy is extended to include business use. The University Motor Insurance Policy will not apply in this instance.

The following requirements must be met when driving minibuses for the University within the UK:

1. Driving in the UK (including Northern Ireland)
2. Driving in the rest of the EU (including Republic of Ireland)

• Individuals who gained their (car) driving licence prior to 1^st January 1997 will have a D1 category (which enables the individual to drive a minibus) attached to it. This entitles the individual to drive a minibus on behalf of the University in the UK.

• Individuals who gained their (car) driving licence after 1^st January 1997 and do not have this D1 category on their licence, can drive a minibus provided:
  
  - he/she is 21 or over
  - has at least 2 years of driving experience
  - the minibus has a maximum of 17 seats including the driver’s seat and
  - is not being used for hire or reward.

• Individuals who fall into the above category can only drive minibuses within the UK (N.B Journeys to the Republic of Ireland or the rest of EU are not covered).

• Should an individual need to drive a minibus outside the UK (e.g. on a journey to Dublin), a full D1 category is required.

• The vehicle is being used for social rather than business purposes. A Staff Member or Student driving in a voluntary capacity to a QUB sporting competition or society / club event would be deemed for `social` purposes – however a QUB Staff Member driving as part of their employment e.g. taking students on a field trip, would not.

Further information on legal requirements for driving minibuses can be found on the DVLNI webpage

If in any doubt as to your eligibility, please contact the Insurance Section.

In the event of a motoring accident the insurer must be informed immediately or they will reserve a right to refuse the claim. Staff and students are therefore advised to, initially, contact Insurance Section as soon as practically possible following the accident, by phone (028 9097 1484) or email. A relevant claim form will also need to be completed and returned to the Insurance Section. Please note that the relevant School/Department will be responsible for covering the excess as above.