Exclusions could be a certain event, person, peril, condition or situation that is not covered by an insurance policy; in other words should that event take place no benefit will be payable. Usually car insurance policies have a number of exclusions or exceptions and it is important to read your insurance policy document and the schedule very carefully so that you know what is not covered.

A specific exclusion, or more than one exclusion, could be removed at the payment of an additional premium should the insurance company be in agreement to accept the additional risk. Typical exclusions from car insurance would be: overloading your car; using your car as a taxi service (earning income from it,) damage to your car from driving on gravel roads and many more.

The reasons why exclusions are necessary include the following:

• It could be an uninsurable risk such as war.
• It may be a form of specialized cover that the insurer is not interested in.
• To avoid duplication of insurance cover such as events covered by another type of insurance such as the Road Accident Fund.
• An illegal act, such as driving without a licence, or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will always be excluded from car insurance.