Does person accompanying learner driver need insurance?

JimmyTheWig

Hi,

My wife has a provisional licence and she often drives our car with me accompanying her. The insurance is in my name and she is a named driver. Fine.

If she wants to go out with a friend, what is the deal? Her friend has held a licence for long enough, etc, but doesn't have a car and so doesn't have insurance. Does this matter?
I would have thought that it would be covered by my wife's insurance (i.e. the policy in my name with her named) but we thought we ought to check?
Is it something that I would need to check with the insurance company, or is it a standard legal thing that the supervisor needs / doesn't need insurance?

Can't find anything about it on DVLA, etc, so a link to an official answer would be lovely.


Thanks,

Jim

soolin

It's probably best to wait for someone else who knows bettrt than me for a correct answer, but I would have thought the person in the passenger seat would need to be insured. They are after all the person in charge of the car and of supervising the learner driver.

The reason I think that is because someone i used to work with had a problem as he got done from being just over the drink drive limit while he was supervising his wife who was on a provisional license, this was some time ago so it might be different but he was told that 'he' was in charge of the car and all normal requirements therefore applied to him.

Quentin

The supervisor doesn't have to have insurance cover legally.

But without it, this means the supervisor cannot take over should the learner for any reason be unable to continue driving (eg a tight situation requiring a manouevre the learner cannot manage).

soolin

That's interesting to know, thank you.

Actually I did go and have a look once I replied as it did give me an interesting scenario.

My youngest son is on my car insurance as a learner, my older son is not but holds a full license and in a few weeks will meet the age requirement and the 3 year license requirement. So next time he wants to go out, after his 21st birthday as long as he gets my youngest son to drive him that will be fine.

It seems odd but it appears to be completely legal, as long, as you rightly say, that my eldest son does not take over the controls at any time.

I found this which explains it all even to me!

http://www.helpingldrivers.com/law/supervisor.htm

JimmyTheWig

Many thanks, both of you. I knew about the drink-drive issue (unfortunately for us!) but never thought it would extend to using a mobile phone.

Good point about needing insurance to take over the driving. But in our case my wife is a good driver, just not got around to taking her test due to money and time.


Thanks again,
Jim