Does multi-car cover still distinguish who is the main-driver?

kdband

My wife and I own two cars between us and although we are each the registered owner of one of those vehicles, we treat them as belonging to each of us equally, for simplicity though I'll refer to them as mine and hers in this post.

One of the questions that always seems to be asked when quoting for car insurance is "who will be the main driver?". Is this really important, if supposing the non-primary driver was involved in an accident?
Can anyone tell me if there's any form of multi-car insurance that doesn't care about who the main drivers is, providing we are both named drivers on both vehicles? Or is this something that we don't really need to worry about at all as long as we are both insured?

The fact is that we want to go out in which ever vehicle suits us best on any particular day/week/month.
This might mean that I'm the main driver for several weeks, then we might swap over for several weeks. If we go out together then we will usually take her car, but I prefer to drive so does that make me the main driver?
My wife works in a school just a few miles away, while I work almost 30 miles away. Her car is more fuel efficient, so as long as she has no specific need for it, I like to take her car. I occasionally work from home, so on those days, she will take it for the same reason.
Her's has seven seats, so she often needs it during the school holidays for ferrying family and friends around.
Anyway, I guess by now you've got the picture.

If at the end of the year we both drove the cars around 50% of the time, then I don't suppose anyone will mind much. But what if it ended up 75% - 25%, or even greater?

Also, how would you measure it? If you measure it in miles for example, she has to go to work and back 5 days to equal just one of my days. In which case, I could legitimately claim to be the main driver on both vehicles which seems plain daft.

lisyloo

Is this really important, if supposing the non-primary driver was involved in an accident?

It's very important if say the main driver is really a 17 year old boy but you say it is a 45 year old woman.

If husband and wife share dirving roughly equally then it doesn't matter.
However if circumstances changed part way through the policy e.g. job relocation, then you should inform the insurer of this change.

But what if it ended up 75% - 25%, or even greater?

From what you describe I would say it doesn't matter.
But if during the year things did change significantly then you should inform the insurer.
Insurers don't expect you to have a crystal ball.
But they do expect people to tell the truth and also to inform them if there is a "material change".
Example would be
1) one of you chnages job which significantly impact the car usage.
2) one of you break a leg and can't drive for months.
3) One car is off the road for months, caused by breakdown or accident.

You aren't expected to have a crystal ball or keep records of every journey, but a significant change should be obvious.

With regard to specific policies you can always call the broker or the insurer direct and ask them.

bouncydog1

We have similar circumstances to you so to ensure that we have full cover on each vehicle our policies are in joint names (Mr & Mrs) as the policyholder and the class of use is Social, Domestic and Pleasure plus use by the Policyholder in connection with his/her Business.

I am declared as the main user on the vehicle registered in my name and ditto for Mr BD1.

This means that we are fully covered if either of us uses either vehicle to get to work. On our daughter's policy her class of use is SD & P plus use in connection with her business, whilst we are covered for SD & P only as additional drivers.

Slightly off topic, but as you use the vehicles equally it is important to check that the cover offered to the additional driver is the cover they need.

kdband

bouncyd!!! wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but as you use the vehicles equally it is important to check that the cover offered to the additional driver is the cover they need.

Not sure I understand this. We are each named drivers (spouse) on the others policy. Doesn't that just extend the cover already taken to include the second driver?

Quentin

kdband wrote: »

Not sure I understand this. We are each named drivers (spouse) on the others policy. Doesn't that just extend the cover already taken to include the second driver?

Not necessarily.

Check the wording on the certificate which will show what cover is afforded to each driver covered by the certificate.

eg Almost certainly driving other cars (if covered) will only be for the policyholder (not other named drivers), and it is not unusual to find business use restricted to policyholder only.

kdband

Quentin wrote: »

eg Almost certainly driving other cars (if covered) will only be for the policyholder (not other named drivers), and it is not unusual to find business use restricted to policyholder only.

OK thanks, driving of other cars is not an issue, we each have our own insurance anyway and given that other cars are only insured 3rd party, we don't like making use of that unless it's exceptional circumstances. I'll double check about business use, although this is a very rare event for both of us anyway.

lisyloo

I'll double check about business use, although this is a very rare event for both of us anyway.

Be careful with this as it exclude anywhere that isnt' a single and permanent place of work.

So it you travelled to a training center, conference center, other office then it's classed as business and not comuting to a sngle permanent place of work.

Business use can be very cheap of free, but some companies just don't do it for named drivers.

kdband

lisyloo wrote: »

So it you travelled to a training center, conference center, other office then it's classed as business and not comuting to a sngle permanent place of work.

And this is exactly the reason why we love to hate insurance companies. My company do not ask me to drive to a training/conference center or to drive if I have to spend a day at a different office. I would choose to make my way there by car because it's usually more convenient than public transport, therefore I think it's stretching a point to say it's business use.

If they ask me to transport some equipment, collect a colleague from the train station/airport, or spend my day travelling between different offices, clients or suppliers then I would consider that to be business use and expect to be insured appropriately.

lisyloo

I do undertsand your point and your frustration and I agree.

BUT I would say you need to take on board that they make the definitions and not you.
You need to take on board the definitions of your insurance policy whether you agree with them or not.

I happen to agree with you, but I would also make sure I'm insured and get business use if I need it. It's never cost me more than a few quid.
But you do have to be more careful as a named driver.
I don't have a car presently but drive my husbands, so I'd have to be careful if I went on a course.

As it happens I believe esure/sheilas wheels do apply the same level of cover to policyholder and spouse, so we don't have an issue.
So also bear in mind that not all insurers are the same.

You should only level your criticism selectively and not at the whole industry and it's varies :-)
The important thing is to get a policy that suits you and check the definitions where appropriate.
I don't pour through policy booklets but I do check the relevant aspects.