MSE News: Now you must have car insurance

tobybowes

If I am the legal registered owner (on the reg certificate) of a car, but I permanently loan it to a friend and they insure it under their name (but declaring that I'm still the legal owner) does that mean I'm doing everything right and legal or does the registered owner also have to be the person who insures the vehicle?

Rover_Driver

You would be the registered keeper - nothing to do with ownership.
As long as the vehicle is insured - and is on the MIB database as insured - that is OK as far as s.144A Road Traffic Act 1988 is concerned.

It is the registered keeper that would commit the offence if the vehicle was not.

Andy_L

xianjw wrote: »

I've got a unusual situation and am trying to figure out the best solution:

I'm only in the UK for a couple of months a year but have a vehicle parked off road in the UK. I insure it in the months when I'm there but when I'm not I usually declare SORN and leave it uninsured. This inevitably creates a headache as an unused car is not a happy one, so this time I've left the country and left a friend keys to use the vehicle once in a while to keep it mechanically sound. My friends insurance covers her to drive it.

But now it seems I need insurance too - so is there a cheap storage insurance I can get or do I need to get a full insurance? If so, any cheap really bare-bones insurance out there?

Alternatively can I declare SORN from abroad and still get any of my road tax back (it still has 10months)?

Can I transfer ownership of the vehicle to my friend or anyone else for that matter without being in the UK or having the forms?

Any other thoughts for a good and inexpensive solution?

Thanks in advance.

Your situation is unchanged - SORN now covers untaxed & uninsured vehicles. Its only a problem for people who used to have taxed but uninsured cars (eg classic cars laid up over the winter)

cefynbach

Hi, I am rather confused with all this as I have always believed that unless your vehicle is off the road and under Sorn you have always needed insurance regardless as to whether you are actually driving the vehicle. If its on the road it needs insurance.

Also I have always understood that if you drove someone elses car on your own insursnce which is ususlly only third party the car had to be insured by the owner as well.

Andy_L

cefynbach wrote: »

Hi, I am rather confused with all this as I have always believed that unless your vehicle is off the road and under Sorn you have always needed insurance regardless as to whether you are actually driving the vehicle. If its on the road it needs insurance.

In the "old days" you could have it off road & uninsured, you only needed to SORN it if it was untaxed. You just accepted the risk of it being stolen whilst uninsured

cefynbach wrote: »

Also I have always understood that if you drove someone elses car on your own insursnce which is ususlly only third party the car had to be insured by the owner as well.

A common misconception - its only the case if your policy says it. However if it doesn't have its own insurance then when you get out of it (eg to go to the shops) its uninsured which, if its on the road, is naughty

miller

Andy_L wrote: »

A common misconception - its only the case if your policy says it.

Also, when present the Driving Other Cars part is often peppered with "in an emergency" in the policy (i.e. we'd rather you didn't).

A while ago there was some discussion that this benefit may be removed altogether.

Andy_L wrote: »

However if it doesn't have its own insurance then when you get out of it (eg to go to the shops) its uninsured which, if its on the road, is naughty

Presumably if an accident occurred because of the way you parked you might somehow be liable or if someone broke their arm on your wingmirror maybe?!

jago25_98

I think it might be easier to use a foriegn registered vehicle instead instead of SORN and re-register 6 times a year as I join and leave the country.

A good idea enforcing insurance but do the insurance industry deserve it. They already won't provide cover for anything but mainstream situations. We're still having trouble finding insurers to insure some cars, some drivers and also there's inflexibility over periods of when people are insured; for example, I have to pay for a years insurance even though I'm here 3 months in the year.

Perhaps a non profit charity should be setup for people the insurance companies won't touch for that critical mass of people to form the (not sure if this is correct) the £100,000 minimum bond required to recognise an insurance company.

In practice does this wipe out my plan of using short term insurance?

Is the SORN & re-register procedure quick and efficient enough to cope with seasonal differences?

paddedjohn

Teamscoop wrote: »

Good morning everyone

I have a 1976 Z650 motorcycle which was last driven (hence taxed and insured) in 1987. It's been in my garage ever since. I have the log book etc. Does anyone know if I am affected by this legislation?

T

as long as your bike hasn't been taxed since 31st jan 1998 then you are ok.;)

paddedjohn

fatbaldingoldgit wrote: »

I have another example where this law is a little simplistic.

My wife is keen to learn to ride a motorcycle. She bought a learner 125 a couple of months ago so she could take her test. It was a good deal at the time. It's stored in the garage with my 2 bikes. It is taxed.

She cannot get insurance to ride it until she has passed her theory test. It is therefore uninsured in her name. I can ride it on my insurance though and keep it maintained until she passes her test.

Is the bike insured within the meaning of the Act?

If not then I may be forced to re-register it in my name in order to explicitly insure it or SORN it for a month while she passes her bike theory test. We bought the bike as a one owner vehicle because we thought that more desirable than one with multiple owners which might point to an inherent problem with the bike. I don't want to add a new registered keeper to the V55 because it might inhibit buyers when we come to sell it in a years time.

Have the DVLA factored in the extra work required of them to deal with a massive increase in the number of SORN applications so they can turn them around in good time? And how long will it be before the palaver with returning tax discs and getting refunds for a couple of months or so will be canned because it will result in huge delays?

why cant she get insurance until her theory test? lots of riders get their cbt first and get insurance no problem.

reflex22

So.... my taxed car, with valid mot, at the side of the road, that i am not driving due to illness, is going to jump out and cause an accident or injury resulting in the requirement to pay compensation?
I agree with others - uninsured illegal pool car drivers are just gonna carry on 'uninsured', with little or no change to our premiums! Just try to find the driver!!