Question about new car insurance / SORN rules

ztkr

Hello all, just a quick question about the new rules relating to car insurance and SORN.

My partner is at university, and goes back to her home country for the summer. Every year we suspend her car insurance to save money. The new rules seem to imply that the car must be declared SORN. But what if I want to drive it? I am insured fully comp on my car, so I can drive hers legally as I will be covered by my policy.

Any thoughts?

fivetide

Until you get out of it...then it will be uninsured on a public highway so unless you have a petrol station (for example) at home then its a non starter I believe.

5t.

pitkin2020

If you cancel her policy then your not likely to be insured for driving her car as most policies state your only covered to drive another car if there is insurance on the car already.

As for SORN the current law states your car must either be taxed, MOT and insured OR SORN. There is a whole thread on here I would suggest reading that as most questions appear to have been covered, link here
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3247814

Gloomendoom

I've driven an uninsured car belonging to someone else using my insurance on the odd occasion, but as has been pointed out, in effect, the car is only insured while the driver is in the driving seat.

Parking it anywhere that the public has access could result in a lot of bother for the owner, particularly if, for example, they are abroad and cannot do anything about it.

The driving other car benefits on comprehensive policies was only really intended for emergencies but has been widely abused. I suspect that it won't be long before it is a thing of the past.

mikey72

philc27 wrote: »

Hello all, just a quick question about the new rules relating to car insurance and SORN.

My partner is at university, and goes back to her home country for the summer. Every year we suspend her car insurance to save money. The new rules seem to imply that the car must be declared SORN. But what if I want to drive it? I am insured fully comp on my car, so I can drive hers legally as I will be covered by my policy.

Any thoughts?

No, you can't.

I'm in the same situation.
If the car doesn't have it's own insurance, you must surrender the tax, and sorn it. If it's sorned, you can't use it on the road.
I have been told by the insurers I can take out laid up insurance, and it will still be on askmid, so I don't need to sorn it. True or not, I don't know.
As I don't own the car, (family member does) my insurance will let me drive it, without the need for the car to be otherwise insured.
So, is that the way round it?

The other aspect of this, as the isurers will no doubt be falling over themselves to sell laid up policies if this is indeed correct, all an un insured driver has to do is buy a laid up policy, and it'll show as insured on all the ANPR's afterwards.

pitkin2020

Driving other cars benefit usually means the other car still has to be insured by someone else. Not very many policies allow you to drive a car thats uninsured. Just because you are fully comp doesn't even mean you have the benefit of being able to drive other cars and be insured.

s_b

pitkin2020 wrote: »

Driving other cars benefit usually means the other car still has to be insured by someone else. Not very many policies allow you to drive a car thats uninsured. Just because you are fully comp doesn't even mean you have the benefit of being able to drive other cars and be insured.

ive stopped pointing this out to customers that seem to think they are insured even though i explain in great detail why they are not

basically car needs insurance so it can appear on the MID as insured
so if insured it needs tax
so if its taxed, if its insured and if your motor policy says you can drive third party cars with owners permission then there ya go

otherwise points,nasty plastic tie straps on wrists (i prefer cuffs ) ,blue lights in your eyes and a nasty kicking down town for wasting good drinking time:D

pitkin2020

s_b wrote: »

ive stopped pointing this out to customers that seem to think they are insured even though i explain in great detail why they are not

basically car needs insurance so it can appear on the MID as insured
so if insured it needs tax
so if its taxed, if its insured and if your motor policy says you can drive third party cars with owners permission then there ya go

otherwise points,nasty plastic tie straps on wrists (i prefer cuffs ) ,blue lights in your eyes and a nasty kicking down town for wasting good drinking time:D

LOL I think this thread is going the same way. Its quite clear that just because you have fully comp insurance its not an automatic right to be able to drive any and every car insured via your own policy. Some fully comp policies don't cover use of other cars regardless of that cars insured status.

Woody._2

pitkin2020 wrote: »

Driving other cars benefit usually means the other car still has to be insured by someone else. Not very many policies allow you to drive a car thats uninsured. Just because you are fully comp doesn't even mean you have the benefit of being able to drive other cars and be insured.

I've yet to have a policy that states the other car must be insured.

The insurance page the police have access to simply states 'Allowed to drive other cars' followed by a Y or N.

mikey72

Woody. wrote: »

I've yet to have a policy that states the other car must be insured.

The insurance page the police have access to simply states 'Allowed to drive other cars' followed by a Y or N.

I take my policy booklet normally, in there it says I can, and if they want to phone the insurer they will cofirm no other insurance is required on the car.

s_b

so you guys would drive a car not showing on the MID and not be concerned?
ive been stopped because car was not showing on the mid thats why i now trade plate everything
its easier