Can a person be the main driver on two insurance policies?

forgotmyname

Is fraud illegal? False declarations illegal?

System

prowla wrote: »

Setting aside the rights and wrongs, is not correctly declaring the main driver actually illegal?

Possibly, but no one, apart from the AA wording quoted above, has defined "main driver".

1 The AA apparently define it in terms of number of times car is used.
2 Most people would probably say it is the total annual mileage.
3 Some might argue it is the length of time that a car is monopolised by one person . (eg I drive 5 miles to work but then leave it parked all day. Wife uses car at weekend to drive 100 miles)
4 Or perhaps who has first call - eg you can use the car but keep it free at these times in case I want it)
5 Daughter uses car to college 5 days per week, 5 miles, but parents have holiday in Europe and drive 2000 miles, plus lots of weekend use.


We are in the weird position of technically "fronting" on our daughter's insurance.
Second car, me registered keep, wife main driver, daughter added as occasional driver. Then my daughter started using the car more, probably becoming main driver, so on renewal she took out insurance in her name, main driver, us as named drivers. Incredibly, the insurance became CHEAPER in her name than in my wife's, despite no NCD.
Now my daughter uses the car much less again, so my wife is arguably the main driver. Is that fronting? Can a low risk 50 year old front on a high risk 19 year old's insurance?

There's no real answer, it's a can of worms. All you can really do is be honest and not do anthing suspicious.

JimmyTheWig

Clifford_Pope wrote: »

Possibly, but no one, apart from the AA wording quoted above, has defined "main driver".

1 The AA apparently define it in terms of number of times car is used.
2 Most people would probably say it is the total annual mileage.
3 Some might argue it is the length of time that a car is monopolised by one person . (eg I drive 5 miles to work but then leave it parked all day. Wife uses car at weekend to drive 100 miles)
4 Or perhaps who has first call - eg you can use the car but keep it free at these times in case I want it)
5 Daughter uses car to college 5 days per week, 5 miles, but parents have holiday in Europe and drive 2000 miles, plus lots of weekend use.

I don't believe, in general, that there is a specific definition. I think it just comes down to what is reasonable.
Personally I would say it comes down to miles driven, but I accept that others would have different definitions which are perfectly valid.
I think in the case where one person drives more times but the other drives more miles it would be reasonable to name either party as the main driver.
As long as it isn't a contrived situation. E.g. son drives 20 miles to work and back every day. Mum drives 5 miles into town and back once a week. But mum also moves the car 5 yards twice a day when parked at home. I don't think you could reasonably claim the mum was the main driver because she does the most journeys.

Quentin

You say your daughter now is the policyholder though it's your car.

Most insurers will void any claim when they discover the policyholder is neither owner nor rk!

thenudeone

Quentin wrote: »

Most insurers will void any claim when they discover the policyholder is neither owner nor rk!

Not if it was declared at the quote stage.

thenudeone

prowla wrote: »

Setting aside the rights and wrongs, is not correctly declaring the main driver actually illegal?

Making a false statement or withholding any material information in order to obtain a certificate of motor insurance is a specific offence:
Road Traffic Act 1988 s 174 (5)
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/174

Although in some circumstances there can be genuine doubt about who is the main driver, sometimes it's plainly obvious that it isn't the person who claimed to be the main driver when taking out the policy.

I doubt that the police would take much interest in the offence, though. The insurance industry's ability to void claims, cancel policies, recover costs, and place names on fraud databases is probably a more effective deterrent.

SAHD_Jim

tonyh66 wrote: »

Dad is already fronting on sisters insurance, you need to tell your family that what they are doing is illegal, don't even consider doing it on your car.

OP says that Dad and Sister use car equally, therefore technically either could be classed as main driver. Thus, logically, you would choose the main driver who gave you the lowest premium. In itself that is not fronting if what she says about use is accurate.

Where I think it could get dodgy is the idea that the dad could also be the main driver on yet another car and continue to drive the sister's car equally.