Car Insurance - Main Driver Definition?

Labinopper

I got in a weird and unusual conversation yesterday with a family member about who is or should be the main driver. Me and a partner are planning on sharing our car as we can't afford to run two, I have 5 years no claims and she has just passed her test, she doesn't really enjoy driving but rather drives as a nessecity, she commutes to work around 6 miles each way, 60 miles a week, 3,000ish a year, and then drives the car very occasionally, maybe a couple miles to the shop a week, and I live right next door to one of my jobs, and drive maybe 2 miles each way, 12 miles a week to work, but then I do almost all the social driving when we're together (90% of the time) and I drive when we go on a long roadtrip once a month or so, averaging about 12k miles in a year all together of which I'd say I do 8k roughly, in about the same number of journeys as she does 4k

My family member seems to think because she drives it to work more she is the main driver, when I said in terms of mileage I do alot more, he said insurance companies don't care about that it's about the number of trips done, he said if he drove to and from Scotland (1,200 mile journey give or take) and his wife did only 1,000 miles over the remainder of the year, she is the main driver which I think that is an extreme case and not related to ours but he thinks it's exactly the same, (surely accidents are more likely based on miles driven? The driver who drives 10 miles a year is very unlucky to have an accident)

What would you guys advise? It got me to thinking that we can't definitely prove who is the main driver, and don't want to be accused of ghosting as he put it. Are we just massively over thinking? If we can't really tell who the main driver is as we both are likely to drive it the same does it even matter?

Thanks for your help everyone

BoGoF

Only your insurance company can give a definitive answer.....suggest you call them.

Nasqueron

Clearly on your main question you do more miles but she is driving daily and in commuting (heavy traffic) so is more likely to have an accident statistically, especially as a learner so probably is the main driver especially as you'll need to be insuring for SDP + commuting - not clear from your post how she can drive 6 miles to work and then you do 2 miles as well (presumably in 2 cars - so how will you get to work now?)

ConMan

Id put you down as the main driver as you drive the vehicle most. However, it's highly unlikely the insurer would do anything at all, and only usually investigate this thing when there is a young driver on the policy. Furthermore proving main user is very difficult.

uk1

Who will be the registered owner?

System

There is no such thing as a registered owner.
There is a legal owner, who may or may not be the registered keeper.


But neither has to be the main driver. Ask your insurer.

uk1

Clifford_Pope wrote: »

There is no such thing as a registered owner.
There is a legal owner, who may or may not be the registered keeper.


But neither has to be the main driver. Ask your insurer.

Clever you.

The OP has posted here presumably seeking information. It is better to ask the insurer, but it is also important to understand how to frame your question to them and to understand how they might take several factors into account when subsequently rejecting a claim.

The current owner registered with the DVLA is one factor that could be taken into account.

fiisch

It doesn't really matter - insurers long ago got wise to the issues of fronting, so learned to rate on the highest risk driver, and in your case this would almost certainly be your partner.


If I was underwriting the risk (I worked for 10 years as a motor insurance underwriter), I would list you as the policyholder to take advantage of your 5yrs NCD, but would list your partner as the main user owing to the number and type of trips she does.


In all honesty, I very much doubt this will have a significant impact on the quoted premiums, and there's an argument for and against.


However, where there is a grey area (e.g.: where a car is genuinely kept at two residences for an equal amount of time), insurers expect the higher risk option to be declared (i.e.: riskier driver, postcode etc.).

uk1

fiisch wrote: »

It doesn't really matter - insurers long ago got wise to the issues of fronting, so learned to rate on the highest risk driver, and in your case this would almost certainly be your partner.

If I was underwriting the risk (I worked for 10 years as a motor insurance underwriter), I would list you as the policyholder to take advantage of your 5yrs NCD, but would list your partner as the main user owing to the number and type of trips she does.

In all honesty, I very much doubt this will have a significant impact on the quoted premiums, and there's an argument for and against.

However, where there is a grey area (e.g.: where a car is genuinely kept at two residences for an equal amount of time), insurers expect the higher risk option to be declared (i.e.: riskier driver, postcode etc.).

Oddly .... a long, long time ago I use to worked in several motor claims departments in the old easier days of "knock for knock" agreements etc.

It does however "matter". There are really two issues. One is ensuring you get the right insurance at the best premium which is where you have experience but equally also ensuring that you minimise the possibility of cover being refused when making a claim which is what I use to do.

Many issues are "black or white" on the proposal eg age, sex, to a degree occupation but the main driver offers lot's of opportunity to avoid claim settlement. But main driver issues offers lots of fertile ground for claims refusal.

The main driver is usually the person who owns the car, drives the car more often and would be responsible for any repairs. The main driver also needs to be the policy holder. So where there is a person who drives the car moreoften than the owenr is where the potential claims minefield might eventually be. My question was simply intended to flush that potential issue out.

Buying cover is one thing, having a claim agreed is another.

fiisch

uk1 wrote: »

The main driver is usually the person who owns the car, drives the car more often and would be responsible for any repairs. The main driver also needs to be the policy holder. So where there is a person who drives the car moreoften than the owenr is where the potential claims minefield might eventually be. My question was simply intended to flush that potential issue out.

Buying cover is one thing, having a claim agreed is another.

Not true - the main user does not need to be the policyholder - why else would insurers and aggregator sites alike allow you to choose a named driver as a main user?


My wife's car is registered to her, maintenance paid for by me (she doesn't work), she uses daily, but I drive for longer family trips at weekends.


Where the difference between main/secondary user is so marginal, no claims department in the land would be able to repudiate a claim on this basis, and if they did they would receive a battering from the Ombudsman.


With the advent of the Consumer Insurance Act in 2013, to repudiate a claim the misrepresentation must be reckless or indeed deliberate. In the scenario the OP has described, if this is a genuine representation, there is a case to be made for either driver to be the main user.

Where this type of scenario becomes an issue and where claims can and are rejected is if you have parents fronting policies for their children, and even then it is not a straightforward clear-cut judgement.

uk1

fiisch wrote: »

Not true - the main user does not need to be the policyholder - why else would insurers and aggregator sites alike allow you to choose a named driver as a main user?

Some insurers would disagree with you. eg Endsleigh.

https://help.endsleigh.co.uk/app/answers/detail/a_id/412/~/main-driver-definition

In the end what is important is to try to achieve cover in such a way as to avoid a claim being rejected and the time and effort it takes to resolve.