my insurance won't let me drive insured cars

sumvision2027

I've been driving for 2 years now and recently decided I want to be able to drive insured cars but my insurance won't let me, or give me an explanation why (we just can't insure you on this policy) I have no penalty points or ever been banned so confused why they won't allow it or say why.  

eamon

Read your insurance documents and it will explain everything. If that is a benefit you want then you may need to change insurance co. Not all insurers offer this benefit.

onlyfoolsandparking

sumvision2027 said:

I've been driving for 2 years now and recently decided I want to be able to drive insured cars but my insurance won't let me, or give me an explanation why (we just can't insure you on this policy) I have no penalty points or ever been banned so confused why they won't allow it or say why.  

Most fully comp insurance policies allow the policyholder to drive other people's cars (with owners permission) and it's 3rd party cover only so whilst road legal still more risky than driving your own car BUT there are exceptions and in your case it could just be that you've only been driving for 2 years or a more common exclusion is if your under 25.

That's the only explanation I can give, others may know more.

Car_54

OP, do you mean "driving other cars" on your own comprehensive policy?

This used to be a fairly standard feature of such policies, but is now less common.

SallyDucati

I've been driving for 30 years and used to always have 3rd party cover for other cars, but seems to vary a lot between insurance companies.  I couldn't drive other cars with my last one but can with my current provider. 

That being said, with it only being 3rd party cover I wouldn't want to drive a car I didn't own unless named on the owners policy, or allow someone else to drive mine due to the 3rd party nature of the cover (ie. any damage to the car not covered if driver at fault).

AdrianC

Assuming you mean giving you third party cover to drive other people's cars, then as @[Deleted User] says, it's one of the victims of Ryanairing of policies... Buy on price alone, don't be surprised when things you assumed would be included aren't.

When your current policy expires, make sure that the policy you go for includes driving-other-car cover.

Bear in mind it's almost always third party only... It'll cover anybody or anything you hit, but it won't pay out for the car you're driving.

TooManyPoints

And also bear in mind that most policies that do provide such cover only do so on the condition that the vehicle is insured in its own right (as it must be to comply with the "Continuous Insurance" legislation).

facade

TooManyPoints said:

And also bear in mind that most policies that do provide such cover only do so on the condition that the vehicle is insured in its own right (as it must be to comply with the "Continuous Insurance" legislation).

Yes, mine says on the certificate

The Policyholder may also drive a car that is not owned by them, or hired or leased to them under a hire purchase or leasing arrangement, providing they have the owner's permission to drive the car.
Please refer to your Policy Booklet and Renewal Updates for full terms and conditions of the driving other cars

Then, after wading through the Policy booklet it says that the car has to be insured by the owner.

It would have taken nothing to tag that important point onto the statement on the certificate- who actually reads the minutiae of the policy booklet when it is pretty obvious that if your own insurance covers your third party liability, there is no need for any other....

I guess it is to stop "your mother" having a stable of uninsured Ferraris that you drive around on the insurance of your Fiat Panda as you are not the owner.

ontheroad1970

I can drive any other car not normally kept on my premises, fully comp.  It is in a policy by Chubb, though was with Hiscox before.  It's expensive, but that is to do with my status of employment.