Car Insurance 'Driving other Cars'

Stuarts7

Have been trying to answer this question for a while: My daughter only has an automatic licence. Should she be able to find a policy that will allow her to drive someone else's car as long as it is also an automatic. Looking for this to use in an emergency. Thanks

Mildly_Miffed

If she thinks DOC cover would be useful to her, then - yes - she needs to ensure any policy she takes out has DOC on it.

Of course DOC only applies to vehicles she has a licence to drive - so while she might technically be insured under it on a manual, she would need L plates and a supervisor to drive it legally (and be on provisional entitlement, which the insurance would not cover)...

CliveOfIndia

Yes, DOC is available on many policies - though it's not as "standard" as it used to be.  But there are plenty of policies around that will include it, you just need to check the T&Cs carefully.

Two important points to remember.  Firstly, the "other" car must also be insured in it's own right - so she can't use her DOC cover to drive it if it's otherwise uninsured.

Secondly, DOC cover almost always only covers her for third-party risks.  So any damage she might cause to the car she is driving would have to be paid for out of her own pocket.

DullGreyGuy

Stuarts7 said:

Have been trying to answer this question for a while: My daughter only has an automatic licence. Should she be able to find a policy that will allow her to drive someone else's car as long as it is also an automatic. Looking for this to use in an emergency. Thanks

How old is she?

DoC is becoming rarer generally speaking, everyone wants cheap insurance so it's an extra thats easy to cut and give people lower prices. Some insurers still offer it anyway but many restrict it by age and length of licence. Never heard of anyone who has different treatment for automatic licenses than full. 

CliveOfIndia

Just another thought.  If she's only going to drive another car very occasionally, there are plenty of companies who offer temporary insurance.  You can usually get cover for a couple of hours, a day or two, or a few weeks.  If she's unable to get DOC cover easily, then that's another option to consider.  It's not expensive if you only need it for a couple of days, and it does have the advantage that you can usually choose comprehensive cover as well, if you want to.

XRS200

CliveOfIndia said:

 Firstly, the "other" car must also be insured in it's own right - so she can't use her DOC cover to drive it if it's otherwise uninsured.

Not all policies require that.  My policy doesn't.

DullGreyGuy

XRS200 said:

CliveOfIndia said:

 Firstly, the "other" car must also be insured in it's own right - so she can't use her DOC cover to drive it if it's otherwise uninsured.

Not all policies require that.  My policy doesn't.

There will be complexities given the Continuous Insurance Enforcement requires that any vehicle must either be SORNed or have insurance on it. Given we are talking about driving it then it cannot be SORNed and DoC is not insurance on the vehicle. 

In principle you may be able to unSORN it, drive it under DoC to another place thats off the highway and then reSORN it immediately. The vehicle will not be in the MID so you may be pulled over or the keeper sent letters about driving without insurance but you may get away with it with the DoC as long as it was immediately reSORNed 

XRS200

DullGreyGuy said:

XRS200 said:

CliveOfIndia said:

 Firstly, the "other" car must also be insured in it's own right - so she can't use her DOC cover to drive it if it's otherwise uninsured.

Not all policies require that.  My policy doesn't.

There will be complexities given the Continuous Insurance Enforcement requires that any vehicle must either be SORNed or have insurance on it. Given we are talking about driving it then it cannot be SORNed and DoC is not insurance on the vehicle. 

In principle you may be able to unSORN it, drive it under DoC to another place thats off the highway and then reSORN it immediately. The vehicle will not be in the MID so you may be pulled over or the keeper sent letters about driving without insurance but you may get away with it with the DoC as long as it was immediately reSORNed 

The point wasn't about CIE, it was about the statement that DoC requires the car to be insured in it's own right.

facade

You can drive an otherwise uninsured (and possibly, but not necessarily, SORN) car on DOC cover if there is no stipulation about it being insured already.  The keeper would face postal penalties under continuous insurance & breaking SORN if it were spotted.

What you can't normally do is use DOC on your insurance to release it from impound, your policy will have this as a specific clause. So if it got impounded on some triviality, like not being roadworthy you can't get it back. (And you can't earn a few quid picking up your mate's car that was impounded over no insurance for him...)

Car_54

DullGreyGuy said:

XRS200 said:

CliveOfIndia said:

 Firstly, the "other" car must also be insured in it's own right - so she can't use her DOC cover to drive it if it's otherwise uninsured.

Not all policies require that.  My policy doesn't.

There will be complexities given the Continuous Insurance Enforcement requires that any vehicle must either be SORNed or have insurance on it. Given we are talking about driving it then it cannot be SORNed and DoC is not insurance on the vehicle. 

In principle you may be able to unSORN it, drive it under DoC to another place thats off the highway and then reSORN it immediately. The vehicle will not be in the MID so you may be pulled over or the keeper sent letters about driving without insurance but you may get away with it with the DoC as long as it was immediately reSORNed 

The driver will indeed “get away with it”. He is not the one committing an offence.

Goudy

XRS200 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

XRS200 said:

CliveOfIndia said:

 Firstly, the "other" car must also be insured in it's own right - so she can't use her DOC cover to drive it if it's otherwise uninsured.

Not all policies require that.  My policy doesn't.

There will be complexities given the Continuous Insurance Enforcement requires that any vehicle must either be SORNed or have insurance on it. Given we are talking about driving it then it cannot be SORNed and DoC is not insurance on the vehicle. 

In principle you may be able to unSORN it, drive it under DoC to another place thats off the highway and then reSORN it immediately. The vehicle will not be in the MID so you may be pulled over or the keeper sent letters about driving without insurance but you may get away with it with the DoC as long as it was immediately reSORNed 

The point wasn't about CIE, it was about the statement that DoC requires the car to be insured in it's own right.

It depends on what the drivers own policy states.

My insurance obviously covers my car AND any car that is supplied to me as a courtesy car under my policy under agreement between the insurer and recommended repairer.

It also covers me to drive a car not owned by me or hired to me under a hire purchase agreement, rental or short term hire agreement or annual leasing agreement and which is not used in connection with the motor trade provided.

The owner of the car has valid insurance in force on that car which does not cover the policyholder on this policy to drive that car.

The owner of the car has given me, the policyholder permission to drive it.

The car is being driven in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

The car is used within the limitations ie no commercial travelling, speed trials etc. 

Provided I hold a licence to drive that car.


So I wouldn't be covered without the owners permission and the other car having insurance on it already.
If I didn't hold a licence for that car, ie my licence was auto and the other car was manual, I also wouldn't be covered.