Car Insurance question

jezjack

My brother says that if you have fully comprehensive car insurance, you are automatically covered to drive someone elses car (with their permission obviously!). I am not convinced. Who is right?

Riq

It depends.
My dad can, but i can't.
It all depends on your policy, it will say, if in doubt though ring your insurance and ask.

Saying your brother told you it was okay is not a valid excuse if you get pulled over btw

zkw29

No - having comprehensive cover does not automatically give you cover for driving any other cars. You would need to check your documents or ask the insurance company.

I know some companies do not offer this cover to young drivers or those in the motor trade - you need to check your policy carefully.

raskazz

jezjack wrote: »

My brother says that if you have fully comprehensive car insurance, you are automatically covered to drive someone elses car (with their permission obviously!). I am not convinced. Who is right?

You are right.

Many policies will offer driving other cars cover, but some restrict it to over-25's and some do not offer it at all. If it is included, it also ceases if you dispose of the insured car or it is written off.

shelly

For raskazz.....As an aside.....Was chatting about insurance to an aunt last week. (topic was are you insured if the driver was taken ill whilst driving) My hubby has fully comp policy and I am named driver. She said that as well as hubby I too can drive any other vehicle TPO if need be. Well I just checked the policy and hubby is allowed to drive any other vehicle TPO with owners consent. I am not allowed. (which I expected)

Just wondering if you had ever heard of a company that allows named drivers to drive another vehicle with owners consent? I don't think I have.

The situation has never arisen that I need to drive another car in an emergency but it just got me thinking.

raskazz

shelly wrote: »

For raskazz.....As an aside.....Was chatting about insurance to an aunt last week. (topic was are you insured if the driver was taken ill whilst driving) My hubby has fully comp policy and I am named driver. She said that as well as hubby I too can drive any other vehicle TPO if need be. Well I just checked the policy and hubby is allowed to drive any other vehicle TPO with owners consent. I am not allowed. (which I expected)

Just wondering if you had ever heard of a company that allows named drivers to drive another vehicle with owners consent? I don't think I have.

The situation has never arisen that I need to drive another car in an emergency but it just got me thinking.

No, not for private cars, never.

If the situation arises where you need to drive someone else's car, you can usually call the insurer of that car and add yourself to their policy temporarily. Not practical in genuine emergencies, of course!

shelly

Thanks raskazz.

Thats what I thought. I think she got mixed up between policy holder and named driver but sometimes when someone gets an idea in their head you can't shift it

custardy

IIRC its also a policy requirement that the car you drive is fully insured as well.
eg you cant just buy another car and drive that under your 3rd party cover

raskazz

custardy wrote: »

IIRC its also a policy requirement that the car you drive is fully insured as well.
eg you cant just buy another car and drive that under your 3rd party cover

That loophole is closed by the policy wording along the lines of "the policyholder may drive with permission any car not belonging to him and not hired under a hire purchase or lease agreement".

Technically the 'other' car doesn't have to be insured. However, if you drove it under 'driving other cars' insurance, the moment you got out of it and left it in a public place uninsured you would be looking at trouble.