Insurance Query

[Timo. 0]

Right, here goes. You know how if you are over 25 years old and have fully comp. insurance you can drive someone else's car third party which is covered by your own insurance. My question is, does the other car have to be insured by someone in order for it to work??

 

Just that I am about to receive corrado no.2 and if I switch my insurance to it I wont be able to drive my vr6 anymore. I'm not 25 and it will legally belong to me. Basically I want to know whether my Dad will be able to drive around in my vr6 even though it doesn't have insurance of its own?

 

I'm thinking the answer to this is no! Otherwise there's a nice wee loop hole in the insurance law.

 

Timo.

[Jim 2]

Edit... Ignore me. I think I am wrong...

[Henny 0]

You are correct that normally the car also needs to be insured by the owner for the third party cover on someone elses policy to be legal. If you get stopped, the part of your insurance which shows cover on other vehicles will stop you getting done for no insurance, but if you get into an accident (heaven forbid) then the insurance company may well turn around and tell you to naff off... :?

 

It's well worth phoning the insurance company and confirming this with them... record the conversation if possible so that you have comeback in case of something going against you, but remember to tell them you are recording it first... ;)

[Timo. 0]

Mmmm, not worth the risk. They (insurance companies) must have this loop covered surely!

 

Cheers

 

Timo. (Now hunting for second insurance) Not good!!!

 

Plan B..... Vr6 is going for some well earnt rest in one nice dry warm garage where no young wipper-snappers will find her!!

[mark28G60 0]

Dont do it, its the car as well as you that must have cover.

 

Driving a car on your "any car third party" means the other car must also be insured, ive know some serious problems with people having accidents and the police/law take a very dim view of this, and normally class as it being an offence under "driving without insurance".

 

hope it helps

 

Mark :evil:

[dr_mat 0]

The car doesn't have to be covered - that's your (and the car's owner's) risk. But you have a legal requirement to have 3rd party cover, which is what you *will* have based on your own policy for driving other people's cars. (Note that it has to be owned by someone else - if it's just your own second car, it doesn't count.)

Of course, if you have an accident when out and it's only 3rd party your insurance will cover damage to other cars and legal issues like pedestrians and so on, but you're gonna have to pay up for the damage to the car itself.

The only requirement (AFAIK) is for the *driver* to have insurance - the law doesn't give two hoots who is covering the risk of damage to the *car* itself.

[Scott 0]

I'm sorry but no matter what is stated - ANY car that you drive must have a insurance policy on it - either by you or somebody else.

 

I have a mate who has done what you are saying (or saying cant do) and got caught out... its not worth the risk.

[dr_mat 0]

Of course, but for example I have TP only cover listed explicitly on my policy. That means I can completely legally drive someone else's car, with their consent. No ifs, buts, maybes, completely legally.

It has to be someone else's car, and I have to have their explicit permission to be driving it, but there's no restriction on this cover so I don't see what the problem should be. There's no requirement that anyone else hold an insurance policy explicitly covering that car anywhere on my documentation.

I mean by all means consult your insurance company if you're concerned, but there ya go.

[Scott 0]

Ok.

 

So if you hit a £100k Porsche up the rear end at speed in somebody elses car - injure the passengers badly to the point they that they are going to sue you for costs, stress caused, injury, hire car, blah, blah........

 

You really think the insurance will cough up on your behalf? - As if! :roll:

 

Scott

[dr_mat 0]

Yep, that's what "Third Party" cover MEANS!

 

You can sue them if they try and back out of it!

[Timo. 0]

Basically you lot dont know the answer. :roll: Not really bothered, just wondered if my Dad would legally allowed to drive my VR6 once I change my insurance. It will just have to have a real good rest. ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz 8)

 

Timo.

[pablo_vr6 0]

you cant do it - or else:

 

25 yr old buys a 1.0 metro insures it FC for £200.

same lad buys a cossie and puts it in mothers name

 

drives the cossie about the place covered 3rd party.

 

as if ;)

 

also - how do you tax it as you have no ins certificate

[Scott 0]

Exactly my point.............

[pablo_vr6 0]

Exactly my point.............

 

with u 100% mate :)

[Banana Man 0]

Going round in circles here aren't we lads!

 

 

My view is that say if I wanted to drive my mates car home from the pub beccause he was pissed and I wasn't and my policy covers any car third party then I could drive it as long as I had his permission to and as long as my mate has an insurance policy currently on it! But say he didn't have insurance on it and no one else did then no I wouldn't be covered on it as I am sure the car that wants to be driven has to have cover taken out on it! Just my 2p's worth

[vr6storm 0]

as people have rightly pointed out.............the car HAS to HAVE an existing insurance policy in force....for anyone to drive it on their "drive any other car" insurance terms.....

[dr_mat 0]

as people have rightly pointed out.............the car HAS to HAVE an existing insurance policy in force....for anyone to drive it on their "drive any other car" insurance terms.....

 

I am prepared to admit I might be wrong, and I'm sure your insurance company wouldn't like it if you were habitually driving another car under this "third party" cover section, and I know that you need to present an insurance cert when you get tax, BUT assuming the car has valid tax and MOT (perhaps the owner's insurance expired and wasn't renewed?), I can't see why this cover wouldn't be legal.

 

Maybe different policies have different wording, but mine has always seemed very clear and simple about this.

 

I could be wrong, but until someone has actually rung an insurer and asked I'm assuming that section of my policy document isn't "economical with the truth". ;)

[vr6storm 0]

well if you can and of course if you want to :wink: ........scan in the wording to your insurance policy(obviously hide yer relevant details)...........somehow i cant see you be able to be "covered" as i'm 99.9% sure its not just an insurance requirement but a LEGAL requirement that any car driven on the "queen's" highway has to have an existing insurance policy in effect....for that actual vehicle............the only way round this AFAIK is the use of Trade plates by garages and traders

[dr_mat 0]

I understand what you're saying, but I think the legal requirement is simply for third party cover - as long as you can show your policy states that *you*, the driver, have 3rd party cover for driving *that car* then that's enough.

I *do* think it wouldn't be something you'd want to do on a regular basis, but on an occasional basis I'm pretty sure this would be fine.

[JoeNose 0]

If you drive a car under the third party extension, IT IS INSURED whilst you are driving it. Check your insurance certificate, there is no wording on there at all to the effect that the vehicle has to be insured seperately. In fact, having a seperate insurance policy is not even mentioned. So they couldn't get out of it, trust me, although they might try to and certainly wouldn't encourage use of the third party extension regularly.

 

If it went to Court, the insurer would ultimately have to indemnify the third party in any claim. I work for an insurance company and I've seen underwriting letters of indemnity go out directly to the police to prove cover in exactly this case. The police hate it, of course :)

 

However, it is a seperate requirement under the Road Traffic Acts for the registered owner of the vehicle to insure it whilst it's on the highway. So if e.g. you park it on a hill, handbrake fails, and it rolls into someone/something, third party cover still needs to apply. Your 'drive any car' extension won't help you here. And yes, you can't get tax without an insurance cert. Basically, in your own case your Dad would be OK but you could still be done. IMO you should keep it off road or get it insured.

 

One final point to remember is that 95% of front-line insurance company employees/muppets don't know the complexities relating to the above points, so may confuse the responsibilities of the driver with the registered keeper, and advise you incorrectly. Don't always believe what they tell you, believe what your documents say first and foremost.

[dr_mat 0]

So in other words I was right and you were .... right? ;)

So you're legally covered while you're driving, but when you're not driving it the car must not be left on a public road..

Impractical, but ultimately legal! :)

[vr6storm 0]

So in other words I was right and you were .... right? ;)

So you're legally covered while you're driving, but when you're not driving it the car must not be left on a public road..

Impractical, but ultimately legal! :)

 

 

i'm happy to call it a draw :wink:

[Timo. 0]

Basically its a major grey area!!?! It wasn't going to be done on a regular basis. I just wanted the car to get a wee bit of usage occasionally so it didn't sit for months without moving at all.

 

Cheers anyway, my question has strike up a good debate on the subject anyway :mrgreen:

 

Timo.

[dr_mat 0]

Its not grey at all - it's clearly legal, but only if your father doesn't leave the car somewhere on the public road...

Driving it off your drive, around for a bit, and then back onto your drive (or some other private piece of land) is perfectly legal.