The big question-Insured or not?

JabbaTheHut

I asked a good few people their views on this,and I never got a definativem answer. So this is what I'm wondering...........

You know on some insurance policys where it tells you that you are covered to drive other peoples cars,are you covered in a car that is not insured by anyone else?

Some people tell me that I would be,others tell me differently.I know that mostly the restrictions are that it cannot be owned by you and it usually can't be of more power than what you own. For arguements sake, if I was test driving a car from a private owner,when they are no longer insured themselves,would my insurance cover me?

Just wondering

Fudger

not to sure on that one.......... ehhhhhhhhhhh

if you drive somebody elses car they must have open drive on their policy and to give you consent. If you read the small print on your policy(sometimes its too small) or ring the insurance company and ask how does the whole system of driving someone elses car work they would help you out.

It used to be that you could just borrow someones car on their consent alone (to the best of my knowledge) but some companies don't allow this anymore and a car shouldn't be on the road if it isn't insured ie: you could drive the uninsured's car on private property only and not on a public road. I don't think all insurance companies allow for consent only. ie: to give consent you must firstly have your own policy so if you have no insurance the consent rule can't apply. I believe its to tighten up on such activities as......

Mr A has a BMW Z4 2004 fully comp and Mr B has a 1990 Nissan Micra (nothing against Micras) with TPFT and Mr A gives consent to Mr B to drive his car and Mr B wraps it around a lamppost showing off to the ladies. The 'carried' micra policy wouldn't carry enough to pay for the Z4 being destroyed. Your policy premium is partly based on the value of your car.

if the cars are similiar in value??? I wouldn't have a clue but be sure enough an insurance company won't ask if your ok in an accidient they only want to know your policy number and they do everything they can not to pay out. you would have to be 100% air tight thats its legal.

I wouldn't take (no offence intended, before i get a backlash) the advice of anyone on the internet without checking it out fully myself. Just cause its on the internet doesn't mean its true and that goes for above aswell.

just ring the insurance company its no biggy, you wouldn't even need to give them any details they would have a set procedure for such queries.

unkel

Originally posted by Fudger
Mr A gives consent to Mr B to drive his car and Mr B wraps it around a lamppost showing off to the ladies.

Mr A would not be a happy camper as driving another car on your policy only ever carries Third Party insurance. Mr B won't get a cent from his insurance company and is not obliged to pay Mr B back

Canaboid

You are only covered if the owner has the car insured. If the car is uninsured you are not covered.

Fudger

if you have open drive on your policy and you have full comp your car is covered as per your policy no matter who you let drive your car. (open drive is extra on your premium for the pleasure of having it) "how that is a pleasure is only a wonder"

thats when consent comes into play ie: you wouldn't let some speed freak with a point to prove borrow your car.

Mr B won't get a cent from his insurance company and is not obliged to pay Mr B back

??????? i gather you mean Mr A back???????

Fudger

You are only covered if the owner has the car insured. If the car is uninsured you are not covered.

exactly and not the long winded version neither.........

unkel

Originally posted by Fudger
??????? i gather you mean Mr A back???????

You're right of course

JabbaTheHut

You are only covered if the owner has the car insured. If the car is uninsured you are not covered.

Yep, I was thinking along the same lines as Canaboid. But then was told (after a long discussion over a pint) that it wasn't the case. Speculation is big when it comes to this point. Some believe that it doesn't make a difference, but I think it does.I've been told that insurance companys were called to inquire about this,and was told that it was OK to drive an uninsured car under their current policy.Maybe it was a special policy(but I do know it wasn't a garage policy).I find it hard to believe this to be true.As Fudger described,it would be madness


I reckon a call to the insurance company would answer it for certain,but I'm just wondering is all.

Silent Bob

If you are insured to drive other peoples cars (and you have this in writing on your insurance policy) then you are insured to drive other people's cars, of course within whatever limits your insurers have set.

If one of those limits is that the other car has to be insured by someone then so be it.

Check your policy, it is the definitive source of the terms of your insurance, not us

sceptre

My current policy and the previous two have all included the phrase "any car not belonging to the insured" or a close equivalent. Not "any car that does not belong to the insured that happens to be insured by someone else under a policy that wouldn't apply to the insured in any case"

My definitive answer for me is that my policy includes anything that can be classified as a motor vehicle that I don't own plus the car that I do own.
(with the usual provisos about driving with the consent of the owner, it not being under a HP agreement and my holding or (having held and not currently disqualified from holding) a licence for the particular class of vehicle in question and so on).

As Silent Bob said, the rule for you is based on your own policy.

Jip

You are insured to drive another persons car with their permission whether the other car is insured or not on some policys. What has anyone elses insurance got to do with you ? As for the person talking about a Micra not covering the value of a BMW, you're not covered fully comp so that doesn't even come into it, you'll only be insured 3rd party, not sure about the fire and theft though. I'd say very few, if any, will cover you fully comp on another car.

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by Jip
You are insured to drive another persons car with their permission whether the other car is insured or not on some policys. What has anyone elses insurance got to do with you ? As for the person talking about a Micra not covering the value of a BMW, you're not covered fully comp so that doesn't even come into it, you'll only be insured 3rd party, not sure about the fire and theft though. I'd say very few, if any, will cover you fully comp on another car.

its 3rd party only

Fudger

As for the person talking about a Micra not covering the value of a BMW, you're not covered fully comp so that doesn't even come into it,

its called "making it simple" something to take a benchmark from and give some sort of extreme example its not a true story.


*jezzzzzzzzzzz*



Look your not covered end of story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JohnBoy

I can speak only of my own experiences here.

With my last policy (quinn-direct) I had third party cover to drive any privately insured vehicle.

Now I only had third party on my policy anyway but I'd doubt they'd give comprehensive without prior arrangement.

The privately insured vehicle was the key though, I could drive my mates car, but not his dads jeep as the jeep is commercially insured. all of the above assume consent.

Now I'm with FBD they won't give me drive other cars till next year when I turn 25. it's a bit of a hassle, especially when you live in a house that can at times have 6 cars parked outside it and can only drive one of em, but the biggest problems I have is when I experienced car trouble over christmas I had no problem sorting out the use of a car, but could'nt transfer my insurance cos they were closed.

the other time it used be handy was collecting cars the morning after the night before.

John

loyatemu

I've had 3 different policies over the last 3 years and they have all covered me to drive other cars provided I don't own the car in question. I don't think it matters whether the other vehicle is otherwise insured as it is only 3rd party cover. I just got my new insurance cert yesterday and it seems pretty clear cut.

3rd party insurance covers liabilty arising from your driving
F&T or Comp cover damage to your own car.

If your driving is covered I don't see how it makes any difference whether the car you are driving is insured.

Of course this could lead to abuse of the system - you buy a Micra and get insured on it, you give your mate the money to buy an Evo, and then you drive the Evo on your Micra policy.

Theres also the matter of getting the car taxed without an insurance cert with the reg-number on it (though this will be possible with the new online tax system).

So to conclude - I don't know.