Open insurance

TheCuke · 19-07-2015 3:02pm #1

what exactly is the story with open insurance. i will be 25 next year and have a full license but i am not insured on any car. once i'm 25 does this mean i can drive lets say my mothers car if it has open insurance? as in i don't need to have my own policy on a car?

blindside88 · 19-07-2015 3:04pm

You should be able to but she would need to check her policy wording. Some policies only cover once over 30.

whomitconcerns · 19-07-2015 3:06pm

Yes if she has open insurance, anyone subject to her policy restrictions can drive her car with permission.

Atomic Pineapple · 19-07-2015 3:29pm

You will need to check the insurance policy on the car, even if it has open insurance you need to check exactly what it's restrictions are, as others have said it depends on the insurer as to what age a person can be. Also be aware that open insurance generally only offers third party cover.

Atlantic Dawn · 19-07-2015 5:31pm

Typically it's age 25 with full licence but it could be older, as said check with insurer.

PeteK* · 19-07-2015 6:28pm

Quinn Direct (Liberty Insurance) was good for this.. you could have a provisional licence (at the time) and be under 25 and allowed drive other people's cars with their permission. I'm sure there was probably conditions like the value of the car you're driving and stuff.

coylemj · 19-07-2015 6:32pm

PeteK* wrote: »

Quinn Direct (Liberty Insurance) was good for this.. you could have a provisional licence (at the time) and be under 25 and allowed drive other people's cars with their permission.

What? :eek:

Don't you always need to be a named driver to drive another person's car with a learner permit and/or if you're under 25?

Mycroft H · 19-07-2015 6:37pm

Are we talking about third party extension now?

I'm 24 and liberty have it on my policy. It's incredibly handy to have. Used to borrow the parents jeep at the weekend if I needed the space.

coylemj · 19-07-2015 6:44pm

Mycroft H wrote: »

Are we talking about third party extension now?

I'm 24 and liberty have it on my policy. It's incredibly handy to have. Used to borrow the parents jeep at the weekend if I needed the space.

To avoid confusion, the topic the OP is talking about is usually referred to as 'driving other cars' in boards threads.

HeidiHeidi · 19-07-2015 6:48pm

coylemj wrote: »

To avoid confusion, the topic the OP is talking about is usually referred to as 'driving other cars' in boards threads.

I don't think so - OP states s/he has no insurance at the moment.

The "driving other cars extension" is something that's on your own policy to allow you to drive, well, other cars.

Open drive is something on someone's policy (eg the OP's mother or father) which allows anyone (usually over 25) to drive their car.

If OP isn't currently insured I'm presuming s/he's looking to drive on someone else's car on their insurance.

OP, you'd need to examine your mother's policy to see what conditions it has if she does have open driving. I discovered some unlikely restrictions on a policy I had taken out recently which made driving other cars practically impossible, so I had to switch. The devil is in the small print.

coylemj · 19-07-2015 6:56pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I don't think so - OP states s/he has no insurance at the moment.

The "driving other cars extension" is something that's on your own policy to allow you to drive, well, other cars.

You're right, I was distracted by a later post.

Del2005 · 19-07-2015 7:02pm

Don't think Open drive is as common as it used to be. I've had it on 1 policy in nearly 20 years of insurance and even then I was weary of letting others drive solely on my policy, it was a cost option with several companies when getting quotes but I've never paid for it as said I ain't paying extra money for someone else to ruin my NCD.

3rd party extension I've had on nearly every policy.

Gumbo · 19-07-2015 7:05pm

My dad has it on his van as you would never know who be jumping into it. Over 25, under 70 iirc and a full licence is required.

Ada over it to current policies but my mate was quoted nearly €200 extra to have it enacted. Fairly common in commercial policies from what I see.

Brasso · 19-07-2015 7:10pm

Del2005 wrote: »

Don't think Open drive is as common as it used to be. I've had it on 1 policy in nearly 20 years of insurance and even then I was weary of letting others drive solely on my policy, it was a cost option with several companies when getting quotes but I've never paid for it as said I ain't paying extra money for someone else to ruin my NCD.

3rd party extension I've had on nearly every policy.

Yes, with FBD it was definitely an add on, can't remember the exact cost but I think around €30, I've seen other companies selling it like this as well.

ironclaw · 19-07-2015 7:11pm

Anyone over 25 is fully comprehensive on my policy and I can drive any car (Not a rental or one I do not own) Third Party (FBD)

blackbird 49 · 19-07-2015 7:25pm

My father has open driving,which means with his permission anyone over 25 with a full license can drive his car, My husband who has no policy of his own only as named driver on mine has driven my fathers car many times.

To Elland Back · 19-07-2015 7:51pm

I would never bother with open drive. I don't want randomers affecting my claims experience and NCB. Cheaper to name those you want to be allowed drive your car.

cython · 19-07-2015 8:41pm

To Elland Back wrote: »

I would never bother with open drive. I don't want randomers affecting my claims experience and NCB. Cheaper to name those you want to be allowed drive your car.

Not always. For example, my mother has been able to get open drive for cheaper on her car for a year or 2 than naming both my brother and I (28 and 29 at the time respectively, IIRC, 28 and 30 now) on her policy. Now we both have insurance in our own names, and I generally make a point of having 3rd party extension under same as well. I don't drive her car that often, but it was her choice to get that added cover, and open drive was actually the cost-effective way to do it.

CiniO · 19-07-2015 11:42pm

To Elland Back wrote: »

I would never bother with open drive. I don't want randomers affecting my claims experience and NCB. Cheaper to name those you want to be allowed drive your car.

But those drivers you name on your policy might affect your claims experience and NCB the same as any other randomer.

To Elland Back · 20-07-2015 7:27am

CiniO wrote: »

But those drivers you name on your policy might affect your claims experience and NCB the same as any other randomer.

True, but not having Open Drive is a good excuse to refuse people access to your car

CiniO · 20-07-2015 5:24pm

To Elland Back wrote: »

True, but not having Open Drive is a good excuse to refuse people access to your car

I don't know....
In my home country (Poland) every car insurance policy is open drive without any age limits etc... In short every vehicle can be driven by anyone holding appropriate licence (with owner's consent).
Also every car must have at least 3rd party insurance at all times.

While such system possibly has some disadvantages, surely it solves one problem - there's virtually no insured drivers on the roads.
In Ireland this seems to be the big issue. I recall reading a while ago in some article linked here on boards, that about 6% of drivers in Ireland are uninsured. Either to the fact that they don't bother insuring the car at all, or otherwise that driver is not named on the policy (f.e. friend lends his car to a friend who drives uninsured).

IMO that's a huge problem, as 6% is 6 on 100.
In big traffic you can pass 100 oncoming cars within 2 minutes, and imagine 6 out of them were uninsured. Crazy

Del2005 · 20-07-2015 6:11pm

CiniO wrote: »

I don't know....
In my home country (Poland) every car insurance policy is open drive without any age limits etc... In short every vehicle can be driven by anyone holding appropriate licence (with owner's consent).
Also every car must have at least 3rd party insurance at all times.

While such system possibly has some disadvantages, surely it solves one problem - there's virtually no insured drivers on the roads.
In Ireland this seems to be the big issue. I recall reading a while ago in some article linked here on boards, that about 6% of drivers in Ireland are uninsured. Either to the fact that they don't bother insuring the car at all, or otherwise that driver is not named on the policy (f.e. friend lends his car to a friend who drives uninsured).

IMO that's a huge problem, as 6% is 6 on 100.
In big traffic you can pass 100 oncoming cars within 2 minutes, and imagine 6 out of them were uninsured. Crazy

The drivers might not be insured but the MIBI covers any issues. We should have tougher punishments for driving with no insurance and the insurance companies should as a matter of course take any motorist who caused an RTI without insurance to court to recoup their costs, even if it's a small amount per week for years as currently there's no reason for a percentage of the population to bother with being legal on the road.

To Elland Back · 20-07-2015 7:01pm

CiniO wrote: »

I don't know....
In my home country......

Not relevant.

PeteK* · 21-07-2015 3:31pm

To Elland Back wrote: »

Not relevant.

If this was a conversation in a pub (or something) with a group of friends or colleagues, would you have just told him to shut up?

For here, all you had to do was stop reading after the first few words instead of having a dig. I just think it was unfair.

21-07-2015 5:01pm

Mycroft H wrote: »

Are we talking about third party extension now?

I'm 24 and liberty have it on my policy. It's incredibly handy to have. Used to borrow the parents jeep at the weekend if I needed the space.

Are you 100% sure it covers you to drive a jeep . mine only covers me to drive cars, not vans , jeeps or commercial

Del2005 wrote: »

The drivers might not be insured but the MIBI covers any issues. We should have tougher punishments for driving with no insurance and the insurance companies should as a matter of course take any motorist who caused an RTI without insurance to court to recoup their costs, even if it's a small amount per week for years as currently there's no reason for a percentage of the population to bother with being legal on the road.

100% agree here . Its annoying as anyone who has insurance is paying towards people who dont have. If people are getting away with it they will continue doing it

To Elland Back · 21-07-2015 5:02pm

PeteK* wrote: »

If this was a conversation in a pub (or something) with a group of friends or colleagues, would you have just told him to shut up?

For here, all you had to do was stop reading after the first few words instead of having a dig. I just think it was unfair.

Nearly every comment from that poster is on how things are done much better in Poland. This is a discussion relating to a situation as it applies in Ireland.

To answer your specific question, no I wouldn't tell my friends or colleagues to shut up but I would tell them it is not relevant

bfclancy · 21-07-2015 5:06pm

what the OP was asking is can they drive someones car who has open insurance even if he does not have a policy himself. surely the answer is no.

Dial Hard · 21-07-2015 5:26pm

bfclancy wrote: »

what the OP was asking is can they drive someones car who has open insurance even if he does not have a policy himself. surely the answer is no.

It's not. The entire point of open insurance is that people can drive your car without having to have a policy of their own.

21-07-2015 5:38pm

I have open drive on my MR2 which is covered with classic insurance - anyone between the ages of 25 and 71 can drive it provided they have no more than 4 penalty points. It's only 3rd party cover though.

I have fully comprehensive insurance on my main car which includes driving of other cars which allows me to drive other cars (the car does not need to have insurance) as long as it's not registered to me (or to my spouse/cohabiting partner) with third party cover when driving. It only covers the policy holder for driving of other cars, and not any named drivers.

It really entirely depends on the terms of your mam's insurance, Open Insurance is rare enough so my guess is that she has driving of other cars.

CiniO · 21-07-2015 6:22pm

To Elland Back wrote: »

Nearly every comment from that poster is on how things are done much better in Poland.

Why don't you grab my last 1000 posts, and count the ones that do?
They you will get a real percentage and I can guarantee that it won't be "nearly every comment"...

And yes - if things are done in crap way here, and I know they are done better somewhere else, then it's just obviously I'm going to mention it.

But sure - you can just accept how things are here, and don't be interested in anything else. Your call.

This is a discussion relating to a situation as it applies in Ireland.

I can't see it neither in subject or in OP that this discussion applies only to Ireland.

To Elland Back · 22-07-2015 7:07pm

How about every month that goes by without you mentioning how motor insurance or motoring laws are in Poland or how things are better in Poland, that I donate €20 to a charity of your choosing? Fail and you donate similar to one of my charities

CiniO · 22-07-2015 7:17pm

To Elland Back wrote: »

How about every month that goes by without you mentioning how motor insurance or motoring laws are in Poland or how things are better in Poland, that I donate €20 to a charity of your choosing? Fail and you donate similar to one of my charities

You want me to donate to charity of your choosing for privilege of writing my own opinions on public forum? Seriously?

To Elland Back · 22-07-2015 7:30pm

I'll take that as a No then

Pov06 · 22-07-2015 8:51pm

To Elland Back wrote: »

How about every month that goes by without you mentioning how motor insurance or motoring laws are in Poland or how things are better in Poland, that I donate €20 to a charity of your choosing? Fail and you donate similar to one of my charities

I'm kind of happy he does that because it makes people like you realise how much you are being shafted by insurance companies in Ireland.

You should complain about insurance laws in Ireland instead of complaining about insurance laws in Poland.

biko · 22-07-2015 11:28pm

Back on topic before I get the wooden spoon out.

Open insurance

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