Driving other cars..Insurance

Dooom

Trying to sort out my insurance at the moment. And I'm looking over the "Driving other cars" bit.
Now I only have a provisional licence at the moment, and am being insured on the mothers Focus for a reasonable enough price.
So here's the question, can I drive other peoples cars? This is just curiosity really, but are there any special requirements for needing that added to a/my policy?


Here's hoping I don't need a full licence to do it..#

Cheers in advance folks.

Litcagral

To be covered to drive other peoples' cars under their insurance you generally have to have a full licence and be over 25 (and have their permission).

Therefore, I would imagine that it is highly unlikely that your insurance would cover you.

Seth Brundle

What exactly does mammys insurance policy say about driving other peoples cars?

elexes

think you have to inform the company first . sure just give them a ring and have the nice man/woman explain it to you

JohnCleary

BEWARE, YOU ARE A NAMED DRIVER ONLY.

*ONLY* the policyholder is insured to drive others cars, NAMED DRIVERS ARE NOT.

I nearly got caught out with this before. I was a named driver on my fathers policy, which had the "Insured to drive others cars" included. I was going around for months with the intention that I was insured to drive others cars, until one day, I rang up my insurance company (Hibernian) just to confirm this.

They confirmed over the phone that it was ONLY THE POLICYHOLDER that was insured to drive, and not the named drivers.

Also, (rumour has it), that in the past few months, even if you are the policy holder, you MUST have a full license to qualify to drive others cars**

** I am open to correction on this, its just what ive read online/been told

halkar

Depends how long you are with your insurance co they will allow you to drive other cars and you will be covered 3rd party only. Even without full license. Check with your insurance co. It will add few euros on your premium.

Kermitt

AFAIK the OP is not covered at all to drive other cars. If you are a named driver you are only covered on the car named. This is because you don't have your own insurance policy, merely are permitted to drive your mothers car under your own policy. To be covered to drive other cars you must have your own policy so the cover can be transferred. In many cases you need Comprehensive cover too and it MUST be stated on your policy otherwise you are not covered. Check these things to be double sure before you hop into other cars uninsured -baaad idea

JohnCleary

Kermitt wrote:

AFAIK the OP is not covered at all to drive other cars. If you are a named driver you are only covered on the car named. This is because you don't have your own insurance policy, merely are permitted to drive your mothers car under your own policy. To be covered to drive other cars you must have your own policy so the cover can be transferred. In many cases you need Comprehensive cover too and it MUST be stated on your policy otherwise you are not covered. Check these things to be double sure before you hop into other cars uninsured -baaad idea

Further to my thread... I did exactly that. I was driving my friends cars unknowingly uninsured the odd time (towing stuff). It's only when I got the oppertunity to drive a fast car that I rang up to check.. I'm glad I did. I've taken out my own policy since though (and im investing in a towbar!)

Kermitt

JohnCleary wrote:

Further to my thread... I did exactly that. I was driving my friends cars unknowingly uninsured the odd time (towing stuff). It's only when I got the oppertunity to drive a fast car that I rang up to check.. I'm glad I did. I've taken out my own policy since though (and im investing in a towbar!)

Good that you checked, amazed at how many people just assume they can. BTW if you're towing any sort of large trailer you'll need an EB license. AFAIK if the vehicle and trailer combined GVW (gross vehicle weight) exceed 3500kg the by law you need a trailer license. Basically this means anything in an 8x4 twin axle or bigger. Just a heads up, nearly got caught out with this towing a 16ft flatbed with a VW beetle on it behind a Pajero last year. Got license first thank god cause i was stopped and asked for it. Putting a towbar on my new car too for the 8x4 at home. Very handy.

tred

Kermitt wrote:

Good that you checked, amazed at how many people just assume they can. BTW if you're towing any sort of large trailer you'll need an EB license. AFAIK if the vehicle and trailer combined GVW (gross vehicle weight) exceed 3500kg the by law you need a trailer license. Basically this means anything in an 8x4 twin axle or bigger. Just a heads up, nearly got caught out with this towing a 16ft flatbed with a VW beetle on it behind a Pajero last year. Got license first thank god cause i was stopped and asked for it. Putting a towbar on my new car too for the 8x4 at home. Very handy.

on a slightly different note, i heard this young lad, 24 i think, and he insured him self fully comp on a 1.2 piece of sh*t car, but because he had his own policy and it stated he could drive any car, he drove a 2.0 GTI around all the time, and used the 1.2 insurance as his insurance. he woudnt have got a quote on the other. It sounds mad, and it sounds wrong, i cant believe he is actually insured..

Seth Brundle

He's can't drive 'any car'. He can only drive cars that he doesn't own and cars listed in the policy.
These clauses always have a stipulation that the car must not be owned by the insured.

Henry Ford III

kbannon wrote:

He's can't drive 'any car'. He can only drive cars that he doesn't own and cars listed in the policy.
These clauses always have a stipulation that the car must not be owned by the insured.

3rd party cover only too. Not good on a valuable car if he rammed it.

Kermitt

tred wrote:

on a slightly different note, i heard this young lad, 24 i think, and he insured him self fully comp on a 1.2 piece of sh*t car, but because he had his own policy and it stated he could drive any car, he drove a 2.0 GTI around all the time, and used the 1.2 insurance as his insurance. he woudnt have got a quote on the other. It sounds mad, and it sounds wrong, i cant believe he is actually insured..

The GTi would have to be owned & insured by somebody else before he would be insured on it.He'd find out all about it if he crashed. If it wasn't then either he's lying through his teeth or is an insurance dodging scumbag.. I've no time for that, the rest of us pay enough so what gives anyone the right to think they can get away with it.

Seth Brundle

Kermitt wrote:

The GTi would have to be owned & insured by somebody else before he would be insured on it.

This was discussed on boards a few months back. Not all policies demand that the car be insured elsewhere (e.g. my policy doesn't)

Savman

Spike wrote:

Trying to sort out my insurance at the moment. And I'm looking over the "Driving other cars" bit.
Now I only have a provisional licence at the moment, and am being insured on the mothers Focus for a reasonable enough price.
So here's the question, can I drive other peoples cars? This is just curiosity really, but are there any special requirements for needing that added to a/my policy?


Here's hoping I don't need a full licence to do it..#

Cheers in advance folks.

Each policy is different, read your terms

Kermitt

kbannon wrote:

This was discussed on boards a few months back. Not all policies demand that the car be insured elsewhere (e.g. my policy doesn't)

Oh, I did not know this.. Sounds like a peculiar lophole in the law. But it's already been discussed so I shall not drag it up. Cheers

PS love the Ronin sig.

JohnCleary

kbannon wrote:

This was discussed on boards a few months back. Not all policies demand that the car be insured elsewhere (e.g. my policy doesn't)

Just out of curiousity KB.. So, you're insured to drive a car without an insurance disc in the window? What would you say at a checkpoint? ... Just show them your insurance cert or something?

Dooom

Hmm right, I did some asking around aswell, and the general jist here is right.

So here's another one for you, sort of a mate of a mate's thing: Friend told me that his friend's (call him Tom) insurance is sorted easy enough.
Tom owns his own car (Fiat Punto, he's 19, provisional licence), and he's on his parents policy. I'm not sure if he's named on one of his parents car's as a named driver, but he's on their policy - if that makes sense to someone.
However, he can drive his Punto (unaccompanied if he's on his 2nd provisional, etc.), but if he has an accident or has to claim or whatnot, it comes off his parents policy. Ie., they're held accountable.
Add to that he's only paying about €500/600 for being added to his parents policy, and I'm just confused.

Anyone know if this is true/possible? And if they could put it in simple terms for a tired me..

Cheers again.

Seth Brundle

JohnCleary wrote:

Just out of curiousity KB.. So, you're insured to drive a car without an insurance disc in the window? What would you say at a checkpoint? ... Just show them your insurance cert or something?

I have not needed to use this feature on another 'uninsured' car so I don't know. All I do know is that my insurance company do not stipulate that the other car is to be insured

Spike wrote:

Tom owns his own car (Fiat Punto, he's 19, provisional licence), and he's on his parents policy. I'm not sure if he's named on one of his parents car's as a named driver, but he's on their policy - if that makes sense to someone.
However, he can drive his Punto (unaccompanied if he's on his 2nd provisional, etc.), but if he has an accident or has to claim or whatnot, it comes off his parents policy. Ie., they're held accountable.
Add to that he's only paying about €500/600 for being added to his parents policy, and I'm just confused.

This depends on what is in the policy.
It sounds like there are a number of cars insured under the one policy which is generally unusual unless it is some kind of company or farm policy.

Dooom

Right, one final insurance question (posting here instead of starting a new thread).
Farm vehicle insurance. I've heard of a few people having jeeps etc. insured for under €200.
Anyone know what the requirements for it are, and who does it? Google isn't throwing up anything useful.

Seth Brundle

Spike wrote:

Right, one final insurance question (posting here instead of starting a new thread).
Farm vehicle insurance. I've heard of a few people having jeeps etc. insured for under €200.
Anyone know what the requirements for it are, and who does it? Google isn't throwing up anything useful.

I presume one requirement is owning/managing a farm!

Litcagral

Spike wrote:

Right, one final insurance question (posting here instead of starting a new thread).
Farm vehicle insurance. I've heard of a few people having jeeps etc. insured for under €200.
Anyone know what the requirements for it are, and who does it? Google isn't throwing up anything useful.

AFAIK Spike. that happens when the jeep is insured as part of a comprehensive general farm policy which would cover all machinery and buildings (usually by FBD). I presume that price would not be available for a single vehicle policy.

JohnCleary

Spike wrote:

Right, one final insurance question (posting here instead of starting a new thread).
Farm vehicle insurance. I've heard of a few people having jeeps etc. insured for under €200.
Anyone know what the requirements for it are, and who does it? Google isn't throwing up anything useful.

"Hello there, is that FBD? Hi, i'd like to insure my Toyota Supra 3ltr twin turbo. Oh, ill just be using her for trotting about the farm, throwing some sheep in the back, you know yerself, the general farm stuff" *

*drunk

Dooom

*Sigh*

Guess it's going to be a few years before I'll be eligible for vaguely reasonable insurance on anything over a 1.4.

Ah well, I just got quoted €2767 (Provisional, no previous experience etc.) from Lynskey Ryan, on a Micra under my own name (already own the Micra), so I think that's pretty darn good. Considering Quinn and most of the rest were asking €5400 upwards!

Now all I have to do is find €2767..Next stop, Credit Union. That or bye-bye PC..I choose Credit Union.

Litcagral

JohnCleary wrote:

"Hello there, is that FBD? Hi, i'd like to insure my Toyota Supra 3ltr twin turbo. Oh, ill just be using her for trotting about the farm, throwing some sheep in the back, you know yerself, the general farm stuff" *

*drunk

And they won't penalise you for putting a tow bar on her, John.

JohnCleary

Spike wrote:

*Sigh*

Guess it's going to be a few years before I'll be eligible for vaguely reasonable insurance on anything over a 1.4.

Ah well, I just got quoted €2767 (Provisional, no previous experience etc.) from Lynskey Ryan, on a Micra under my own name (already own the Micra), so I think that's pretty darn good. Considering Quinn and most of the rest were asking €5400 upwards!

Now all I have to do is find €2767..Next stop, Credit Union. That or bye-bye PC..I choose Credit Union.

Wow. What age ar you? In fairness thats steep for a micra.

I'm only 19, paying 1750 on a 1.8 VVC (!60BHP), was previously paying 1180 on a 1.4 (103BHP) Rover*

* Oh and before you laugh, the 1.8VVC can outrun any other 1.8 NA (And SOHC vtecs)... For the sake of cheap insurance, ill proudly stick a Rover badge on the bumper

Dooom

JohnCleary wrote:

Wow. What age ar you? In fairness thats steep for a micra.

I'm only 19, paying 1750 on a 1.8 VVC (!60BHP), was previously paying 1180 on a 1.4 (103BHP) Rover*

* Oh and before you laugh, the 1.8VVC can outrun any other 1.8 NA (And SOHC vtecs)... For the sake of cheap insurance, ill proudly stick a Rover badge on the bumper

Ah yes, but you have a full licence etc. don't you?
I'm 17, 1st provisional, no previous experience on a policy. In the company's eyes, I've never been near a car before.
I was expecting to pay that sort of price anyway, so I'll begrudgingly (that doesn't look at all right..damn vodka) accept it, as it's the lowest I've gotten.

Who're you with out of curiosity? And what model Rover was/is it? The sooner I can get rid of this Micra the better!

JohnCleary

I'm with Quinn.
Granted im 19, full license, no NCB.. In the eyes of insurance im VERY high risk driver.

It's a Rover 200 (Same shape as the MG ZR), origionally a 1.4, I dropped an MG ZR 1.8 engine into her (160BHP), only brought the insurance up about 700euro which I was happy to pay for an extra 60BHP

Quinn, as they say, are the RyanAir of Insurance. Luckily ive never been in a crash, so never had to deal with them. Gonna try to move to Hibernian next year as I want to change to a TDI anyways

seamus

JohnCleary wrote:

Just out of curiousity KB.. So, you're insured to drive a car without an insurance disc in the window? What would you say at a checkpoint? ... Just show them your insurance cert or something?

Not displaying an insurance disc is an entirely different offence to driving without insurance. Although in general, Gardai will let you away provided that you simply present your insurance at the station, you could still be done for non-display of insurance even if you present your insurance details at the Garda station.

In theory, you should get done, no matter what, if you do not have an insurance disc displayed. If after that you fail to present your insurance details at the Garda station, you will be charged with driving without insurance.

The idea that you can drive any other vehicle on your own policy, regardless of whether anyone else is insured on it is sound, and is used in many other countries. This gives you a system whereby a person is insured to drive, and the vehicle is mostly taken out of the equation.

Afaik, with most "Open drive" policies, they state that anyone else (though generally full licence holders over 25) may drive your vehicle, provided that they hold their own insurance policy, and that policy allows them to drive other vehicles. Thus, in the event of a claim against the open driver, both insurance companies split the cost and not just the one.

Seth Brundle

Just on that Seamus - is the disk transferable, i.e. if you decided to drive another car as per your policy, could you take the dick out of your own car (assuming it wasn't on the road at the time)?

blastman

Right, so how do I go about driving a second car that I also own without starting from scratch with no NCB?

Seth Brundle

Unless you can convince an insurance company to cover both cars (unlikely) you will have to ring an insurance company and take out new insurance for the second car!

Dooom

kbannon wrote:

Unless you can convince an insurance company to cover both cars (unlikely) you will have to ring an insurance company and take out new insurance for the second car!

So it's possible for one of my parents to insure the Micra with a different company, and have me as a named driver on it?

There's some nasty catch in there somewhere isn't there?

Seth Brundle

The micra is yours and you want your parents to insure it so you can drive it? I reckon it will work out (if allowed) as expensive as taking out insurance on your own.
I can't be bothered going back over all the posts in this again so can you refresh my memory as to why you are trying to get insured on two cars by whatever means possible?

Dooom

Well it's not technically mine, it was my aunt's, but she doesn't drive anymore (pretty sure my father bought it for her). But my dad agreed to let me use it.

I'm not trying to get insured on two cars, just one. I'm just wondering if one of my parents could insure the Micra with a different insurance company (as opposed to their current insurer) and have me as a named driver on it.

Odds that'd work?

Seth Brundle

sorry - I had though blastmans last post was yours.

can you not get insured on your aunts car yourself?

Dooom

kbannon wrote:

can you not get insured on your aunts car yourself?

Well yeah I can, got a quote for 2.7k. I'm just looking for ways to get the cheapest insurance I can..
Can't really blame me!

gerrycollins

i have "drive other cars" on my poilcy with hibernan for last 3 years im 27 full licence and fully comp
when last renewal i asked about it and they said its only there so i could drive other cars in emergency such as to move a car out of danger or out of my way
also i can only drive other cars so long as mine is outside my house and is not useable for mechanical/physical reason or not suited to the requirements of my need to be on the road ie van for moving something too big to fit in my car
those are the only reasons im covered to drive other cars without giving hibernan notice

seamus

gerrycollins wrote:

i have "drive other cars" on my poilcy with hibernan for last 3 years im 27 full licence and fully comp
when last renewal i asked about it and they said its only there so i could drive other cars in emergency such as to move a car out of danger or out of my way
also i can only drive other cars so long as mine is outside my house and is not useable for mechanical/physical reason or not suited to the requirements of my need to be on the road ie van for moving something too big to fit in my car
those are the only reasons im covered to drive other cars without giving hibernan notice

It doesn't say that in my policy booklet. They only say that to discourage you driving other vehicles as a matter of habit.

kbannon - I'm not sure if the disk is transferable.