Full License and Insurance Question

DJ Hafez

Have heard lots of conflicting evidence with regards driving someone elses car when you have a full license.

As far as I'm aware, if the car is insured, has tax and NCT up to date and you have the permission of the owner then technically you are permitted to drive the car without having open insurance on either side.

When you have Open Insurance it then allows you to drive an uninsured car?

Is this right or not? No one that I have asked seems to have the right answer!

Cheers!

Senna

The only person that can answer that question is your own insurance company. And each insurance company will have different policies.

I'm with Quinn, my policy allows me to drive any other car as long as it not my own, (i'm sure it needs NCT, i dont think they care about tax) it doesn't need to be insured by anyone else, as my insurance i covers it third party only.
But just because someone else has a full license, doesn't mean they would be covered to drive my car.

alexmcred

In your first point you have to be over 25 and the car insured and you have to be covered on your own policy (it covers you for third party) to drive other cars.

AFAIK with open insureance it applies to the car not the driver when I was looking for open insureance it applied to car only not me

DJ Hafez

I know what my policy covers alright, it's just a friend who is insured with axa as a named driver on another car who has their full license was going to drive my car tonight (which I had no problem with) but we were unsure as to the law as so many different things are going around so we left it in the end

Senna

unless his policy says he can drive other cars, which i doubt, seen he's a named driver and your policy doesn't cover him either. so i'd say you made the right choice.

Del2005

DJ Hafez wrote: »

Have heard lots of conflicting evidence with regards driving someone elses car when you have a full license.

As far as I'm aware, if the car is insured, has tax and NCT up to date and you have the permission of the owner then technically you are permitted to drive the car without having open insurance on either side.

Yes

When you have Open Insurance it then allows you to drive an uninsured car?

Is this right or not? No one that I have asked seems to have the right answer!

Cheers!

Open drive means that anyone over 25(usually) with a full licence is insured to drive your car ,with your permission of course:D. There are some insurance policies that will allow you to drive unisured cars on your 3rd party extension, always best to ask your insurance co 1st.

DJ Hafez wrote: »

I know what my policy covers alright, it's just a friend who is insured with axa as a named driver on another car who has their full license was going to drive my car tonight (which I had no problem with) but we were unsure as to the law as so many different things are going around so we left it in the end

That was a good call, most named drivers don't get the 3rd party extentsion. Best bet is for your friend to call their insurance co and ask do they have the extension.

Senna wrote: »

I'm with Quinn, my policy allows me to drive any other car as long as it not my own, (i'm sure it needs NCT, i dont think they care about tax) it doesn't need to be insured by anyone else, as my insurance i covers it third party only.
But just because someone else has a full license, doesn't mean they would be covered to drive my car.

If a car isn't taxed it's can't legally be on the road. The 3rd party extension only allows you to drive road legal cars, that means they need tax and NCT. If you want to drive an untaxed car you'd need a garage policy and trade plates to be legal.


One other thing to note. If someone is driving your car or you are driving someone elses car on the 3rd party extension then the fully comp policy on the car is gone and if the car is crashed you only have 3rd party cover, could be expensive!!

DublinDilbert

DJ Hafez wrote: »

insured with axa as a named driver on another

The key bit is that your friend doesn't have is own policy so is more than likely not covered.... although as others have said he'll have to ring his own insurance company to check...

Esel

DublinDilbert wrote: »

The key bit is that your friend doesn't have is own policy so is more than likely not covered.... although as others have said he'll have to ring his own insurance company to check...

But as he is only a named driver, he won't have 'his own insurance company'!

DublinDilbert

esel wrote: »

But as he is only a named driver, he won't have 'his own insurance company'!

He does have an 'insurance company' but he does not have an 'insurance policy', there's a big difference!

I doubt he would be covered, i've never heard of a named driver being allowed to drive other cars.

HungryJoey

I'm with quinn, and as said above I am able to drive somebody elses car with their permission. But the catch is I am only covered 3rd party in that car. (Obviously, otherwise every tom dick and harry would be insuring their 1L Micra's, and driving their M3 :cool: )

PeakOutput

if your policy has open driving then anyone who meets the conditions(usually over 25 full licence) can drive it

this will cover the person to drive your car with third party cover so if he crashes your car is not covered

if he has doc(driving of other cars) on his policy this will cover him to drive any other car fully comp (there are limitations about high performance or whatever)

if you have open driving and he has doc and he crash's then his insurance pays for all the damage assuming he is at fault as liability follows the driver not the car


edit: doc does not extend to named drivers

Fey!

A LOT of bad information above.

Open Drive allows anyone drive the car with the open drive policy as long as:
a) They are between 25 and 71
b) Have, or have had, a full drivers license
c) Have not been a disqualified driver
d) You are not driving another car on your insurance while your car is being driven by someone else on your insurance

If you don't have an open drive policy, then only the policy holder and any drivers named on that policy are insured to drive your car.

If your friend is a named on a policy, he is only insured to drive the car whose policy he is named on.

If you don NOT have open drive, but do have fully comprehensive insurance, you may be allowed to drive other cars, dependent on your individual policies. (Some policies dictate that if you are under 25 with fully comprehensive insurance, you can NOT drive other cars). "Driving of other cars" only covers you for vehicles not registered to you.

Driving on "open drive" or "driving of other cars" may only give you 3rd party cover, dependant on your individual policy.

If you aren't sure, don't risk it, as it could cost you your license. Also, bear in mind that if you let your friend drive and it turns out that he isn't insured, both of you could end up in trouble, not just him.

Finally, if you're not sure, ring your insurance company and ask them!

Cionád

Fey! wrote: »

If you don NOT have open drive, but do have fully comprehensive insurance, you may be allowed to drive other cars, dependent on your individual policies. (Some policies dictate that if you are under 25 with fully comprehensive insurance, you can NOT drive other cars). "Driving of other cars" only covers you for vehicles not registered to you.

Some insurance companies also allow Third Party policy holders to drive other cars (subject to some conditions - full license, not commercial vehicle, not a jeep-type vehicle, not registered to you, and your car must not be off the road/undrivable) with 3rd party cover. This is the case with Quinn.

Fey!

I didn't know that. Still worth verifying with the insurance company rather than taking the risk.

HungryJoey

Cionád wrote: »

Some insurance companies also allow Third Party policy holders to drive other cars (subject to some conditions - full license, not commercial vehicle, not a jeep-type vehicle, not registered to you, and your car must not be off the road/undrivable) with 3rd party cover. This is the case with Quinn.

That is correct, and has been verified by quinn by my self, but I would check with your individual policy rather then taking anybody elses word.

Oh and with quinn, there is no age restrictions. ( I'm 18 )