Car Insurance Query

steps_3314

Hi all

Just changed my car today but the insurance company is closed so I cannot amend my policy.

Issue is even though I believe my current policy allows me to drive other cars. But is that only other cars that are insured. The fact is that my new car now is not insured by anyone so can someone advise if I am covered or not to drive until Monday when Aviva re-open.

Thanks in advance

peteb2

no one can tell you because it depends on the policy wording. So i would suggest digging out the policy booklet and reading the "Driving Other Cars" extension. It varies from company to company.

Stoolbend

If you have your client number you should be able to change your insurance online.

You could back in the old days anyway.

Yawns

Don't drive it until you sort it out. Even tho policies vary from 1 person to the next in regards to driving other cars even if their own has not got insurance on them. All policies regarding the driving of other cars has to be that you cannot be the owner of the car. If you want to drive your own car you need to have your own policy for it.

Open drive etc is of no use to you in this situation.

bazz26

The driving of other cars on your policy only applies to cars that are not owned by you.

Try ringing their emergency contact number, the operator may be able to transfer it over, other than that you will have to park the car up until they open up Monday morning.

OP, something to take note of for future reference. You need to plan these things in advance rather than on the day. You can arrange with your insurance company in advance to transfer the policy over to the new car, especially at weekends when nearly all insurance companies are closed. You just give them a time and date along with the new car's reg when you want the policy to transfer over.

steps_3314

Cheers for all the comments folks...good advise

Decided to leave the car parked until Monday.

I couldn't find my client number. My insurance is actually up on the 13th and they sent out the renewal so I thought if I renew online I might be able to amend the details, didn't work either as I couldn't log in.

Anyway thanks again

coylemj

steps_3314 wrote: »

Issue is even though I believe my current policy allows me to drive other cars. But is that only other cars that are insured.

That is an urban myth which constantly gets repeated here and is not true. No insurance company operating in Ireland imposes this condition.

Download your policy document and see if you can find such a condition, you won't.

The 'driving other cars' facility (if you have it) allows you to drive a car which (1) is not owned by or (2) hired by you and in some cases (3) not hired or owned by your employer. Nobody demands that the car is covered by another policy.

Your policy may say that if you borrow a car and are involved in an accident, you must claim from the other person's policy if there is one but if there is no such policy, your own policy will pick up the bill. That provision is often misinterpreted to mean that the car you borrow must have it's own policy which is not the case.

In your case, as you have purchased the car, you are not covered to drive it until you get the policy changed on Monday.