Open Drive - Under 25

ironclaw

Hi Folks,

Looking for anyone under 25 who has a policy that allows them open drive (Within the usual limits of engine size etc) My insurer is refusing to acknowledge that such a thing exists however I have seen a policy cert where even a provisional license holder can drive anything under 1.4. The problem is I can't get a copy of that certificate.

Anyone know for sure of an company that allows this? Or better still, could upload a certificate? (Obviously with the important bits blanked out )

Dublinstiofán

I didn't get it until i was 25. I'm pretty sure most insurers do not allow under 25's have it.

djimi

ironclaw wrote: »

I have seen a policy cert where even a provisional license holder can drive anything under 1.4.

Im not quite sure what you have seen, but no insurance company in their right mind would allow open driving to cover a learner, and any open driving policy that I have ever seen has an age limit of (usually) 25.

Thats not to say that there isnt an insurer out there who will offer you open driving for younger/non-licensed drivers; only way to know for sure is to ring them all and ask the question!

CR 7

I had it a few years back (20-22) with no restrictions with AXA through a broker, they changed it 2 years ago and no other company would let me have it til I'm 25 now.

ironclaw

djimi wrote: »

Im not quite sure what you have seen, but no insurance company in their right mind would allow open driving to cover a learner, and any open driving policy that I have ever seen has an age limit of (usually) 25.

Thats not to say that there isnt an insurer out there who will offer you open driving for younger/non-licensed drivers; only way to know for sure is to ring them all and ask the question!

Agreed but I saw the policy myself. It used be the case that girls under 25 had open drive and guys didn't. The other half always had it since 18 up to 1.6! But given the change in discrimination laws etc, its now being given to both sides equally at least thats the case with other insurers to mine.

My insurer are happy to amend my policy if I can prove such a thing exists, so ringing other companies isn't really a runner. I need a cert or similar.

djimi

What are we talking here; do you mean somebody who is under 25 holding a policy that allows open driving, or do you mean a policy that allows someone under the age of 25 to drive the car? The actual granting of open drive is usually based on numbers of years NCB rather than age. Who can drive the car is usually limited to those over the age of 25 with a full license.

djimi

ironclaw wrote: »

Agreed but I saw the policy myself. It used be the case that girls under 25 had open drive and guys didn't. The other half always had it since 18 up to 1.6! But given the change in discrimination laws etc, its now being given to both sides equally at least thats the case with other insurers to mine.

My insurer are happy to amend my policy if I can prove such a thing exists, so ringing other companies isn't really a runner. I need a cert or similar.

Are you sure you are not mixing up open driving with third party cover to drive other vehicles? Open driving is where anyone over a certain age with a full license is free to drive your car without having to be named on the policy. Third party cover (which sounds like what you are describing) is where the policy holder is covered to drive other cars on third party cover.

ironclaw

djimi wrote: »

Are you sure you are not mixing up open driving with third party cover to drive other vehicles? Open driving is where anyone over a certain age with a full license is free to drive your car without having to be named on the policy. Third party cover (which sounds like what you are describing) is where the policy holder is covered to drive other cars on third party cover.

I'm talking about a policy where as I can drive my car (Say car X) and then I'm also covered to insure a car I don't own (i.e. Car Y) provided it meets the various requirements i.e. Tax'd, Engine size etc.

I may be mixing the words Open Drive and Third Party, so apologises about that.

HungryJoey

Quinn/Liberty have "Third Party Extension". Ive had it since I was 18. Once you have a full license, you can drive anybody elses car with their permission, which is standard on their motor policies I believe. It is probably the main reason I have always remained with them. It's proved very useful, very often.

ironclaw

HungryJoey wrote: »

Quinn/Liberty have "Third Party Extension". Ive had it since I was 18. Once you have a full license, you can drive anybody elses car with their permission, which is standard on their motor policies I believe. It is probably the main reason I have always remained with them. It's proved very useful, very often.

Excellent, now that you mention it the policy I saw was Quinn.

Time for a few phone calls

djimi

ironclaw wrote: »

I'm talking about a policy where as I can drive my car (Say car X) and then I'm also covered to insure a car I don't own (i.e. Car Y) provided it meets the various requirements i.e. Tax'd, Engine size etc.

I may be mixing the words Open Drive and Third Party, so apologises about that.

Thats not open driving, which is probably what is confusing the companies that you have spoken to. Third party extension is pretty common; pretty much any fully comp (and even a lot of TPFT) policy will offer third party extension, some might just have different rules regarding age and experience. Ive had it on every policy I have had since I have had a full license at the age of 18. You might find it harder to get it if you have a learners permit but as you have seen its not impossible.

mathepac

I bet a pound to a penny that this is the classic confusion between me "driving other cars" on my policy and "open drive", allowing others to drive my car on my policy.

Just for clarity -

• "open drive" means (generally) that my insurance policy provides 3rd party cover for anyone aged between 25 and 75 with a licence to drive my car, if they have my permission. I cannot in my wildest dreams see an insurer providing a learner permit holder with this cover.
  
• "driving other cars" means my insurance policy provides me with 3rd party cover (usually) to drive someone else's car with their permission, provided the engine is below a certain size.

seamus

ironclaw wrote: »

I'm talking about a policy where as I can drive my car (Say car X) and then I'm also covered to insure a car I don't own (i.e. Car Y) provided it meets the various requirements i.e. Tax'd, Engine size etc.

I may be mixing the words Open Drive and Third Party, so apologises about that.

Yeah, open drive == anyone else with a full licence can drive your car. Third party extension == you can drive any other car.

Any comprehensive policy I've had includes the 3rd party extension by default regardless of what age you are. Hibernian's car policy used to allow you to drive other people's motorbikes if you had a full bike licence.

carzony

HungryJoey wrote: »

Quinn/Liberty have "Third Party Extension". Ive had it since I was 18. Once you have a full license, you can drive anybody elses car with their permission, which is standard on their motor policies I believe. It is probably the main reason I have always remained with them. It's proved very useful, very often.

That's what the broker told me. I had a full license so I could have my ''extension'' Some of them specify that the car has to be in another persons name and also insured by another person aswell.

My First Ireland policy lets me jump into anything as long as it's just nct'd and taxed very handy so it is

dougie-lampkin

ironclaw wrote: »

Hi Folks,

Looking for anyone under 25 who has a policy that allows them open drive (Within the usual limits of engine size etc) My insurer is refusing to acknowledge that such a thing exists however I have seen a policy cert where even a provisional license holder can drive anything under 1.4. The problem is I can't get a copy of that certificate.

Anyone know for sure of an company that allows this? Or better still, could upload a certificate? (Obviously with the important bits blanked out )

I've had the TPE on a TPFT policy since I was 18 with Quinn, and now Liberty. I didn't ask for it or pay anything extra, it was just on the cert from day 1 and has been on my last 4 certs. Completely unrestricted on car and engine choice apart from only applying to cars, so no vans or commercial jeeps. I can PM you a copy of the old Quinn or the current Liberty certs if you like?

keithclancy

Jesus Christ ... Irish Insurance is a nightmare.

Why not just insure the car, stick the risk on the registered owner and let anyone with a full license drive it.

Lending someone your car is a lengthy exercise with calls to insurance companies, checking fine print and so on.

carzony

Lets not forget if you crash your mates car he won't be very happy considering your only third party :eek: It's not a great deal when you really think about it.

dh0011

I have always had it and i have had my own insurance since I was 21. That was with Quinn @21, Hibernian@22, Asguard at 23, Quinn @24 and this year @25 I have it with Quinn

magicman88

ironclaw wrote: »

Hi Folks,

Looking for anyone under 25 who has a policy that allows them open drive (Within the usual limits of engine size etc) My insurer is refusing to acknowledge that such a thing exists however I have seen a policy cert where even a provisional license holder can drive anything under 1.4. The problem is I can't get a copy of that certificate.

Anyone know for sure of an company that allows this? Or better still, could upload a certificate? (Obviously with the important bits blanked out )

Aviva

Ardennes1944

Yeah Im 21 and with Liberty and ive third party open drive

james carr

Im 19 and have rang up liberty,quote devil and none of them seem to want to allow me to have open insurance where as i can drive any other car? Ive been on the road 2 years and had a full licence since the age of 17 and a half? I want to get insured in a lexus or something powerful and i know boys who are also doing this that are my age but i have rang up and it seems to be a defiante no?? This cant be does anyone know how to get around this or what companys 100% offer this?

djimi

Most of them will have age limits before they start offering third party extension; apparently they are wary of 19 year olds wanting to drive powerful cars that they could not insure in their own name...!

james carr

but i am wanting to get open insurance on my mums vw polo 1.4 litre which would then insure me to drive a lexus ?

Doylers

seamus wrote: »

Yeah, open drive == anyone else with a full licence can drive your car. Third party extension == you can drive any other car.

Any comprehensive policy I've had includes the 3rd party extension by default regardless of what age you are. Hibernian's car policy used to allow you to drive other people's motorbikes if you had a full bike licence.

do they even insure bikes? Does third party driving of other peoples bikes/cars require someone to already be insure on the vehicle ?

oldyouth

james carr wrote: »

but i am wanting to get open insurance on my mums vw polo 1.4 litre which would then insure me to drive a lexus ?

But as a named driver on your Mum's insurance you can never get a driving of other cars facility

djimi

james carr wrote: »

but i am wanting to get open insurance on my mums vw polo 1.4 litre which would then insure me to drive a lexus ?

How? If you are a named driver then that will not cover you to drive another car on third party extension. If the car has open driving (ie anyone can drive it) then that would only apply to the Polo.

For you to be allowed to drive a Lexus, either you must hold your own policy on your own vehicle which allows you to drive other cars on third party cover, or the policy on the Lexus must have open driving (and its very unlikely it would allow a 19 year old to avail of it even if it had).

corktina

some confusion as always about open drive vs third party extension.
What Insurance Company is going to give someone Polo policy that allows them to drive a Lexus?


also thread is a bit of a zombie

oldyouth

corktina wrote: »

What Insurance Company is going to give someone Polo policy that allows them to drive a Lexus?

Each and every insurer out there that has driving of other cars granted to policyholders

In this instance, however, the poster is only a named driver, so it doesn't apply

colincork

I'm 19 and have a TPFT policy with aviva

The "driving other cars" extension was included as standard with , as far as I can see, no limitations

This could be due to the fact that I did the Aviva driving school before getting my own policy

Bazzo

I'm pretty sure it's just commonly included but not spoken about. Have been with Quinn from the age of 19-21, Asgard 22-23 and Liberty 23-24 and they've all had the third party extension on the insurance cert. Only limitation is that I have the owner's permission, my car is not being used at the time, and car is NCT'd and taxed.

coylemj

colincork wrote: »

I'm 19 and have a TPFT policy with aviva

The "driving other cars" extension was included as standard with , as far as I can see, no limitations

This could be due to the fact that I did the Aviva driving school before getting my own policy

That's not really relevant if we're just addressing the issue raised by the poster who resurrected this thread (James Carr), he doesn't have a policy in his own name which you clearly do.

seamus

Doylers wrote: »

do they even insure bikes? Does third party driving of other peoples bikes/cars require someone to already be insure on the vehicle ?

Hibernian used to insure bikes, they stopped around 2003/2004.

Third party driving of someone else's vehicle generally does not require it to be insured by someone else, however:

1. It is an offence to use a vehicle in a public place without displaying a valid insurance disc. And you can't just use your own one.
2. You cannot leave the vehicle unattended in public for any period of time. Your 3rd party cover only applies while you are driving the vehicle. If you leave the vehicle, it becomes uninsured, which is an offence in a public place.

So while the vehicle doesn't need to be insured in order for you to be covered, legally that's not the same thing.

ironclaw

james carr wrote: »

but i am wanting to get open insurance on my mums vw polo 1.4 litre which would then insure me to drive a lexus ?

This is not possible. You get the ability to drive another car when you have the policy in your name i.e. If you owned the Polo and insured it yourself, then you would have the ability to drive the Lexus (But only Third Party cover on the Lexus) The only other option would be fleet insurance, but this is another kettle of fish and reserved for business normally.

If you want to drive a high performance car, unfortunately you need the bank balance to cover the tax, insurance and maintenance. So in round figures if the Lexus cost say €2000, you'd want at least €4000 in the bank to actually cover the cost of running the thing.

I'm guessing your about 19? The insurance is going to be high on anything north of 1.4L. But if you can afford it, take out the policy and start earning your own no claims. There is no point in being a named driver if you desire is for high end cars. 5 years of named experience is equal to roughly 1 year of your own, so by 21, you'll have a decent quote for pretty much anything. Then again, this is Ireland, so be prepared to pay €700 to €2000 on anything 'fancy'