Drive other vehicles

Alkers

Does anyone know what types of vehicles are covered under typical drive other vehicles clauses on car insurance policies.

Is it anything that can be driven on a class B licence or would it not extend to a van? Does it depend on how the vehicle is taxed?

Thanks

whomitconcerns

Only for the class of vehicle that you are licenced to drive for the class of insurance you are covered to use. IE exactly as you are on your own car

CiniO

From my experience, if you are covered normally on a car, they would let you drive other passenger cars, which don't belong to you or your spouse or your employer, are not rented or leased to your or your spouse or employer. Sometimes they limit maximum engine size.
Also very often they stipulate that this kind of cover is available only in Ireland or Ireland and UK - not on the Continent.

Normally if you're insured on a car, that would mean your third party extension wouldn't cover vans, event though they can be driven on the same kind of licence.

Taxation class is completely irrelevant as far as I know, so no matter if van is taxed as private or commercial, it's still a goods vehicle (not a passenger vehicle) so can not be driven.

But each policy is slightly different, so best thing you can do, is to find policy document on your insurers website, and read all the details from there.

Alkers

I am more wondering about commercially taxed jeeps or a car with no back seats.

Tefral

At this stage ive been with nearly all the insurance companies, any time I queried using my driving of other vehicles extension on a commercial vehicle they all said no. What they will do is transfer your insurance for a day if you are moving house and have the use of a van for example, but it has to be for your own personal use, not a business related transfer.

RustyNut

Simona1986 wrote: »

I am more wondering about commercially taxed jeeps or a car with no back seats.

Only way to find out for sure is to give your insurance company a bell.

DakarVert

I know Liberty state no 'Carvans' or Jeep type vehicles with no rear seats.

Basically they'll cover a 'normal' car, No commercials.

Alkers

So my insurance schedule says any 'motor car' so I'm guessing that means anything taxed as a car and not commercial tax.

_Brian

No commercials is common if not the norm..
I know one lad stopped driving a tractor thinking his car "drive other vehicles" would cover him.. It was a sticky situation for a while.

CiniO

Simona1986 wrote: »

So my insurance schedule says any 'motor car' so I'm guessing that means anything taxed as a car and not commercial tax.

By motor car they mean passenger car.

Taxation class is completely irrelevant.

It's vehicle type which matters.
If it's a van (f.e. car converted to van by removing rear seats) then it's not a car anymore. It's a goods vehicle.

helen87

Commercial vehicles are insured differently.
You can get a policy with open drive whereby anyone between 25 and 65 or 70 can drive it.

GM228

CiniO wrote: »

By motor car they mean passenger car.

Taxation class is completely irrelevant.

It's vehicle type which matters.
If it's a van (f.e. car converted to van by removing rear seats) then it's not a car anymore. It's a goods vehicle.

I have experience with this.

Taxation does come into it-don't forget most insurance policies are issued as private motor insurance and so you can't normally drive a commercial vehicle, however some insurers will make exemptions under certain circumstances (it has to be authorised by the underwriters) which may be time limited such as 6 hours use only rather than to a certain date (handy for moving houses-hiring a van etc), however to do this you need a temporary vehicle cover rather than the driving other cars use.

J.pilkington

CiniO wrote: »

From my experience, if you are covered normally on a car, they would let you drive other passenger cars, which don't belong to you or your spouse or your employer, are not rented or leased to your or your spouse or employer. Sometimes they limit maximum engine size.
Also very often they stipulate that this kind of cover is available only in Ireland or Ireland and UK - not on the Continent.

Normally if you're insured on a car, that would mean your third party extension wouldn't cover vans, event though they can be driven on the same kind of licence.

Taxation class is completely irrelevant as far as I know, so no matter if van is taxed as private or commercial, it's still a goods vehicle (not a passenger vehicle) so can not be driven.

But each policy is slightly different, so best thing you can do, is to find policy document on your insurers website, and read all the details from there.

That's very dangerous advice. You don't know the chaps insurance t&cs.

It's all down to the specific t&c not the experience of a random internet poster

To demonstrate I've been with the same insurer the last 3 years and this year they added a clause capping the cc of other cars to 2000

CiniO

GM228 wrote: »

I have experience with this.

Taxation does come into it-don't forget most insurance policies are issued as private motor insurance and so you can't normally drive a commercial vehicle, however some insurers will make exemptions under certain circumstances (it has to be authorised by the underwriters) which may be time limited such as 6 hours use only rather than to a certain date (handy for moving houses-hiring a van etc), however to do this you need a temporary vehicle cover rather than the driving other cars use.

You still don't get what I mean.
Taxation doesn't come into it.
Your private car policy normally doesn't allow you to drive a goods vehicle (f.e. a van), but as you said there might be exemptions. You are right about it. But it doesn't have anything to do with motortax.

Whether van is taxed privately or commercially is completely irrelevant.
It's still a van so it's a goods vehicle, not a passenger vehicle.
To be even more clear: EU vehicle category M1 - that's normal standard passenger car up to 3.5 tonnes gross.
EU vehicle cateogry N1 - it's a goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes.

If vehicle is of category N1, then it normally can't be driven as other vehicle under regular car insurance policy.

CiniO

J.pilkington wrote: »

That's very dangerous advice. You don't know the chaps insurance t&cs.


Dangerous advice?
I just said what conditions can be found in that extensions, and adviced him to check his own policy.
I think you need to read my post again.