Sharing a car with a named driver

Galbin

I am learner driver with no consistent access to a car. I have no parents and my partner doesn't know how to drive. I want to pass my test, so desperately need a car to practice in. I do have fully licenced drivers to practice with, but no access to a car. My friend who is a fully qualified driver wonders if she can buy a car and share it with me, as she does not have a car. However, in that case, who would be the main driver and how would insurance work? Is it illegal to share a car like that? Like, most learner drivers seem to be using their Mam or Dad's car, so the parent would be the named driver.

beechwood55

Galbin wrote: »

Like, most learner drivers seem to be using their Mam or Dad's car, so the parent would be the named driver.

This is not the correct thing to do. That is known as 'fronting' and is illegal.

There is nothing to stop your fully qualified friend buying a car, insuring it and having you as a named driver - as long as your friend will be the main driver.

If in fact, you are going to be the main driver then that won't work.

beechwood55

Galbin wrote: »

. I do have fully licenced drivers to practice with, but no access to a car. .

Do these fully licenced drivers have you as a named driver on their policies?
Or do they assume that because they are insured and give you permission to drive their car (hopefully accompanying you), then that means that you are insured also???

islandlady

Would you be willing to learn in an instructors car? I know you'd have to pay each time you use the car but if you did your 12 lessons (assuming you need to do EDT) once a week for 12 weeks and few additional lessons this would give you the opportunity to practice and perhaps in three months another soloution may be available?

Galbin

Yes, but I am asking about the technicalities of us actually *sharing* the car? As in she has it half the week, and I have it the other half? Or is that not possible, since I am a learner?

I have done well beyond the EDT lessons. I am always flummoxed by people who only do a few lessons. I suppose such folks are lucky enough to have a main driver in their lives.

I failed my test because I made the same Grade 2 mistake a few times, and he hammered me on it over and over. I have now lost a lot of my confidence (even spilling onto stuff I am good at like the manoeuvres), so need the practice. It sure seems like there is no support for somebody in my situation. Someone with disabilities who is also unemployed because the vast majority of jobs in their sector require a licence*, but who due to being unemployed cannot afford the exorbitant cost of main driver insurance. It's also not set up for someone who lost their parents at a young age. People may be supportive, but at the end of the day only your partner or immediate family will put you as a named driver on their car.

I have not been driving any car where I am not uninsured. I wouldn't risk that! The trouble is the only car I am insured on belongs to a relative living hours and hours away. So I don't get to practice it regularly. The drivers I can practice with are not people who have me on their car. They simply sit with me as I practice.

*I deliberately trained for this sector because it works well with my disabilities, but I didn’t know it also required a licence.

bisset

Don't forget it is illegal to drive unaccompanied unless you have a full licence.

Galbin

Not sure why my question about insurance is eliciting warnings about the perils of driving alone. I don't drive alone. As I said, I have people to practice with, but since they are not immediate family I am not a named driver on their vehicles. I have learned that only relatives or extremely close friends will put you as a named driver on their car. Hence, my friend and I wanted to help each other out by sharing a car.

Hey! I said hey!

I'm having similar problems - only learning to drive in my thirties and don't have access to a car to practise in or a fully qualified person to practise with. I've been doing weekly lessons for a long time now but 45 minutes once a week is just not enough to learn the skills and build up confidence to go it alone

Galbin

Hey! I said hey! wrote: »

I'm having similar problems - only learning to drive in my thirties and don't have access to a car to practise in or a fully qualified person to practise with. I've been doing weekly lessons for a long time now but 45 minutes once a week is just not enough to learn the skills and build up confidence to go it alone

No, it's absolutely not enough in this country, anyway. This is why the people I know who passed first time are a) people who have a partner or parent to practice daily with, and/or b) people who had been driving to/from work, with sponsors/friends etc. for years as learners.

I actually learned so much and gained so much confidence during the week I had my relative's car (upon which I am a named driver), as I drove for hours every day. However, it's her car and she needs it.

I too am in my 30s. The cheapest insurance I can get seems to be about 2500. No way could I afford that and a car! My friend said it used to be 30% of that when she was learning. So it meant she could buy a car and get plenty of practice in.

beechwood55

Galbin wrote: »

The drivers I can practice with are not people who have me on their car. They simply sit with me as I practice.

Sorry to harp on about this but are you driving in their car?
Do you realise that if that is the case then you are not insured? Even with them being in the car with you.

beechwood55

Galbin wrote: »

I actually learned so much and gained so much confidence during the week I had my relative's car (upon which I am a named driver), as I drove for hours every day. However, it's her car and she needs it.

Again apologies for harping on but did you have a qualified driver with you? (It's not clear from your post if you did).

Galbin

As I said above, I borrowed the car from my relative (who lives hours and hours away) for a week. I am a named driver on her car. Thus, I am fully insured on that car. The people who sat beside me while I practiced were simply accompanying me as I practiced. I do not have that car regularly at all, as it belongs to my relative and she needs it.

This doesn't really have much to do with my question about whether my friend and I can buy a car to share though.

In summation:

1) I need practice to pass a test in my local centre, which consistently has one of the lowest pass rates in the country every year.

2) I borrowed a relative's car to practice in a week before my first test. I am a named driver on her car. She lives hours away, though. So I can't use her car every week or even every month. During that time, I practiced for hours in the car every day with fully qualified drivers. They will sit with me, but they won't put me on their car, as IME only a partner or relative will do that.

3) I wondered if I could share a car with my friend who has a full licence. By sharing, I mean I would have it 50% of the time, as would she.

beechwood55

Galbin wrote:

.

I wondered if I could share a car with my friend who has a full licence. By sharing, I mean I would have it 50% of the time, as would she.

I think that is a question that only the insurance company could answer.