Car insurance and US licence

buzzing147

Hi just wondering, my car insurance is fully comprehensive, other drivers are allowed to drive it providing they have a policy.

Would a person with a US licence and a policy in America, be allowed to drive my vehicle?

Or does this rule only apply to Irish licence holders?

Cheers

uck51js9zml2yt

buzzing147 wrote: »

Hi just wondering, my car insurance is fully comprehensive, other drivers are allowed to drive it providing they have a policy.

Would a person with a US licence and a policy in America, be allowed to drive my vehicle?

Or does this rule only apply to Irish licence holders?

Cheers

If memory serves, they are classed as a provisional driver here.
Open to correction.

buzzing147

Edward Melodic Trap wrote: »

If memory serves, they are classed as a provisional driver here.
Open to correction.

Yea but in order for them to get full licence they have to go through the full theory test and lessons carry on then pass test etc...hard to figure out

CiniO

buzzing147 wrote: »

Hi just wondering, my car insurance is fully comprehensive, other drivers are allowed to drive it providing they have a policy.



Cheers

I think you got a bit mixed up here.
I don't think there's any insurer which is offering open policy on condition that person driving holds their own policy. Makes no sense.

biko

What company is it with?
Did you check your T&C's?

buzzing147

CiniO wrote: »

I think you got a bit mixed up here.
I don't think there's any insurer which is offering open policy on condition that person driving holds their own policy. Makes no sense.

Any driver can drive my car providing he-she has a full licence and is insured on they're own car. Does that make sense!?

CiniO

buzzing147 wrote: »

Any driver can drive my car providing he-she has a full licence and is insured on they're own car. Does that make sense!?

No, it doesn't really.

Would you be able to tell us which insurer are you with?

Cows Go µ

buzzing147 wrote: »

Any driver can drive my car providing he-she has a full licence and is insured on they're own car. Does that make sense!?

It sounds very unusual. Most policies (but not all) come with driving with other vehicles which means you can drive other vehicles, normally with third party cover but some insurers offer comprehensive. You can request open driving which means that anyone with a full licence (and normally aged between 25 - 70) can drive your car under your policy. Whether they are insured or not is of no consequence.

Open driving wouldn't be particularly common for private cars as it generally costs extra and it generally works out cheaper just to name people on the policy unless there are a large number of people using the car in the right age range - for instance an elderly driver who prefers to let their children to do the driving.

tcawley29

buzzing147 wrote: »

Any driver can drive my car providing he-she has a full licence and is insured on they're own car. Does that make sense!?

I think you're mixing this up with the driving of other cars where you may drive another person's car (not a spouse's) as long as it has it's own insurance and is roadworthy and you have the owners permission.

What company are you with OP?

jmreire

buzzing147 wrote: »

Yea but in order for them to get full licence they have to go through the full theory test and lessons carry on then pass test etc...hard to figure out

Very strange this American driving licence issue...was listening to the radio last week, where a guy was outlining the problems associated with returning to Ireland to live and work, and ( aside from the obvious housing problems) he mentioned the motor insurance problem, especially for some one with an American driving licence. When he queried why the licence was a problem, he was told that the Irish licence and test was superior to the American one....so he made the point if that was the case, how come thousands and thousands of Americans arrive at Irish Airport's each year, and are allowed to drive on Irish roads... supposedly on an "Inferior " licence.. Just sayin…

buzzing147

jmreire wrote: »

Very strange this American driving licence issue...was listening to the radio last week, where a guy was outlining the problems associated with returning to Ireland to live and work, and ( aside from the obvious housing problems) he mentioned the motor insurance problem, especially for some one with an American driving licence. When he queried why the licence was a problem, he was told that the Irish licence and test was superior to the American one....so he made the point if that was the case, how come thousands and thousands of Americans arrive at Irish Airport's each year, and are allowed to drive on Irish roads... supposedly on an "Inferior " licence.. Just sayin…

Yea crazy, I've a relative home, owns a car here, born in Ireland, has full USA licence and 20 years no claims, got insured last year but supposedly can't now, because the one year insurance is up, and now has to apply for theory test and 12 lessons but, hasn't got that time allocation, because only home for 1 month.

Then you get people who come from Nigeria etc and can exchange they're licence to Irish licence.

Would Ireland call Nigeria for help if a war broke out?

Are there Nigerian companies here employing Irish people?

Strange rule that USA licences aren't recognized here.

jmreire

buzzing147 wrote: »

Yea crazy, I've a relative home, owns a car here, born in Ireland, has full USA licence and 20 years no claims, got insured last year but supposedly can't now, because the one year insurance is up, and now has to apply for theory test and 12 lessons but, hasn't got that time allocation, because only home for 1 month.

Then you get people who come from Nigeria etc and can exchange they're licence to Irish licence.

Would Ireland call Nigeria for help if a war broke out?

Are there Nigerian companies here employing Irish people?

Strange rule that USA licences aren't recognized here.

I think that any person from the EU can drive in any EU country , and can exchange his original licence for Irish licence. ( Or Vice versa) But now, due to the high level of "foreign but EU" drivers having accidents here, the insurance are asking in their questionnaire, "where did the driving test take place, and when" so while this concerns the Insurance, it still allows any EU citizen to exchange his driving Licence....but it seems that this curtesy does not apply to the "inferior" American Licence.... Strange indeed.:rolleyes:

tcawley29

One thing I will say is that the driving test is a lot easier in the states compared to Ireland.

My one took 9 minutes start to finish and I passed. If you fail in the states then you really shouldn't be allowed to drive at all to be honest as its very hard to mess up

tcawley29

tcawley29 wrote: »

One thing I will say is that the driving test is a lot easier in the states compared to Ireland.

My one took 9 minutes start to finish and I passed. If you fail in the states then you really shouldn't be allowed to drive at all to be honest as its very hard to mess up

Many states will only ask you to do a theory test also if you have an eu licence. I know someone who moved over recently and this is what happened, eye test and theory test but no driving test and they got us licence.They kept their eu licence also to ensure they have no issues when they visit Home.

tcawley29

Brooklyn Cool Fingertip wrote: »

Many states will only ask you to do a theory test also if you have an eu licence. I know someone who moved over recently and this is what happened, eye test and theory test but no driving test and they got us licence.They kept their eu licence also to ensure they have no issues when they visit Home.

Would have been a lot handier if they had that in New York :pac:

Igotadose

jmreire wrote: »

Very strange this American driving licence issue...was listening to the radio last week, where a guy was outlining the problems associated with returning to Ireland to live and work, and ( aside from the obvious housing problems) he mentioned the motor insurance problem, especially for some one with an American driving licence. When he queried why the licence was a problem, he was told that the Irish licence and test was superior to the American one....so he made the point if that was the case, how come thousands and thousands of Americans arrive at Irish Airport's each year, and are allowed to drive on Irish roads... supposedly on an "Inferior " licence.. Just sayin…

Because it's not permanent.

If you move here from the US you can get insurance for 1 year on a US license. At that point, you are no longer eligible, you then need to get the Irish license (theory test, lessons, road test.) Otherwise you can, of course, take your chances and drive without insurance, though that'd be on you should you have a problem. Might even be subject to legal penalty (driving without insurance.)
Not all Irish insurance companies offer the 1 year insurance thing, either, you should shop around.

This all assumes you're staying for a year, that's unusual unless you have a work visa or whatever. In my case, having married an Irish citizen and moved here, I had a year to get an Irish driving license. It. Was. Challenging.

Once I got my license, I was eligible for whatever Irish insurance I got.

As for comparing licenses, driving license testing in the US is *per state* and they all have their own rules and regulations. Some tests are notoriously easier to pass than others (midwest states esp. are easier than northeast/big city areas.)

The US does NOT have a reciprocal relationship with Ireland viz. driving licenses - Ireland would need 50, one with each state.

TeaBagMania

jmreire wrote: »

how come thousands and thousands of Americans arrive at Irish Airport's each year, and are allowed to drive on Irish roads... supposedly on an "Inferior " licence.. Just sayin…

and we pay for it too... when I holiday in Ireland its always for a minimum of two weeks and the average car hire insurance (full cover) cost is between 500-900 euro, mind you this is for a 1L French ****e box of a car