Can't drive - can I get son insured as named driver

Esho

My wife can't drive for medical reasons, but has a full license, insurance and no claims.

Is it possible for her to take out insurance to get our son,as a named driver ?

He is on his first provisional, so he could drive her round and she would be the accompanying driver, but would not drive?

Del2005

That's fronting and not allowed. Your son will have to be the main driver.

Boxcar_Willie

that’s called “fronting” and its illegal.

GTTDI GOD

Is your wife not driving for a temporary measure or would it be more permanent? If it’s more permanent, it would be questioned, but if it’s temporary I couldn’t see a problem

JVince

Aside from fronting, she would be taking insurance out knowing she is medically unfit to drive - that in itself would render the insurance void.

And as she is currently medically unable to drive, she would not be fit as the "accompanying " person.

If however the medical reason was temporary and she was possibly able to drive a short distance without difficulty, then a case could be had.

But remember, if your son drove unaccompanied and was stopped, the car would be seized

mikewest

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121976171#Comment_121976171

Please explain how him driving her around in her own car is fronting and illegal.

mickdw

IT would need to be declared that she is the owner and that the only driver would be the son. That would then allow insurers to charge suitable premium having all the info to hand.

Eggs For Dinner

You need to clarify your statement that she has insurance, yet wants to take out insurance. Is this a 2nd vehicle or just adding your son to her policy?

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121976250#Comment_121976250

Insurance premiums are based on the main driver. The son is the main driver not the mother. Fronting is when someone other than the main driver takes out insurance.

Esho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121977301#Comment_121977301

She's been off the road for a year and her no claims lapses next month. Wondering if it is worth renewing.

She won't be declared fit to drive in the foreseeable.

From the comments, it looks like a big no

Esho

Thanks all, never heard of fronting before.

In any case, not giving the insurance company all info would invalidate the polic

y

coylemj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978712#Comment_121978712

In the policy assumptions (with Axa it's in the 'statement of fact') it will typically say that the policyholder ('the insured') is the main driver of the car. That will clearly not be the case so she has no business renewing an existing policy or taking out a new policy (in her name) to include the son as a named driver.

XsApollo

how is this fronting?
she already has insurance? And people are perfectly entitled to have insurance to keep their no claims even if they don’t use the car.

It’s not fronting, for sure your wife can get insurance and get her son named on the car , to use for driving while she the full licensed drive is in the car.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121979911#Comment_121979911

She isn't medically fit to drive, so would have to outright lie to renew anyway.

The main driver of a car has to be the first on the list; as their risk and experience is what the main bulk of the cost is based on.

She isn't even able to be the fully licenced driver - you need to be able to take over.

Your advice is terrible.

Furze99

But the OP doesn't say that she is renewing, just that she has insurance in place. It reads that this is for the purpose of practice while the son does the lessons and with her in the passenger seat etc. Which is a little different from the normal situation with 'fronting' and the younger (qualified) driver just out on their own. Not exactly as clear cut as made out, best to call her insurance company and talk to them.

coylemj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121980279#Comment_121980279

There is some confusion in the information supplied by the OP.

In his first post, he says that the lady has 'a full license, insurance and no claims'. Then, in post #10, he says that 'her no claims lapses next month'. That second statement suggests that she has no policy in place and hasn't had one for more than a year such that if she doesn't take out a new policy by next month at the latest, she will lose her NCB.

Either way, if she can't drive then she has no business either renewing or taking out a new policy.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121979911#Comment_121979911

There is no problem with her renewing her insurance and no one driving the car, if the car is valuable it's a good idea to do this.

The problem comes from renewing the policy with her as the main driver and the son as a named driver when the son is the only driver.

on_the_roots

The definition of "main driver" is quite difficult in some cases, and may change throughout the insurance policy.

I can add my son as a named driver in my policy, but eventually (say for a couple of months) my son might drive the car much more often than me. Then it might change later, and vice-versa. Who is actually the "main" and the "second" driver here? Not even the person might be able to tell you! This is particularly typical with husband/wife as drivers of the same car.

What would an insurance company do in case of a claim made by the named driver on the policy? How are they going to investigate how often the named driver uses the car? To me this is simply practically impossible.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993785#Comment_121993785

The OPs wife can't drive so she can't be the main driver.

on_the_roots

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121996462#Comment_121996462

I know, maybe I'm in the wrong thread but it was more like a wide question.

Eggs For Dinner

If the OPs wife goes to take out a policy, she will be asked questions relating to medical conditions affecting her ability to drive. If answered correctly, cover will be declined, so the issue of adding a driver is irrelevant

galwaytt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121998029#Comment_121998029

yes, but probably won't be asked those if she just renews……….

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122005925#Comment_122005925

Would be breaching the policy rules by not informing them of the rather critical change.

Eggs For Dinner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122005925#Comment_122005925

She has gone beyond renewal, but the duty to disclose revives at renewal regardless

con747

If the OP's wife has a valid policy and lets it lapse they have 2 years to renew before the no claims bonus expires AFAIK.