Can you test drive an uninsured car if ...

protexblue

..your own insurance policy allows you to drive other cars that aren't yours.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058392267/can-you-test-drive-an-uninsured-car-if

it depends on the policy so read the exact wording. but probably not

User1998

Check the terms of condition of your insurance policy. No one here can advise you correctly

Ian OB

AFAIK there has to be some sort of a policy on the other car, and you can't have a beneficial interest in it.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123114735#Comment_123114735

That's very much dependant on your own insurer's terms and conditions, my cover for instance allows me to drive any other car in Ireland or the UK so long as I have the owner's permission, and the car is not owned by me or my employer. There is no requirement for the owner of the car to have a policy on it.

kil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123114854#Comment_123114854

My policy (AIG) also says this. I was tasked with selling my father in law's (uninsured) car last year - I was told I could drive it with 3rd party cover as long as it had NCT, was 2L or less in engine size and I had the owners permission

ELM327

Mine is the same, any car no restriction once I have a license for it.

L1011

The number of policies I've seen requiring the car to be insured is increasing, and I'm even aware of some insurers - Zurich - where it's policy dependent. So you absolutely have to check your own policy documents

My own policy has an engine size limit of "2 litres or equivalent to your own, whichever is highest" which is clear as mud when it comes to EVs.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123115251#Comment_123115251

I can understand the engine limit, in our system we generally insure the owner and driver of the vehicle not the vehicle itself. It makes sense that if an insurer is willing to insure you for a given level of vehicle that you aren't then covered for a much more powerful vehicle that isn't owned by you.

The other requirement for the vehicle to have cover doesn't make much sense to me. My insurance cover only allows me and my named driver(s) to drive my car under my cover.

If a third party is driving my car under their driving other cars cover they would not be able to make a claim under my insurance as I don't have open driving, the claim would have to be made under their insurance.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123115251#Comment_123115251

For sure, you need to check your own policy schedule etc.

protexblue

Anyway: now owner of a pretty pristine 2016 IS300h (per Lexus subbie)

The pick originated in the bone fides, demeanour, ability to meet your eyes when asking penetrating question, decent parents who invited me into their home .. of the seller.

The formal check turned out to be a formality.

A high end salesman told me once: people buy off people.

And so it was

Lenar3556

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123115580#Comment_123115580

Stipulating that the other vehicle needs to have an active policy tends to lower the risk to the insurer.

It will be more difficult for an individual seeking to use the provision to circumvent insuring a car which would otherwise be very expensive to insure. I.e insure one car which attracts a low premium and drive another simply registered in someone else’s name.

It also gives some assurance that the other car is ‘on the road’ and is more likely to be roadworthy.

coylemj

The requirement that the car you borrow has a policy of it's own is to get around the problem of 'fronting'.

You buy a secondhand Nissan Micra and insure it in your own name, your policy allows 'driving other cars'.

You buy a BMW M5 and register it in the name of your neighbour, you drive it daily. If you're involved in a crash and there's a claim, you say that you only borrowed it once a month or so.

That's why more and more insurance companies are insisting that there is a policy in force (in someone else's name) on the car that you borrow.

kirving

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123115251#Comment_123115251

I specifically asked may insurer about limits on driving EV's and they said there were no limits on power - this of course may vary.

My Driving Other Cars (Fully Comp) was also limited to 2.0L, even though my car at the time was 2.1L, and some of 2.0 cars have more power.

I guess there are always exceptions to rules, and if they got into horsepower limits, the next question would be on power to weigh ratios. At some point or other, the actuaries need to simplify their models.

coylemj

There can be two restrictions in policy documents relating to driving other cars (DOC).

1. For third party DOC cover, there usually is no restriction other than the usual stuff about you not owning the car and it's not rented. But sometimes there can be a limit on the engine size. Drive a car with a bigger engine and you'll need to be covered by the owner's policy - he will need to have 'open driving'.
2. If you have fully comp. cover for DOC, there can be a limit on the car's c.c. Drive a car with a bigger engine and you will have TP cover only. Or there may be a limit on the value of the car and this will place a cap on how much you can claim if you borrow a car and drive it into an immovable object.

rugbyman

Hello all. I am of the belief ,certain in my case, that no cover is needed on the borrowed car. This has been agreed by several posters. I fully accept that L1011

Has seen some that he believes are different..but can I ask again did it actually SAY this.

We had a run in with the Guards today.my question is what info can the Guard using the on board computer see. In this case he agreed the driver had his own insurance,on his own car at home, but that this did not cover DOC.I don't imagine it gives that info. It was wrong in any case ,the cert shows this.

Either the Guard was wrong, or somehow the wrong info was in the system.

To repeat ,can the Garda computer tell if DOC cover exists

Thanks

L1011,used r ead your knowledgeable posts on Aviation!

kirving

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123165541#Comment_123165541

I would be incredibly surprised if the Garda database showed detail around policy restrictions around driving other cars, for the simple reason that any insurer I've been with has worded in a slightly different format.

Did the Garda show on their screen that you/someone wasn't insured? Did they sieze the car?

Lenar3556

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123165541#Comment_123165541

Whether you are covered to drive other cars depends on the particular policy. Some do, some don’t, some do but with special terms. The driver needs to carefully check in advance.

The standard Aviva terms for example have no fewer than 10 special conditions associated with driving other cars and one of them is that the other car has an active insurance policy in force at the time of driving.

The Garda computer system as I understand it only provides basic data around vehicles which have an active policy and drivers who are covered. But I wouldn’t be too concerned about this, it’s just a tool that the Garda use to help identify cases where there may be an issue with insurance so they can best direct resources.

Ultimately the responsibility is for the driver of a car to ensure that they are insured to drive and are in a position to produce a certificate of insurance that covers them at the time of driving.

rugbyman

Kirving, thanks for your reply.

Apart from any restrictions on DOC, my question is does the computer giv ANY indication of DOC, I suspect not(based on nothing)

The Garda ,hearing that the driver had a car of his own, keyed in that reg no. And stated that ,yes ,he has insurance but no DOC. They did not show the screen.the driver DOES have DOC. He did not have the policy ,showing this ,with him.

Another point ,in your case Kirving, did your policy state the engine size restriction in writing or did you find this out by asking?

Regards

kirving

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123165646#Comment_123165646

The policy showed the engine size restriction, yes.

User1998

As usual this is such a pointless thread. No two insurance policy’s are the same. If you want the answer you need to read the terms & conditions of YOUR OWN insurance policy.