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insurance companies drop DOC

ckember

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Feb 9, 2005
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GLC 350d AMG Premium plus
Auto express today had a little article which states that

Norwich Union will drop the DOC "Drive Other Cars" from their comprehensive cover. This will mean that if you have comp cover you will not get the third party only cover on any other car you drive.

This will take affect on new policies from Jan 2006.

They say this is to stop people paying for insurance on a cheap car(ie a focus) and then driving an expensive one (clk)all the time, The police are apparently backing this action. At this time it is not known if other insurers will follow suit

As Norwich Union underwrite MB's own insurance I guess they will drop this cover to.
 
This is rubbish. Who in their right mind would drive the expensive car with third party only? Ok, it's "legal" but what a huge risk.

Personally I think that the way insurance here in the UK works is terrible. Over in Poland, for instance, you insure the car, not the driver. Third party insurance is compulsory, but is set at a standard rate by the government, based on the type and engine size of the car; it is illegal for an insurance company to charge more than this. Comprehensive cover is usually based on a percentage of the value of the car per year. The point is that *anyone* who drives your car is insured for it. If you want to drive a cheap car, you get cheap insurance. If you want an expensive car, you get expensive insurance. Funnily enough, there are almost no incidences of people driving around uninsured over in Poland.

-simon
 
SimonsMerc said:
This is rubbish. Who in their right mind would drive the expensive car with third party only? Ok, it's "legal" but what a huge risk.

Personally I think that the way insurance here in the UK works is terrible. Over in Poland, for instance, you insure the car, not the driver. Third party insurance is compulsory, but is set at a standard rate by the government, based on the type and engine size of the car; it is illegal for an insurance company to charge more than this. Comprehensive cover is usually based on a percentage of the value of the car per year. The point is that *anyone* who drives your car is insured for it. If you want to drive a cheap car, you get cheap insurance. If you want an expensive car, you get expensive insurance. Funnily enough, there are almost no incidences of people driving around uninsured over in Poland.

-simon


That makes a lot of sense. Surely with European free trade and all that we will be able to look over to Europe for our insurace??
 
Italy is very similar too, one isures a car, not a driver.

This said TmsShaun, yes it is possible, one of our cars (an Audi 80) is insured in italy, and funnily enough with full european cover (comprehensive) it costs less than insuring it in the UK.... we also don't get any speeding tickets on that car :P I'm currently checking if I can do the same with a car registered in the UK...
 
another money making scam..insure the car ...then comes personal accident cover for yourself ......and your family .....500 for your car and 150 for your family.......or there abouts
 
Seamster15 said:
So how do you tax the car if the insurance is not specifically for it ?

Im guessing what happens is :

a family owns 2 cars, one being a 1.0 vauhall and the other being a 3.2 merc.

You insure the vauxhall to your 17yr old son, and the merc to yourself. Your son can now drive your merc even though he isn't paying for the insurance on it...
 
Spinal said:
Im guessing what happens is :

a family owns 2 cars, one being a 1.0 vauhall and the other being a 3.2 merc.

You insure the vauxhall to your 17yr old son, and the merc to yourself. Your son can now drive your merc even though he isn't paying for the insurance on it...
Yes, but if your son writes off the merc, you lose 35k's worth of car without any insurance, no? Or am I missing something here?

Oh ok I guess it could be used to insure a really old car with a big engine, which you'd only insure 3rd party anyways. But remember you have to get comprehensive on the 1.0 vauxhall, which is probably going to be a similar price to 3rd party on the merc - why not just insure the merc?

-simon
 
In most cases you're not entitled to drive other cars until you're 25+ so that's the 17 year olds out of the way.

If you check the policy it also states that you aren't covered by that policy to drive any other cars you own, only cars owned by other people with their permission.
 
Shude said:
In most cases you're not entitled to drive other cars until you're 25+ so that's the 17 year olds out of the way.

If you check the policy it also states that you aren't covered by that policy to drive any other cars you own, only cars owned by other people with their permission.


The only company I know of and the may not do it any longer was CIS who let any age drive other cars if they were policy holder even if they were only insured third party on their vehicle.

Not sure I would let anone drive the C43 without the being fully comp its just not worth the risk.
 
Thmsshaun said:
Not sure I would let anone drive the C43 without the being fully comp its just not worth the risk.
I added Koolvin to my car's policy for a fortnight and also a friend who wanted to know what driving a Mercedes was like before buying one.

No increase in premium either time! :)
 
Shude said:
I added Koolvin to my car's policy for a fortnight and also a friend who wanted to know what driving a Mercedes was like before buying one.

No increase in premium either time! :)


Yeah that is the way I would do it.

Spinal said:
I'm currently checking if I can do the same with a car registered in the UK...

I am interested to know the outcome.
 
I have fully comp cover on my Merc, but if I want to occassionally drive my Daughters C2 I now have to be named on her insurance instead of being able to drive on Mine.

The idea behind DOC was to allow for this case in emergencies. Now Norwich Union have closed this and I will have to be named on hers which as she has female only insurance would put her premium up.

This is just a way for the Insurance companies of making more money!!!!!!!
 
This follows on from a report last year by the Department of Transport which recommended that the 'drive other cars' clause be phased out as part of the clampdown on uninsured drivers.

The Insurers did not argue very hard about that one!
 
Satch said:
This follows on from a report last year by the Department of Transport which recommended that the 'drive other cars' clause be phased out as part of the clampdown on uninsured drivers.

The Insurers did not argue very hard about that one!


But how does it clamp down on uninsure drivers :confused:


Quite like the route of the vehicle being insured not the driver.
 
This also means that I will no-longer be able to use my parents cars (usually helping them out!) because they have SAGA insurance and will never cover me on them.
 
One point that I'll consider - when adding another driver to my existing insurance policy, of a 'lower risk' factor than myself (eg older and wiser ;) ), it can bring the premium down.

AFAIK there is no clause on defining how much this driver should be using the stated vehicle, more of a case that the policy holder is the main user of the vehicle and not the other way round (such as in the case of a parent insuring a vehicle for their son/daughter when they are unlikely to drive it much)

I don't think that it will significantly reduce the amount of unisured drivers on the road, as you can't tax a vehicle that you don't own, using the DOC scheme? Anyway, if you were that bothered you'd just buy a car that's already taxed!

I also agree with Simon, who would routinely risk an expensive car with TP only cover? And if it's not worth much, why not insure it TPO which could be cheaper anyway?

Most younger drivers are also not included on the DOC scheme anyway, and if they wanted to just rule out the very small percentage of people who might drive a very powerful/high risk vehicle deliberately to abuse the DOC scheme they could put restrictions on what vehicles they can drive (eg by insurance group/CC or whatever - say 2.0 or IG15 etc?)

The way I see it is as a useful feature for 'emergancy use' such as when needing to drive someone who may be taken unwell in their own vehicle, or to move someone's car out of a parking space etc. The fact that it only covers you TP should be enough to make you drive extra-cautiously! ;)

Is there any mention if this reduction in service will be followed by an appropriate reduction in premium?

Oh well...

Will
 
next year I'm sure we'll be offered the option to pay for DOC by the insurers as though they're doing us all a favour.
 

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