Other New Insurance Rules (new to me) on comprehensive cover

[Deleted member 126251]

I wanted to take my son's new car for a test drive and found I am not insured to drive his car.

I have fully comprehensive insurance on 2 cars (mine and my wife) but, I am not covered to drive other cars. I checked with MB insurance and unless I am named on a policy, only 3rd party cover is provided.

He (my son) is selling a car and it has become an issue with potential buyers wanting to test drive the car he is selling.

I have noted that you can buy temporary comprehensive cover from the RAC (and I assume others) to test drive cars etc!

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I don't think that is new.

 

[Deletedmember130310]

Always been the case that your comp policy only provides 3rd party on other vehicles.

 

[219]

Yes , it is normally the case that your ‘driving other cars’ extension provides third party cover only .

Although I did have a driving instructor friend who had a policy giving him fully comprehensive cover on any car , and some motor trade policies may offer this too .

One thing to be wary of , and you need to examine the wording of your policy .

With some insurers , to use the ‘driving other cars’ extension , the ‘other car’ must have insurance in its own right .

Not all insurers require this , but some do , and for this to be effective it must be stated in your policy documents .

If your documents are silent on this matter , then cover cannot be excluded .

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I am surprised as I've always thought that as long as I was insured, I could drive any car - e.g. test drive a (private) used car before I buy.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[flowrider]

I am surprised as I've always thought that as long as I was insured, I could drive any car - e.g. test drive a (private) used car before I buy.

Thanks for the feedback.

You can drive a car on your policy but only on 3rd party cover and only if the other vehicle is already insured.

 

[ph47mf]

I am surprised as I've always thought that as long as I was insured, I could drive any car - e.g. test drive a (private) used car before I buy.

Thanks for the feedback.

so you can just go off and drive a ferrari?

to enable you to drive any cars you would probably need a trade insurance like myself but it's pricey and there are a lot of rules in the small print.

 

[brucemillar]

This has always been the case (I believe).

Certainly with Adrian Flux it is. My Daughter just purchased a new car and did not trust herself to drive it home in the snow around London in the rush hour. I volunteered. Called Adrian Flux to be told that (as above).

1) the car has to be insured for me to drive it. That is down to the dealer/seller or my Daughter (the registered keeper)

2). I can then drive it on my Fully Comp Policy but on TPFT

In her case the dealer had it insured on his trade policy. Do no issue.


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[Deleted member 6183]

so you can just go off and drive a ferrari?

The policy is unlikely to specify which cars can be driven.

 

[jpwilliams]

I wanted to take my son's new car for a test drive and found I am not insured to drive his car.

I have fully comprehensive insurance on 2 cars (mine and my wife) but, I am not covered to drive other cars. I checked with MB insurance and unless I am named on a policy, only 3rd party cover is provided.

He (my son) is selling a car and it has become an issue with potential buyers wanting to test drive the car he is selling.

I have noted that you can buy temporary comprehensive cover from the RAC (and I assume others) to test drive cars etc!

So you were insured.....just not as comprensively as you thought?

 

[Yugguy]

Yes you can drive any other car as long as it already has insurance, and you will be covered for an accident where the 3rd-party is to blame. You will not be covered if it is your fault. This has been the case for many years.

TBH it's only really useful for a quick test drive. If you are going to be a regular driver you need to be named.

 

[whitenemesis]

Must admit to thinking third party cover meant the insurance would only pay for damages caused to a ''third party" i.e. not the vehicle you were driving.
If you are not to blame then the third party's insurance would pay for any damages to the car you are driving.

 

[geraldrobins]

Yes you can drive any other car as long as it already has insurance, and you will be covered for an accident where the 3rd-party is to blame. You will not be covered if it is your fault. This has been the case for many years.

TBH it's only really useful for a quick test drive. If you are going to be a regular driver you need to be named.

Surely the driver is covered against claims by the third party in the event of the driver being at fault?

 

[brucemillar]

Surely the driver is covered against claims by the third party in the event of the driver being at fault?

The issue there being who dies injured part claim against? If you have no insurance, you can just disappear.


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[Dryce]

Yes you can drive any other car as long as it already has insurance, and you will be covered for an accident where the 3rd-party is to blame. You will not be covered if it is your fault. This has been the case for many years.

You are only insured against claims from 3rd parties.

That means that damage to the vehicle is not covered unless there is another party involved and you can claim against them.

And these days an increasing number of policies do not provide this default cover to allow you to drive another vehicle. If they do then the restrictions are typically (a) the vehicle does not belong to you, (b) it is privately owned, (c) is not hired or rented to you, and (d) it is already covered by another insurance policy.

As a general rule ever assume you are covered for driving other vehicle - read the small print on your policy and do your dilligence.

 

[Scooby_Doo]

One BIG point - for a good few years now not all fully comp policies allow you to drive "another car" with your policy with third party cover. YOU NEED TO CHECK YOUR CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE to see that it actually states that you can

 

[400ixl]

Yep, you need to check your specific policy to see if you are covered even for 3rd party use of another vehicle. Many don't anymore, or have age limit restrictions.

As someone mentioned earlier, the vehicle has to also have a policy of its own as well before you are covered with yours. The second you step out of that vehicle, the cover falls back to the default policy, not yours. So has to be insured or SORN'd from that second.

There is no fire or theft cover included in that 3rd party cover either.

 

[zoros]

Most (not all) insurance companies allow you to drive other cars - with restrictions:

3rd party ONLY (not fire or theft).
Permission of that car owner.
That 3rd party car must be insured in its own right.
The car you are driving (other than your own) must not be hired, leased or owned by you.


Surely (and I'm guessing someone will tell me why not) wouldn't it be far easier to insure the person?
The rider being that they simply list all the cars they think they will be driving when they initially apply and the insurance company can decide on an appropriate premium?
If a car outside this group comes along, then you ring the company up and negotiate a price.

 

[del320]

As everybody has said - third party cover only, it's always been so.

I've been thrown the keys to many a car over the past fifty odd years and the only condition attaching has been: "if you bend it, you mend it".

Surely you've all heard of that?

 

[190]

Surely (and I'm guessing someone will tell me why not) wouldn't it be far easier to insure the person?

Riders policies which did just that were once popular with motorcyclists. They only made sense if you were insuring a fast bike as they were priced on the assumption you would be. I'm not sure if they are still available.