Hello all,
My son has left his car with me whilst he is working abroad for 2 years. My insurance allows me to drive cars not owned by me albeit at third party only. My son's insurance has run out but the car has road tax and a mot certificate.
Am I allowed to drive it? I seem to get the impression from 'others' that as the OWNER does not currently have insurance cover on the car, it cannot be driven on the public roads.
If this is the case, how is it different for me to drive the car with third party cover as opposed to the registered driver driving it with the like cover! I accept that the car is not covered and will need insurance to renew road tax in the future. I cannot keep the car in good condition stored off the road.
Any advise most welcome and thank you for replying.
Confused Martin.
|
I seem to get the impression from 'others' that as the OWNER does not currently have insurance cover on the car, it cannot be driven on the public roads.
Kind of. If the vehicle isn't covered by its own policy, the "any vehicle" cover on your main policy doesn't apply. This clause was designed to prevent people from buying and insuring a low group car, and then using their any vehicle cover to drive around in a high group car.
Cheers
DP
|
>>If the vehicle isn't covered by its own policy, the "any vehicle" cover on your main policy doesn't apply
Wrong. There is no legally required condition of insurance of the vehicle in its own right although an individual insurer may make that part of their policy Ts&Cs. Even then you would still be legally insured although as in breach of the conditions the insurer could recover their losses from you.
Read the thread mentioned above reading carefully what ComponentPart has to say on the subject. I haven't read it bit by bit, but as far as I have read his notes it would seem that he is exactly correct in what he says.
Bear in mind also DVD's comments about when a vehicle is in use.
|
although an individual insurer may make that part of their policy Ts&Cs. Even then you would still be legally insured although as in breach of the conditions the insurer could recover their losses from you.
You'd have to be pretty stupid to flout the T's and C's of your policy whether the clause was legally binding or not.
I was discussing this with my father a few weeks ago, as he wanted to drive my mum's old car (which has been laying up for a few months and has no cover on it) to a mate's place for storage, but was categorically told by his insurer that the any vehicle cover would not apply because the car was otherwise uninsured.
I checked my last three car policies (all from different insurers), plus the bike policy, and all have the same clause. If it's condition of individual insurers, it's not a rare one.
Cheers
DP
|
|
|
|
|
My son has left his car with me whilst he is working abroad for 2 years.
I have recently finished baby minding a car for a year for my offspring.
My son's insurance has run out but the car has road tax and a mot certificate. I cannot keep the car in good condition stored off the road.
>>
Footman James provided a limited mileage (1500 p a) insurance which was not expensive and allowed me to have 100 miles a month to keep it warm and 500 holiday mileage when offspring came home for a holiday part way through the work contract.
|
In Short, if the vehicle has not got its own insurance and you had a bump you would be in trouble regardless of the fact you are insured to drive other cars as third party only.
In short - dont drive it until its insured!
Regards
Alan
|
|
|
As mentioned this has been discussed on here, and on other forums ad nauseum....
Though still some people feel the need to say 'no its never allowed'... Not all insurers stipulate in the T&Cs that the vehicle has to have seperate insurance. If yours doesnt say this, then you are allowed to drive an otherwise uninsured vehicle on your policy, providing you obey the other T&Cs (e.g. roadworthy vehicle, correct valid license for the category of vehicle etc.).
There is however a side issue of keeping a vehicle on the public roads without insurance. The general consensus on this is if you were driving it on your DOC cover, and you were the last one to drive it and you parked it, then you can say your insurance covers it. This really is a grey area, though because DOC is just that "_driving_ other cars", not parking them and leaving them on the roads. Don't think this has been tested, though if the uninsured car you leave parked rolls into another car and causes damage, you might find youself being the one to find out.
|
As I argued in the previous thread, check your T&Cs or even ring up (bearing in mind that the person you speak to will not be a legal bod with the insurance company and may well not understand the question). If the T&Cs say the 'other car' needs to be insured in it's own right, then that's the way it is. If it doesn't mention it (I bet you £10 it doesn't) then you will be fine to drive.
This kind of situation is exactly what the 'driving other cars' clause is designed for. The only thing I'd be careful of is using it too much-if you effectively became the 'owner' or 'main user' doing 10000miles a year, you could have a legal problem. But whilst you're looking after the car, taking on the odd run, using it for the odd journey, taking it for fuel because you're looking after it for your son, then that would be fine I'm sure. Just remember to park it off the road whilst you are not using it.
|
"The only thing I'd be careful of is using it too much-if you effectively became the 'owner' or 'main user' doing 10000miles a year, you could have a legal problem. "
How would anyone know how often you are using the car?
I have recently taken out a European Breakdown policy and it states that I am covered for a year but a maximum of 90 days abroad and no more than 21 days in one single trip. Now I am an upstanding law abiding person (well most of the time anyway...) but if one wanted to be devious, how would the insurance company know how many trips I make to France each year?
|
|
|
|
|
