Nonsure rescue

In a recent British ‘police reality’ TV show a driver was stopped, because his car came back as No Insurance. The police told him why they stopped him. The driver said I've got Comprehensive Insurance and I’m driving a car not owned by me thirds party with the owners consent. The Police then told him that because the car was not insured in its own right he could not drive it 3rd party on his comprehensive insurance. He was fined £200 with 6 points. Nobody I have spoken to thought this was the law.

Asked on 20 February 2010 by A.W., via e-mail

Answered by Honest John
If you have trade insurance that covers any car, then you are insured to drive any car whether it is itself insured or not, but if that car remains in your possession for more than a few days you have to notify your insurer and have it registered on the Motor Insurers Database. Some comprehensive policies used to insure the holder to drive other cars not owned by him third party. Some now restrict this concession to insured cars only. But, as part of the move towards continuous insurance, the concession is now heavily restricted or being removed from policies entirely.
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