Car insurance

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Sat 18 Feb 2017 10:49
Car insurance - RSFocus
Son just passed his driving practical test and we enquired with my wife's insurance company as to whether he could be included on her policy as a named driver. They said no.

Can you have more than one policy on a vehicle? Say if we got him a policy with another company solely for him as the main driver. Is it possible, or am I right that you can't?
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Sat 18 Feb 2017 10:59
Car insurance - RobJP

Do bear in mind that there is absolutely nothing preventing your wife from getting a quote from another company for an entirely new policy that covers her and your son, and then cancelling the existing policy mid-term to take out that new policy.

Deductions from any refund due for admin charges are usually very low, and will be detailed in the policy booklet.

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Sat 18 Feb 2017 11:04
Car insurance - SLO76
Nothing illegal about that unless you try to claim on both policies simultaneously for the same smash. Some insurers are a bit funny about it though so I'd call them and ask, they'll clear up their policy on this.

Hope it's not for an RS Focus?! Premium would be hilarious and his lifespan measured in minutes...
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Sat 18 Feb 2017 11:22
Car insurance - RT

Adding learners is usually quite cheap, as they're always supervised - the cost occurs when the pass their test and want to go on their own.

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Sat 18 Feb 2017 11:56
Car insurance - Miniman777

Insurance companies are trying to stamp down on 'fronting' and I suspect this is why they said no. Some companies are more twitchy than others, depending on the car. When adding the daughter to her insurance, wifey was quizzed in very strong terms about who would be the main driver, and they even did an Experian check to verify daughter who lived in London actually did so (we are 100 miles away) and to confirm we wern't fronting.

Now have a Cooper S convertible, but Ins Co wouldnt entertain her as named driver until 23, by which time she'd 6 years with full licence.

Far too many kids being given access to high performance cars they've no idea how to control, and we all read far too often of tragic accidents.

If OP's nickname of RSFocus is a hint of wife's car, hardly surprising computer said 'no'.

Edited by Miniman777 on 18/02/2017 at 12:08

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Sat 18 Feb 2017 13:10
Car insurance - RSFocus
We had a laugh at the RS comments!

Thanks guys, wife's car is only a 1.0 Fiesta. Probably cancel and try with someone else as it's up for renewal in April. If we had another policy alongside we wouldn't have claimed twice. But that kind of thing must confuse DVLA at VED time or for that matter old bill.

Bye the way Ive the new RS and would love to find out what it would be to add him. As was said, bet the computer would say no in big massive flashing red letters.
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Sat 18 Feb 2017 14:47
Car insurance - Bromptonaut

In similar circs to RS I was able to get cover for daughter and later son on my car and/or Mrs B's both for instruction and after they passed test.

Cars were a 2.0 HDi/110 Xantia and then a 1.8D Berlingo. Insurers were succesively Elephant, Admiral and LV. Premium went up from £275ish to £800+ though.

Several others refused to quote.

Even at 22 having son on there added 400+. I've now removed him as he has his own car and it's not worth that difference just for odd convenience use of mine.

And be prepared for him to do a bit of damage. Miss B scuffed a corner of the Xantia when a tractor bullied her into reversing off local horse/cart era bridge over River Nene.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 18/02/2017 at 14:50

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Sat 18 Feb 2017 18:37
Car insurance - Falkirk Bairn

Young drivers, newly passing their test are ba d news.

30 yrs ago - company car - any family member could drive car.

Director of company's 17 yr old drove his 3.5 litre Merc - killed himself & 3 other youngsters .

Within 2 days - edict was employee & spouse only with kids cover only if employee was a "supervising passenger"! eg drunk employee could not be a supervisor of young driver!

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Sat 18 Feb 2017 18:50
Car insurance - RT

Young drivers, newly passing their test are ba d news.

30 yrs ago - company car - any family member could drive car.

Director of company's 17 yr old drove his 3.5 litre Merc - killed himself & 3 other youngsters .

Within 2 days - edict was employee & spouse only with kids cover only if employee was a "supervising passenger"! eg drunk employee could not be a supervisor of young driver!

It wasn't uncommon for company insurance policies to restrict driving to 25 years old or over - at one of the companies I worked at it was usual to send junior, ie young, members of staff on company errands using one of the managers' cars until we were informed of the age limit.

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Sun 19 Feb 2017 07:50
Car insurance - Engineer Andy

Similar thing happened to a classmate (not really a freind, just someone I knew) of mine in 6th form (~25 years ago) - if I recall correctly, he borrowed his Dad's BMW, lost control on a bend driving too fast and (eventually) had a nasty crash into another vehicle coming in the opposite direction. The passenger (another classmate) in his car was killed.

Too many powerful cars in the hands of inexperienced drivers. To me, the OP's first comments sounded like they wanted to front their son as the secondary driver of his wife's car when he would be the main (or at least equal in terms of usage) driver. If it was, that's not a good idea, especially as if the insurance company finds out, they'll cancel the policy and likely report them to the authorities. Even worse if the son had a serious accident if 'insured' in that way.

Best for them to either be honest with any insurer about the mileages and usage patterns of each driver (the son taking his mates out on a Friday/Saturday night won't do them any favours on the risk of an accident - showing off in front of friends is how most occur at that age) buy a low powered, cheap small car just for him and insure that just for him (no mods).

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