Am I covered by my own insurance to drive a vehicle that is not insured...?

[MustangLady]

Can you advise... my BF has a van (recently purchased) which he has not yet insured, am i insured to drive it under my own car insurance (I am Fully Comp and covered to drive other vehicles with the owners permission). He has a traders insurance which he has yet to add the van too, it currently sits on our own driveway, but i had to use it the other day as my own vehicle was off the road, I assumed i was insured under my own insurance (as third party cover) but someone said i wasn't as the vehicle i drive should also be insured itself - is this correct? ~It is taxed and MOT'd and my BF will be adding it to his insurance end this week but this started to worry me, God forbid if something had happened when i was driving it or if i'd got pulled over by the police.... what would have happened. I truly believed i was insured.

[kramer81]

you can't drive a vehicle that isn't insured, even if you are insured to drive other vehicles

[drofsereb]

Look at your own insurance where it says 'classes or persons entitled to drive', and it should say that you can drive your car, and any other vehicle not owned by you or leased or hired to you. i.e., your boyfriends car is insured aginst 3rd party risks (legal minimum) on your policy while you drive it, but not for example for theft if it was taken from your drive.

[JOHNNYxCASH]

With (some) insurance companies (like the one I work for) the DOC - Driving Other Cars extension strictly means CARS so does not include vans, even car-derived vans eg Astra Van/Escort Van etc.

[Ethel]

Any vehicle on the public highway must be insured in its own right.

Your insurance allows you to drive other vehicles, but only if they are road legal - taxed, mot'd (where relevant) and insured.

http://www.life-assurance-bureau.co.uk/car-ins urance/faqs/car-Am-I-insured-to-drive-someone- elses-car.htm

Don't forget, the police have facilities for automatic number plate recognition as you drive along - any vehicle not insured will be flagged up.

[madman06]

i asked my insurance who or what is insured they couldnt answer,am i insurerd or the car,if im insured then i should be for any car and if the cars insured then it must be for any 1 im fully comp witch says insured to drive any vehicle but if the other vehicle is not insured then im not load of shi*e if you ask me insurance companys should be more precise

[sifellis]

Kramer & Ethel are Incorrect.

I don't answer many other subjects on the AB but as a motor insurance underwriter i can answer insurance questions confidently.

Firstly, the myth that you 'have' to be comprehensive to have DOC (Driving Other Cars) is exactly that, a myth. If you're 3rd party on your own insurance then you are paying a premium that has scored you for '3rd party risk' and is therefore similar risk in whatever car you happen to be driving. The likes of Tesco, Direct Line, Privilege, Churchill, Egg, Virgin.....etc will allow you to drive other cars on a 3rd pary only policy.

The car DOES NOT have to be insured in it's own right, this is another myth. The reason companies may not allow you to drive un-insured cars is that the moment you step out of the vehicle, the car is un-insured and on a public highway which can lead to points for the owner of the said vehicle.

You will always get different answers by different people depending on what their insurer has told them. Although i've pointed out some common mis-conceptions, the only correct answer is the one given to you by your insurer.


I hope this helps.

[kramer81]

If thats your job then you obviously know better than me. Does that mean then if I cant afford to insure an Evo I can buy a Lada for �50 and get a DOC policy to allow me to drive my Evo legally?

[jake-the-peg]

despite sifellis' professional qualifications Kramer is correct, the law changed last year -road safty act 2006.

6. The Act introduces new offences of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving; causing death by driving whilst unlicensed, disqualified, or uninsured; and keeping a vehicle that does not meet insurance requirements.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/en2006/2006en49.ht m#end

[rdv]

Sorry Jake, Sifellis is spot on.
you can legally drive the uninsured car but when you get out of it the car is uninsured so if you park it on a public road you are commiting an offence

[jake-the-peg]

Sifellis says it is a myth that the car has to be insured in it's own right.

This is not true

The law now says it is an offence to keep a car that does not meet insurance requirements

Section 22(i) of the road safety act 2006 If a motor vehicle registered under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 does not meet the insurance requirements, the person in whose name the vehicle is registered is guilty of an offence.

the act goes on to specify that the vehicle must either be named by it's registration mark or the owner has a policy coverring any vehicle and the vehicle is owned by that person


It is true that if you are insured it is not you comitting the offence driving it it is the owner.

[kempie]

Most of the Road Safety Act 2006 has yet to come into force.

If memory serves, the only sections currently applicable in law are:

1. Road Safety Grants
26. Breach of requirements as to control of vehicle, mobile telephones etc.
36. Driving tests
40. Fee for renewal of photocard licence and issue of certain alternative licences
49. Disclosure to foreign authorities of licensing and registration information
50. Safety arrangements at level crossings
51. Delegation of power to make level crossing orders

Other sections will commence when the Secretary of State makes an order to do so by statutory instrument.

[MustangLady]

Thank you all for your answers; the van currently sits on our own driveway not on public road. I did use the van last week believing i was insured to drive it, covered by my own 'Fully Comp' insurance cover. However, i am still little confused after reading all the above. It will be covered by my BF own traders insurance as of tonight - however, out of curiousity i am going to put the question to my own insurers. It might be different for each insurance company/policy so i will check to be sure as to how i would have stood. Thank you all again.

[bob57]

do us a favour mustanglady when you ask your insurers the question can you post theyre answer in here
cos you got me wondering myself now

[foggy08]

wow..ive a sore head,reading all the above ,so please mustanglady.when you do find out.....let us know what they say

[MustangLady]

Hi all. thanks again for your many replies... I have now spoken with my own insurers and they have confirmed the following (which applies under my insurance policy, so may differ from yours, please check with your own insurers if in doubt)... I am insured to drive other CARS under my own policy even if the other vehicle belonging to someone else is not insured. (Though this would not apply to another car if it is owned by me). However, my policy does NOT cover me to drive a van of any description, it only covers me for Third Party to drive someone else's car. It is also correct that should I use somebody else's car which is not insured by them, it would ONLY be insured Third Party all the while I am in the drivers seat, the moment I leave the vehicle it would not be insured at all. I am much clearer on this matter now and will now ask my BF to have me as a named driver on his policy (this is much simpler solution to it all). BTW the van is fully insured, taxed and MOT'd by him now. thanks again to you all.

[sifellis]

Thanks for clearing that up Mustang.

As i said above, it doesn't have to be insured. I just find it strange that someone who doesn't work as an underwriter would doubt someone who does.

The fact that UKI (my underwriters) and your insurance underwriter allow it means it's obviously not against the law. As you rightly said though, it is up to the individual insurer as to whether they would allow it.

[footie]

i have just been in touch with my insurers to ask if ican drive my daughters car on my policy.
i am insured fully comp and my policy says i can drive another car not owned by myself, but my insurers say i can't because my daughters car is registered at the same address and it would be illegal . i can only drive her car if i am a named driver on her policy does anyone know if this is correct

[ARISTO]

this always rises a hot debate with me and my mates! so am i right in thinking that if my neighbour has a ferrari and my policy allows me to drive other cars as third party, aslong as the car is not owned by me, i can drive it?