car insurance

[Liza B]

Hi everyone. Was wondering if anyone can help. Our daughter is 18 and wants to learn to drive, she is living with her boyfriend who is 22 and who has a license for a year, if she gets put on his insurance as a named driver can I sit in their car and co drive her. I have had a licence for 20 years and am a named driver on my hubands insurance. She can't go on ours as both our cars are automatic.He thinks they have to be fully comp to do this, is this right?

cheers liza

[NORMANTHEDOG]

as long as she is insured and you have a full licence then yes you can sit next to her for practising,but a word of warning,it does not work,her best option is to learn with a proper driving instructor.

[JudgeJ]

You are becoming confused between the need for insurance and the need to have a licence to drive (and the types of car you can drive under that licence) or accompany a provisional licence holder. The two are not related.

In order to drive legally, the driver needs a licence that covers the type of vehicle being driven and Third Party Insurance which covers the driver to drive the particular vehicle. If a provisional licence holder, the driver must also display �L� Plates and be accompanied by a person aged over 21 who holds a full licence and has held it for a minimum of three years.

So, to tackle your questions in order:

If your daughter arranges to become a named driver on her Boyfriend�s policy, you can accompany her. You do not need to be insured or hold any insurance policy at all to do this and your own car insurance is not relevant.

If your daughter wants to drive either of your cars, again she must become a named driver (unless your policy allows any driver to drive. Few do these days and those that do do not usually cover provisional licence holders). The �automatic� problem does not arise. This has nothing to do with insurance. Provisional licence holders can drive either manual or automatic cars. However, if they pass their test on an automatic their full licence will not cover them to drive manual cars.

As an aside, beware of your interpretation of �comprehensive� insurance. This does not alter any licence requirements, groups of vehicle they cover or necessarily allow others to drive your car. Comprehensive policies cover the policyholder for accidental damage to his own vehicle, which Third Party, Fire and Theft policies do not.