Insurance cover query....

[spaced]

I am insured under my partners insurance (she is the policy holder and I am a named driver). This means that I can only driver our vehicle. Our vehcle is in for repairs next week, all week, and the repairers are supplying a courtesey car. As she is fully comprehensive (Churchill Insurance, fully comp), it means that she is obviously allowed to drive this vehicle. But....as I am only a named driver on her insurance, does this mean I can not driver the courtesey car, as its only our car I am allowed to drive?

[Buenchico]

Courtesy cars are usually insured, by the company which provides them, to be driven by any customer of the company. Check with the garage.

Chris

[spaced]

i have checked and they have said that it must be insured under own policy. I have been told by a colleague that hire or courtesy vehicles are still ok for a named driver to drive, as policy covers your won and courtesey vehicles. If it were just a normal vehicle that I was going to use, I would not be covered.

Not sure if this is correct.

[Buenchico]

Different insurance companies may have different conditions in their policies. If, when you've read the policy, it's not clear as to whether you're covered. you'll have to phone the company. Even if you're not covered, the insurers might be prepared to grant temporary cover without any extra charge. Remember, however, that any cover from your partner's insurance company which relates to a courtesy vehicle (either for your partner or yourself), is likely to be 'third party only'. This means that you risk having to pay the cost of replacing the courtesy car if you were unlucky enough to 'write it off' in an accident.

Chris

[JudgeJ]

BEWARE! Most ordinary comprehensive motoring policies extend cover to enable the policyholder (and sometimes named drivers) to drive other vehicles not belonging to them. However, this extended cover is usually Third Party only.

This means that if your partner (or you, if the extension applies to you as well) is involved in an accident whilst driving the courtesy car, her insurance policy will only cover you for personal injury or damage to other vehicles, and not damage to the courtesy car.

So you need to check (a) Whether the extension of your partner�s policy enabling her to drive other vehicles applies to you as well (it probably does � mine does). (b) Whether such an extension incorporates comprehensive cover or Third Party only (it is probably Third Party only � mine is).

If this is the case, although you may legally drive the courtesy car, it would be unwise to do so. The garage will almost certainly not let you do so anyway because if you damage or write off their car it will not be covered by insurance, and they will have to chase you for the costs of repairs/replacement.

[spaced]

thanks guys, I will check wording on the policy doc when I get home and possibly getthe other half to call Churchill to find out.

Cheers.

[Paul22118]

spaced - there is an easy way around all of this. Go to the Norwich Union motor insurance site and dig out short term insurance.

This will give you your own cover for 24 hrs for about a tenner. Handy and cheap for a day but obviously not designed for longer.