A Follow On From Previous Question.

[Graham-W]

Senario

My friend has a car with MOT and road tax but no insurance. My insurance includes me driving, TPFT, other peoples cars, with their consent.
Can I, legally, collect his car from his drive and drive it to my home?
As I see it, as long as I'm in the car, it's covered on my policy.

[Spannerfiend]

No you can't, because the vehicle you are intending to drive is not insuredto be on the road in the first place by the OWNER. Every vehicle used on UK roads must be insured by the owner, otherwise it is not able to be used at all.


The owner of the vehicle HAS to have insurance to keep it on the road. That isn't the case. He should have SORNED it. Once scorned it cannot be driven.

No way out mate. Don't risk losing YOUR licence is my advice, take it or leave it.

[Graham-W]

I thought you only needed SORN if you were not going to re-tax it.

BTW. This isn't a true case. It's just something that has been on-going down the pub for years now. No-one has ever given a definitive answer.

[Graham-W]

As I said before, the car still has Tax & MOT.

[tonyav]

Graham, for reasons that I won't say on here I was in the same situation that you describe about 5 months ago, I had to bring a car from Bedford back to the West Mids ( car owner deceased ). I checked with the police before doing it and they said that the car's insurance died with the owner ! and so it would not be insured even though my own car insurance allows me to drive anybodys car TPFT ( with their consent of course ). So the only way around it was to insure the car I was to bring back on a short term policy which my insurers set up.

[Spannerfiend]

If you want to use a car on UK roads, it must be Insured by its legal owner , taxed for the correct class, and if over 3 years old, MOT'd.

If any of these requirements are not met, the car cannot be used, must be taken off the road, and must be Sorned. No
loopholes anymore.

Try convincing a police officer when you get stopped if you don't believe me. They have heard it all too!!

Just going round in circles mate, and you clearly don't believe anyone, so I'm out on this one now.

[Graham-W]

Thanks Tony. I'll print this off and take it next time I go to the pub.
I'm sure some bright spark will say you couldn't drive, with the owners consent, as he wasn't in a position to give it.

[tonyav]

Graham, basicly the cops told me for you ( or me ) to drive some one elses car on your own insurance the car the car has to be insured.

[Graham-W]

I'm sorry if I've upset you, Spannerfiend. As I said, this has been an ongoing argument for years. I was looking for something definitive. Tony gave an answer with info from the police. I found this definative enough for me.
Thanks anyway.

[New Judge]

This gives confirmation:

http://www.mib.org.uk/motor+insurance+database/en/continuous+insurance+enforcement/default.htm

In short, if it has been declared off the road by means of a SORN it cannot be driven (whether it is insured or not). If it has not been SORNed it must be insured in its own right. This has been the case since about 2011.

[tonyav]

Graham, I had to check with the police because the car I had to drive back to the West Mids was on their car park.

[Spannerfiend]

No, you haven't upset me buddy. Not at all. I'm much more thick skinned than that. Only trying to save your licence!! :-)
I can assure you what I've told you is fact.

See you again......another question, another day.

[Graham-W]

Thanks, New Judge. That does seem definitive, and clear. Next time I go for a drink, without the car, I'll be armed with a printout.
What are we going to argue about, in the pub, now.

[tonyav]

The off side rule is always good for an augment, Graham ;-)

[Graham-W]

I don't DO football. It'll have to be TT or F1. Bernie Ecclestone is always a good starter ;-))

[tonyav]

Bernie Ecclestone is always a good starter ;-))


Ohhhhh yeah, that would start one for sure !.

[Arrods]

Some policies giving driving other cars (DOC) cover make it conditional upon the driven car having insurance in its own right. Most don't have such a condition - and the cover is third party only (not TPF&T), and must have the policyholder's permission.

As far as I know, there is no legal requirement for the owner to insure the car. The RTA merely requires that the user of the car must take out insurance - which can be anyone, as long as they have an insurable interest. Registered vehicles must either be SORNd or insured. So I would have thought it would be OK for anyone with DOC insurance to drive the car, assuming it is otherwise street legal.

[Hopkirk]

A minor correction to a couple of previous answers, though not on topic.

A vehicle under SORN can be driven on the road, as long as it is insured, on the way to and from a pre booked MOT test.