Can someone clarify this for me please?

Buchanan0204 · 16 Nov 2012 at 10:15

I am led to believe to drive another car (friends etc) that car has to be insured itself by the owner and the person borrowing it needs to have their own insurance and be covered to drive other vehicles. Usually this will be third party only and you have to be fully comp with your own policy to receive this entitlement?

I take it you also need to be over 25 and have held a driving license for "X" amount of years?

Reading this http://www.rac.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?2778-driving-other-cars-on-a-third-party-basis

It would appear a lot of people are wrong... or is it me?

I'm basing my knowledge on Road Wars, Traffic Cops, Police Interceptors and many other similar programs.

Can anyone confirm this?

ZG002 · 16 Nov 2012 at 10:36

In the vast amount of situations that is correct, but it really is upto the insurance company. My policy doesn't require the other car to be insured for instance, but my last one did. Always check your own policy and the small print. I know a girl who was given 6 points for driving a friends car because she believed she was covered by her own policy (she lost her licence)

Frozennova · 16 Nov 2012 at 10:36

The vehicle needs to be insured and your policy also needs to state you are entitled to drive other vehicles

shoes · 16 Nov 2012 at 10:39

It's down to your policy and your insurance company. There are not arbitrary milestones (age, experience etc.) as such, it's very dependent on your policy.

My admiral policy wouldn't cover me for 3rd party when I was 24, however my Adrian Flux insurance for the BMW would. Now I'm 26, both cover me for use of other people's cars but only third party cover is offered.

They both stipulate that the car being driven must be insured in it's own right, and your must have express permission of the owner/keeper.

PhillyDee · 16 Nov 2012 at 10:40

ZG002 said:
In the vast amount of situations that is correct, but it really is upto the insurance company. My policy doesn't require the other car to be insured for instance, but my last one did. Always check your own policy and the small print. I know a girl who was given 6 points for driving a friends car because she believed she was covered by her own policy (she lost her licence)

How does it not require the other car to be insured though? If it is uninsured, as soon as you step out of the car, it is uninsured.

Philz0r · 16 Nov 2012 at 10:43

ZG002 · 16 Nov 2012 at 10:44

PhillyDee said:
How does it not require the other car to be insured though? If it is uninsured, as soon as you step out of the car, it is uninsured.

I don't know, but how do you think a trader operates with trader insurance? It's basically a version of that in my eyes. I'd imagine if something were to happen when I was out the car I would be considered in charge of the vehicle. All I know is I've had policy's state the other vehicle must be insured and two now that have no mention of it anywhere at all not even online. They can't not tell you it then expect it as there is no actual law that I know of?

Never driven a third party car that wasn't insured so never been pulled over and had to put it to the test

stoofa · 16 Nov 2012 at 10:46

ManLoveRulesOK said:
The vehicle needs to be insured and your policy also needs to state you are entitled to drive other vehicles

And once again.
NO, this is NOT necessarily the case.
Individual policies will tell you if the other vehicle needs to be insured or not. You cannot "blanket" say that a policy is required on the other vehicle.

Buchanan0204 · 16 Nov 2012 at 12:39

Seems to be a lot of conflicting info here.

So you don't need to be 25? You don't need to have held a license for so many years and the other car doesn't need to be insured?

The above on a certain policy is possible?

That would essentially mean a 17 year old could pass his/her test. Insure a 1.0 micra and then drive a porsche?

Seems a bit strange to me.

El_Watcher · 16 Nov 2012 at 12:40

stoofa said:
And once again.
NO, this is NOT necessarily the case.
Individual policies will tell you if the other vehicle needs to be insured or not. You cannot "blanket" say that a policy is required on the other vehicle.

But I thought the tax rules changed meaning that any car that wasn't SORN had to be insured at all times.

El_Watcher · 16 Nov 2012 at 12:42

Buchanan0204 said:
That would essentially mean a 17 year old could pass his/her test. Insure a 1.0 micra and then drive a porsche?

I some how doubt any insurance company would include an all cars clause on a 17y/o with a micro.

Westyfield2 · 16 Nov 2012 at 12:44

My understanding

Either: You're on a policy for the car in question (as a named driver, policy holder, whatever).

Or: You have DOC on your policy for your car. Some insurers will only do DOC if you're over 25 - check your policy. Some insurers specify that the car in question has a policy of some sort for some person on it (the friend's policy), but others allow for the car in question to be completely uninsured - check your policy.

Buchanan0204 · 16 Nov 2012 at 12:51

The reason I ask is, my dads partner is claiming her 21 year old son is insured to drive any car. He's passed his test less than one year ago and drives a rust bucket. I'm guessing he's also third party.

I would like to know if I have any entitlement to drive other vehicles. I'm 22 and currently insured TPFT on a MK3 Mondeo with Asda. I've logged into Asda's rubbish portal and can't find a single thing about my entitlements, just that I can't use the Mondeo on trackdays or deliver fast food! Lot of good that is.

bledd · 16 Nov 2012 at 12:58

ZG002 said:
In the vast amount of situations that is correct, but it really is upto the insurance company. My policy doesn't require the other car to be insured for instance, but my last one did. Always check your own policy and the small print. I know a girl who was given 6 points for driving a friends car because she believed she was covered by her own policy (she lost her licence)

This.

Call your insurer if you're not 100% sure, not worth the potential ball ache if you were to get caught

You can get DOC if you're under 25, depends on the insurer, typically you have to request it and many insurers refuse until you are 25.

-Buchanan, just call your insurer and ask them. If you're 3rd party and 22, I'd imagine you don't have it.

Liampope · 16 Nov 2012 at 13:00

Buchanan0204 said:
That would essentially mean a 17 year old could pass his/her test. Insure a 1.0 micra and then drive a porsche?

Seems a bit strange to me.

That's exactly why the condition that the 'other car' has its own insurance is being added to policies. For years I was able to drive other cars on my Admiral policy without it being otherwise insured, but now the Admiral policy specifically states the other vehicle must be insured. Some policies may still exist that allow you to drive other uninsured cars, but I don't know of any.

Another option that at least used to be out there, probably being/already removed is a policy that says you can drive your car and so can anyone else over X years. For example I used to be able to drive my dad's car not because my policy allowed me to drive other cars, but because his policy said anyone over 25 (with a licence of course!) could also drive his car on his policy.

GeX · 16 Nov 2012 at 13:02

fwiw.. if the car isn't covered by someone else's insurance than it can't be taxed either.

But what it boils down to, ASK YOUR OWN INSURER AS IT VARIES.

ZG002 · 16 Nov 2012 at 13:08

Buchanan0204 said:
The reason I ask is, my dads partner is claiming her 21 year old son is insured to drive any car. He's passed his test less than one year ago and drives a rust bucket. I'm guessing he's also third party.

I would like to know if I have any entitlement to drive other vehicles. I'm 22 and currently insured TPFT on a MK3 Mondeo with Asda. I've logged into Asda's rubbish portal and can't find a single thing about my entitlements, just that I can't use the Mondeo on trackdays or deliver fast food! Lot of good that is.

Very unlikely to have doc for both cases, unless he has asked for doc and is paying through the nose for it. I couldn't get it added till I was 25 and I had to be on a fully comp policy.

p1RATE · 16 Nov 2012 at 13:15

El_Watcher said:
I some how doubt any insurance company would include an all cars clause on a 17y/o with a micro.

At 18 and 19 i had a policy that allowed this for an additional £50. and that was only 4/5 years ago with Bell (part of admiral). they did however get rid of this probably because people abused it.

Lopéz · 16 Nov 2012 at 17:59

Buchanan0204 said:
Seems to be a lot of conflicting info here.

So you don't need to be 25? You don't need to have held a license for so many years and the other car doesn't need to be insured?

The above on a certain policy is possible?

That would essentially mean a 17 year old could pass his/her test. Insure a 1.0 micra and then drive a porsche?

Seems a bit strange to me.

Where does he get access to the Porsche from?

MeEsH BaKkA · 16 Nov 2012 at 21:46

Moral of this thread, read your insurance documents and don't speculate on what other people may or may not have.