Insurance Question
Discussion
Not sure if this is the right section for this so apologies if not / mods feel free to move...
I'm thinking I might start using the wife's car for my commute to save wear and tear on mine. As things stand we both have our own cars registered and insured in our own names and each a named driver on each others policy.
If I become the main driver on my wife's car do I really need to insure it as mine, I'm guessing I do? If so I'd insure the wife the main driver for mine. If so do we need to change the owners on the V5, would rather not as it make the car look like it has had more owners than it really has?
Sorry if this is obvious but I've never had to do it before.
I'm thinking I might start using the wife's car for my commute to save wear and tear on mine. As things stand we both have our own cars registered and insured in our own names and each a named driver on each others policy.
If I become the main driver on my wife's car do I really need to insure it as mine, I'm guessing I do? If so I'd insure the wife the main driver for mine. If so do we need to change the owners on the V5, would rather not as it make the car look like it has had more owners than it really has?
Sorry if this is obvious but I've never had to do it before.
Vron said:
I know I had a nightmare when I got a new car and my other half had the 'old' one. I didn't want to add another keeper to the V5 but wanted his name as the main driver for insurance and me as a named driver. As he wasn't the registered keeper the insurers didn't want to know.
My experience is exactly the opposite. Insurers are ok with main drivers not being the RKs when there is a sensible reason, especially with it being in the family as it were.Call them and see.
Bert
Depends on the insurer, but as far as spouses are concerned many (most?) insurers actively don't care which of you is the RK or which of you is the main driver. When I last insured with Direct Line, for example, their assumptions just said (something to the effect of) "you or your spouse/partner is the registered keeper of the car and you or your spouse/partner will be the main driver". So it doesn't matter a damn whether I or my wife drive the car more. They'd probably be more picky if it was a car registered in your teenage son's name and you were claiming to be the main driver.
Check your own terms and conditions, and if in doubt ask, but there's a fair chance it will make no difference.
Check your own terms and conditions, and if in doubt ask, but there's a fair chance it will make no difference.
Aretnap said:
Depends on the insurer, but as far as spouses are concerned many (most?) insurers actively don't care which of you is the RK or which of you is the main driver. When I last insured with Direct Line, for example, their assumptions just said (something to the effect of) "you or your spouse/partner is the registered keeper of the car and you or your spouse/partner will be the main driver". So it doesn't matter a damn whether I or my wife drive the car more. They'd probably be more picky if it was a car registered in your teenage son's name and you were claiming to be the main driver.
Check your own terms and conditions, and if in doubt ask, but there's a fair chance it will make no difference.
Unless there is a massive age gap between you, pretty much this.Check your own terms and conditions, and if in doubt ask, but there's a fair chance it will make no difference.
Aretnap said:
They'd probably be more picky if it was a car registered in your teenage son's name and you were claiming to be the main driver.
I've asked the ins co especifically about this in the past with offspring. What does 'main driver' mean? I did more miles but fewer journeys and offspring did fewer miles and more journeys! IIRC I got different answers!Bert
BertBert said:
I've asked the ins co especifically about this in the past with offspring. What does 'main driver' mean? I did more miles but fewer journeys and offspring did fewer miles and more journeys! IIRC I got different answers!
Bert
Maybe the different insurers have different definitions. Bert
Either way that's an extreme situation and should be rare. As a layman looking in, that suggests to me that you're going to do a few very, very long journeys to try to fudge the cover in your favour. That probably sets off a few alarm bells at the insurer and may well prompt them to alter their definition to prevent any fudging.
er, no, don't be daft. If I were to engage in fronting, then I'd not be asking the insurer what they meant by main driver, disclosing the facts of the matter would I? 
snorky782 said:
Maybe the different insurers have different definitions.
Either way that's an extreme situation and should be rare. As a layman looking in, that suggests to me that you're going to do a few very, very long journeys to try to fudge the cover in your favour. That probably sets off a few alarm bells at the insurer and may well prompt them to alter their definition to prevent any fudging.
Either way that's an extreme situation and should be rare. As a layman looking in, that suggests to me that you're going to do a few very, very long journeys to try to fudge the cover in your favour. That probably sets off a few alarm bells at the insurer and may well prompt them to alter their definition to prevent any fudging.
BertBert said:
er, no, don't be daft. If I were to engage in fronting, then I'd not be asking the insurer what they meant by main driver, disclosing the facts of the matter would I?
I only said it suggested it , I didn't say you were and used it as a possible reason for getting different replies. I don't think that's too far fetched really. snorky782 said:
Maybe the different insurers have different definitions.
Either way that's an extreme situation and should be rare. As a layman looking in, that suggests to me that you're going to do a few very, very long journeys to try to fudge the cover in your favour. That probably sets off a few alarm bells at the insurer and may well prompt them to alter their definition to prevent any fudging.
Either way that's an extreme situation and should be rare. As a layman looking in, that suggests to me that you're going to do a few very, very long journeys to try to fudge the cover in your favour. That probably sets off a few alarm bells at the insurer and may well prompt them to alter their definition to prevent any fudging.
Drumroll said:
Had simular debate with our insurer a few years ago about who was the main driver for my wife's car as she would make the most journeys (school trips, shops etc) but I would do the most miles (weekends) never really got the answer on that
The answer in by far the majority of cases is "it doesn't matter between spouses".KevinCamaroSS said:
Back on topic, my wife and I have 3 cars, two in my name one in hers. All are insured for us both with Class 1. The insurer (Admiral) says it makes no difference who is the main user on any of the cars.
IIRC Admiral are one company who have eliminated the problem of fronting by giving up on the notion of a "main driver" entirely, and simply pricing on the assumption that the riskier person will normally be driving. So if you wanted to add your teenage son to one of your cars you might find that it made no difference whether he was the main driver either - you'd just find that it was expensive either way.Ultimately different companies ask different questions and price in different ways - there is no one size fits all model which they all have to follow.
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