Driving other cars on your insurance?

[Leadfoot]

This has been asked a few times but I can't ever remember a definative conclusion.......

Is it legal to drive someone elses car that is not insured (but is taxed/MOT'd) using your own insurance policy to cover the car whilst on the road?

I know that the concensus in the past has been that the vehicle must be insured as well, but is this fact or the general opinion?
Any legal types care to comment?

[zoomer]

Check the "Driving other cars" section of your policy document.

The usual position is that you can drive any vehicle not belonging to you and not leased or hired to you under a lease purchase agreement IF you have the owner's consent.

Note that this cover will be thid party only (i.e. damage to the vehicle you drive is not covered.)


Z (barrister)

[Leadfoot]

Cheers Z but I know that bit, but does the other vehicle need to be insured in its own right? What happens, for example, if you park the car on the road & then get out - is it then deemed to be uninsured?
I was under the (possibly wrong) impression that the other car needs its own insurance to stop the scam of people registering a (high insurance group) car in someone elses name & then driving it on the insurance from their 850cc mini.

[Mr E]

I think the other car *does* have to be insured on it's own policy.

[fast westfield]

When I have asked this question it DOES HAVE TO BE INSURED IN ITS OWN RIGHT as well as your cover to drive another car.

Paul.

[mellow_yellow]

Check your policy.

Mine definitely states that the other car has to be insured.

The insurance companies stipulate this to stop people buying high performance cars in somebody elses name (spouse for instance) and driving them on an any car policy held on a typical eurobox.

[JonRB]

The final consensus of opinion is thus:

Strictly speaking (and provided it is not explicitly excluded in your insurance policy) you CAN drive an uninsured car on your own policy. However it is only covered whilst it is being driven by you. The moment you stop the car on a public road and get out of it then an offence has taken place as it is illegal to leave an uninsured vehicle on a public road.

So in effect the only use the above scenario serves is to test drive a car that you intend to buy but is currently uninsured.

Given the above restrictions then in practice the car needs to either have its own insurance policy or be named on another car's insurance policy so that you can park it on a public road or an area to which the public have access (eg. a public car park).

I think this should be added as an FAQ!

Edit: Oh, and since you need a certificate of insurance to get a tax disc on your car, drivig an uninsured car on your insurance is very much a temporary thing and not a long term proposition.

>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 6th June 11:36

[loaf]

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=23&h=&t=40648

and

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=23&h=&t=36609

and

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=22485

haev a lot of pertinent info.

[spnracing]

Also see;

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=23&h=&t=12731

for an even more comprehensive discussion of this topic.

[Leadfoot]

TVM chaps