Insurance question

[philthy]

I'm going on holiday with a mate shortly. He is staying out there for a few months, and will be taking his car off the road. We are taking his car to the airport, and I will be driving it back. I have the usual "the policyholder may also drive other vehicles" etc etc on my own insurance, but where do I stand?
I don't want to insure myself for his car unless necessary. Also, does he have to have insurance on his car, for me to drve it on my policy ?

TIA

[agent006]

philthy said:

does he have to have insurance on his car, for me to drve it on my policy ?

Yes.

[Hooli]

agent006 said:

philthy said:

does he have to have insurance on his car, for me to drve it on my policy ?

Yes.

depends on the policy i believe. if your insurance doesnt state 'this only applies when the car is already insured' or similar i cant see why he would need insurance on it. ring your company & ask to make sure?

[philthy]

Hooli said:

depends on the policy i believe. if your insurance doesnt state 'this only applies when the car is already insured' or similar i cant see why he would need insurance on it. ring your company & ask to make sure?

That is what is throwing me. My policy states something along the lines of "the policyholder may also drive with the owners permission, any vehicle not belonging to him & not rented to him as long as you are qualified" etc.
Nothing about the status of the other vehicle.

[Dwight VanDriver]

Look at the words on your policy carefully.

Is your own Insurance valid for the date in question?
Yes

Drive other vehicle with owners permission?
Yes

Vehicle not belonging to PH?
Yes

Not rented/leased/hire purchase?
Yes

Qualified to drive?
Yes

so it's a 'Yes' if there are no other specific requirements mentioned.

dvd

Edited by Dwight VanDriver on Sunday 2nd March 15:42

[philthy]

That's what I thought DVD, but I think a phone call is in order ;-)

[SS2.]

philthy said:

Also, does he have to have insurance on his car, for me to drve it on my policy ?

Not necessarily. But what happens if you park the vehicle in a public place (motorway services, for instance) ?

Whilst you may well be covered to drive the vehicle on your policy, when you walk away from it would your policy continue to provide cover ?

Bearing in mind that 'use', for the purposes of insurance, includes parking a vehicle and leaving it unattended, could there be potential for a charge of using a motor vehicle without a valid certificate of insurance ?

Definitely worth making that call, or getting your mate to keep his insurance policy valid until his car is safely tucked up off the road, IMHO..

[Mr_annie_vxr]

SS2. said:

philthy said:

Also, does he have to have insurance on his car, for me to drve it on my policy ?

Not necessarily. But what happens if you park the vehicle in a public place (motorway services, for instance) ?

Whilst you may well be covered to drive the vehicle on your policy, when you walk away from it would your policy continue to provide cover ?

Bearing in mind that 'use', for the purposes of insurance, includes parking a vehicle and leaving it unattended, could there be potential for a charge of using a motor vehicle without a valid certificate of insurance ?

Definitely worth making that call, or getting your mate to keep his insurance policy valid until his car is safely tucked up off the road, IMHO..

I would agree better safe than sorry, or the second your out the car it is no longer insured. If you crash and you get out and the vehicle is on the road without you in it, your mate commits an offence of allowing a vehicle to be on a road without third party insurance.

[Dwight VanDriver]

>>>>>If you crash and you get out and the vehicle is on the road without you in it, your mate commits an offence of allowing a vehicle to be on a road without third party insurance. <<<<<<

As far as I can make out, in such a case, Jones v Prothero (1952)says the contrary.?

dvd

[jondude]

Dwight VanDriver said:

>>>>>If you crash and you get out and the vehicle is on the road without you in it, your mate commits an offence of allowing a vehicle to be on a road without third party insurance. <<<<<<

As far as I can make out, in such a case, Jones v Prothero (1952)says the contrary.?

dvd

It is all down to your own policy's wording - and most will say ' you can drive a vehicle not belonging to you so long as you have the owner's permission and a licence to drive said vehicle'.

So it does not need to be insured by the owner.

BUT...the problem now in this situatuion is ANPR and money hungry wardens or clampers, where you are guilty and who cares if you are later innocent, either. If you park the car for a pee, it can be clamped as it will show not insured IF HE CANCELS HIS POLICY. You may 'win' the case when you prove you do have insurance, but this will be less a 'release' fee, so you still lose.

Truth is, the odds of this happening are low, so long as you are not in a city, or anywhere in London at all.

If you are going to drive from the airport back home and not stop on the way, you will be 100% safe and legal.

The ultimate compromise is for your mate to wait a day or two before cancelling his policy* - he also does not want an uninsured car parked at Heathrow...they will crush it as soon as you leave!!

( Nah, a tad exaggerated....I think!!! Don't risk it - not at an airport. )

• In fact, he must not cancel it at all if the unused car is to be parked on a public road, all for the same reasons as above - a stationary car on a public road is now deemed using the roads, so needs to be insured. Used to be only the tax under this rule, not anymore.

[WildCat]

How about simply taking taxi to airport?

Car will need to be insured whilst in airport car park .. und you insured on third party if wording on policy check out. I would be inclined to check .. pay the surcharge to cover for the day if not.

[philthy]

Sorted.
Although his car was going to be parked in a private car park, it just doesn't seem worth the risk.
He is leaving it insured for an extra month, until I get it home and off road it.
Wildcat, taxi isn't really an option as we are in Devon, and flying from Gatwick. The taxi fares would be more than the value of the cars we drive down here

[Noger]

jondude said:

If you park the car for a pee, it can be clamped as it will show not insured IF HE CANCELS HIS POLICY. You may 'win' the case when you prove you do have insurance, but this will be less a 'release' fee, so you still lose.

However, if the new ABI wording is used on your DOC cover, you cannot now use this to release a vehicle not owned by you from the pound.

[g_stacey]

Isn't it you may drive other cars ( if its on your policy ) as long as that car is insured, to stop someone buying for example a £50 Corsa then buying something like a £2000 Scoobie, register it in there Grans' name and then drive it?


G

[Noger]

g_stacey said:

Isn't it you may drive other cars ( if its on your policy ) as long as that car is insured, to stop someone buying for example a £50 Corsa then buying something like a £2000 Scoobie, register it in there Grans' name and then drive it?


G

No, not any policy I have seen. Although there may be a few. The usual way to stop the situation you mention is to not have DOC cover for under 25 year olds etc.

[mcflurry]

It will be a lot easier for you to give your mate a lift to the airport in your car, or for him to get a cab

[nutsytvr]

The DOC extension on most policies only provides Third Party cover whilst you are driving a car not owned by you - IE no cover for damage to the car . Its very unsafe to rely on this extension when you know in advance that you are driving someone else's car - DOC extension should be used in emergencies only.

[jondude]

Noger said:

jondude said:

If you park the car for a pee, it can be clamped as it will show not insured IF HE CANCELS HIS POLICY. You may 'win' the case when you prove you do have insurance, but this will be less a 'release' fee, so you still lose.

However, if the new ABI wording is used on your DOC cover, you cannot now use this to release a vehicle not owned by you from the pound.

Thanks for update. I guess we now have the need for permanent insurance in all but name, no doubt because there is the little 'get out ' clause for those who have garages/driveways. Rather like the tax - go on the roads ( including parking ) without it at your peril.