Page 3 | to put my mother as a named driver to lower my insurance?

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 09/09/2025 15:44

HelpMeUnpickThis · 09/09/2025 14:57

@LadyDanburysHat

It IS fronting because she has no intention to let the elderly mum drive - she is only doing it for cost purposes.

Show quote history

Yep, which is perfectly legal as long as she's added as a named driver rather than the main driver.

Fronting is when you put someone as the main driver when they're not.

Gunz · 09/09/2025 15:43

Needspaceforlego · 09/09/2025 15:40

Just being curious how old are you, how old is he?

Because they must see him as lower risk than you. Adding a parent works if they are lower risk than you.
But over 70s start to become higher risk.

Show quote history

I am 61 and his 30. I started doing this a couple of years ago. I don't think insurance companies like divorced women!

Needspaceforlego · 09/09/2025 15:40

Gunz · 09/09/2025 15:11

I have my son on my insurance as a 'named driver' - I did it so that if I was incapacitated and unable to drive - he could drive the car. You never know it life what will happen. What I did think a bit strange is that having him on my insurance as the 'named driver ' did lower it!

Just being curious how old are you, how old is he?

Because they must see him as lower risk than you. Adding a parent works if they are lower risk than you.
But over 70s start to become higher risk.

Cosyblankets · 09/09/2025 15:35

HelpMeUnpickThis · 09/09/2025 14:55

@PyongyangKipperbang are you asking if it is unreasonable to commit blatant insurance fraud?

Show quote history

Could you link to this law please?
Not just your opinion, an actual link.

GameWheelsAlarm · 09/09/2025 15:34

Having almost any second person as a named driver lowers the insurance premium, unless that person is actively dangerous behind the wheel. This is simply for statistical reasons, perhaps because people who don't have anyone in their lives who they would trust behind the wheel of their car are statistically more likely to have a crash than people who have relationships that are sufficiently trusting for them to make that step.

Shellyash · 09/09/2025 15:17

It's not fraud, but don't name her as the main driver. Don't be scaremongered into thinking you'll get a knock on the door. She'll never drive it, but in an emergency she could drive it so all good. Naming her as primary driver isn't worth it.

Nellieinthebarn · 09/09/2025 15:16

I put DH on the insurance for my little car, and I am on the insurance for his. We don't drive each other's cars, he is too tall for mine, and the visibility in his is appalling for me. Its just there if we had to drive the other one in an emergency. It lowers both our insurance, so win win.

Gunz · 09/09/2025 15:11

I have my son on my insurance as a 'named driver' - I did it so that if I was incapacitated and unable to drive - he could drive the car. You never know it life what will happen. What I did think a bit strange is that having him on my insurance as the 'named driver ' did lower it!

steppemum · 09/09/2025 15:03

my dd has just taken out her first insurance.
She is named as main driver
dh and I are both on the policy as named drivers as it massively brought her quote down.

I may never drive her car. That is OK. No fraud or laws being broken,

ds did this too.This year adding me to his policy made it MORE expensive, so I am no longer on it!

StuntNun · 09/09/2025 15:02

I had my mother-in-law on my insurance for years just in case she ever needed to drive my car but I think she only drove it on one occasion.

Original poster

PyongyangKipperbang · 09/09/2025 15:00

So as I thought, not a problem then. Thanks for the replies.

Yes DVLA knew about the epilepsy, hence the comment about her not being allowed to drive (she has since been informed that she can now drive as no seizures for nearly two years). Yes it is declared on insurance. It isnt "fronting" as she is being named as a driver on MY insurance on MY car with me as they main driver. So no, I am not committing fraud.

I suspect my colleague is confusing adding her as a named driver with having her as the main driver, there is a lot of that about if this thread is anything to go by!

OP posts:

beezlebubnicky · 09/09/2025 15:00

If she's legally allowed to drive then it's fine to add her as a named driver but has others have said - may not make it cheaper due to her age.

A lot of people on this thread don't seem to know the difference between adding a named driver and the illegal insurance practice of fronting, where the person who isn't primarily driving the car is listed as the MAIN driver. OP never gave any indication they were planning on doing this.

MayaPinion · 09/09/2025 15:00

She may well have to drive you one day, say, if you were in an accident at your home when she was visiting and she had to drive you to hospital, so never say never!

HelpMeUnpickThis · 09/09/2025 14:57

LadyDanburysHat · 09/09/2025 14:47

She is not talking about fronting. She is talking about adding her Mum as an additional driver, with her as the main driver. That is allowed.

Show quote history

@LadyDanburysHat

It IS fronting because she has no intention to let the elderly mum drive - she is only doing it for cost purposes.

HelpMeUnpickThis · 09/09/2025 14:55

PyongyangKipperbang · 09/09/2025 01:51

She is now legally allowed to drive but doesnt as she wasnt allowed to (and didnt) due to a dx of epilepsy two years ago. Epilepsy is now controlled, no seizures in well over a year but she doesnt want to drive anymore and sold her car. She is 75.

She wasnt legally required to surrender her license so she didnt as it was her ID. I am naming her on my insurance as it lowers my premium, no idea why as she is well into her 70's and would be a bad liability! A colleague said that I shouldnt do it and that it is "dodgy" and could lead to my insurance being invalid.

Why? Is it not ok? She will never drive it, has no access to the keys even if she wanted to (she doesnt) so what is the problem. Am I missing something important?

@PyongyangKipperbang are you asking if it is unreasonable to commit blatant insurance fraud?

AlignmentSeptember · 09/09/2025 14:53

People over 80 pay higher car insurance, because they go into a higher risk category

People over 70 have to self certify their driving licence every 3 years to the DVLA. Does she currently have a valid licence ?

Cosyblankets · 09/09/2025 14:51

There is nothing wrong with this
Like others I find it surprising given the age and the medical condition but if they've given you the price with the full facts that's absolutely fine

Needspaceforlego · 09/09/2025 14:50

For a long time my Dad was on my insurance reduced it by about £30 a year.
Then there was a time he made no difference.
I binned him off there when he was about 73 as he was adding to the cost of my insurance.

I'd be very surprised if someone at 75 with epilepsy made your insurance cheaper. They have to increase the risk of accident rather than lowering it.

Cosyblankets · 09/09/2025 14:48

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

That's not what they asked at all

LadyDanburysHat · 09/09/2025 14:47

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

She is not talking about fronting. She is talking about adding her Mum as an additional driver, with her as the main driver. That is allowed.

WhitegreeNcandle · 09/09/2025 14:45

Of course it’s not fraud to add a named driver who won’t drive the car much! How ridiculous. A 17 year old putting parents as main driver - not ok. Putting your mum so she could take your car in an emergency as a second driver. Perfectly normal.

caveated that as long as epilepsy is disclosed.

LittleYellowQueen · 09/09/2025 14:38

IGaveSoManySigns · 09/09/2025 14:29

I think they just do it to be safe, but the savings are insane

Show quote history

They don't need to drive the car so they can stop doing that if they want to!

LittleYellowQueen · 09/09/2025 14:38

Libellousness · 09/09/2025 02:45

Your question is essentially, ‘Is fraud bad?’ Yes, it’s bad. Grow up.

It's not fraud though.

Adding someone to your insurance as an additional driver to bring the premium down isn't fraud.

If she put her mum as the main user and added herself as second driver even though op was the actual owner and main user, that would be fraud.

Dramatic · 09/09/2025 14:33

Doesn't everyone do this? It's not fraud at all.

FartyAnimal · 09/09/2025 14:31

Of course it's fine.