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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not want DP's friend to drive my car?

110 replies

MummySparkle · 21/04/2016 22:35

DP and his friend are going on a sporting weekend and leaving tomorrow. They are taking my car as it's much more practical for a 5hr drive each way. Last time they went on a day trip in my car DP let his friend drive for a little bit.

Friend is insured through his work as a mechanic, however does not have his own car insurance policy. He is also too young to be covered as 3rd party on any car as part of an insurance policy. He is a perfectly competent driver though.

I am the registered keeper of my car and the insurance policy holder. DP is also fully comp on the car.

Where do I stand if DP allows his friend to drive and they have an accident? Would it all come back to me?

WIBU to completely put my foot down about this?

OP posts:

bluesbaby · 22/04/2016 01:32

Don't do it

I got caught and my insurance for 5 years after was x10 the price it would have been without the declaration. And I was lucky the car wasn't seized and destroyed...

AcrossthePond55 · 22/04/2016 02:13

Drive up Friday, back on Monday? Oh please! I just drove, alone mind you, 7.5 hours from Northern California to Southern California and back again on a similar schedule. AND spent two full days in Disneyland, to boot!

Tell DH to man up and drive it himself. It is NOT worth the risk of a non-insured driver getting into an accident in your car.

LucyBabs · 22/04/2016 02:39

Why should op pay 20 towards the 60 for adding dps friend onto her insurance?! if dps friend wants/needs to drive her car he can pay!

herecomethepotatoes · 22/04/2016 03:24

I would be insured through my policy (I've checked and it's correct) to drive your car but would only have 3rd party insurance). No laws would be broken but if I damaged your car, you couldn't claim on the insurance for the cost of the replacement.

There's a difference between illegal and ill advised. We don't know about the former so speculation is a waste of time. I'd tell you husband to pay the £60 though just in case.

DailyFailAreABunchOfCunts · 22/04/2016 06:06

He's insured through his job - presume he works in a garage or similar, in which case he'll be on their motor trade policy. If this is the case then he is covered to drive vehicles which are in the garage's custody or control. I.e. He's only insured to drive vehicles which are connected to his work. This policy will NOT cover him for any other use.

YOU are directly and legally liable for allowing your car to be driven without insurance. Your DP's friend would also be prosecuted for driving without insurance. The only exception to this is if your car is stolen, in which case you would need evidence to show that you reported the theft to the Police.

If you think that your DP's friend might drive the car, then you must put him on the insurance. If he gets pulled and there is no cover in place then you'll end up with a conviction, a hefty fine and the consequences of trying to obtain motor insurance with that on your licence - your premiums will shoot up as insurers will (rightly) see you as a moral hazard risk.

Your biggest concern here isn't the potential damage to your car - it's the legal consequences of allowing someone to drive uninsured.

HTH.

DailyFailAreABunchOfCunts · 22/04/2016 06:11

Potatoes - the third party extension (known as Driving Other Cars) was originally designed to cover emergency situations, such as a driver being taken ill and a passenger taking over to get them to hospital. However it has been abused by people using it as a cheap form of insurance to get round the rules - most commonly by people buying a very cheap old banger and insuring it as cheaply as possible, then using the DOC extension on their policy to drive much nicer and powerful cars which they otherwise couldn't afford to insure.

A few years ago some insurers starting phasing out the DOC cover - so some policies now don't offer it at all. Other insurers have raised the age limit; my insurance has a DOC extension but only if you are 25 or over.

I wouldn't rely on DOC unless it was absolutely necessary. In this case it's a moot point as (if I've guessed right and it is a motor trade policy), DOC won't apply as the cover is only in place for vehicles which are in the garage's care - so this covers the mechanics and staff for jumping in and out of customers' cars to work on them, move them, road test them etc. It won't cover OP's car as it is nothing to do with the friend's work.

herecomethepotatoes · 22/04/2016 06:18

Like I said, I wasn't suggesting the OP take my situation as the same as her own.

I checked the T&C a couple of months ago as a friend hurt their leg and couldn't drive home. Not even close to an emergency as we could have easily arranged a taxi etc but this was easier. It would have been expensive if I'd had an accident as I only had 3rd party driving theri car.

Sadly, I'm well over 25 :)

AnneTwacky · 22/04/2016 06:25

He's not insured through his job. Their insurance would only cover journeys related to the buisness.
You have 3 options:

Your DH does all the driving.
You get him insured on whichever car they're using.
They go on public transport.

Not insuring him and letting him drive is not an option. Putting aside the fact it's illegal to drive or let someone drive your car uninsured, if he has an accident it's not just the car you'll have to pay for but any 3rd party damage as well. Also what if he gets snapped by a speed camera. Not worth the risk.

VinceNoirLovesHowardMoon · 22/04/2016 06:28

Do you seriously not trust your dh not to allow an uninsured driver to drive your car? you have a huge problem here.
I wouldn't call and add him to your insurance- do you know whether he has any points? Or has been involved in any accidents? Or ever had insurance cancelled before? You might buy the insurance but it might be invalid if you miss any info.
Fgs this guy has to buy his own insurance if he wants to drive your car (and show you the paperwork) or he doesn't drive. And if your dh doesn't get that....speechless

PUGaLUGS · 22/04/2016 06:30

He is a fool letting his friend drive your car even if it is for "just a little bit" and I think you are a fool for believing him if he tells you he drove all the way there and back himself.

He is going to let him drive it....

Just hope no one gets hurt/killed.

DoreenLethal · 22/04/2016 06:31

He obviously cannot be trusted so just make him take his own car. Funny how he wont risk that being siezed and destroyed, but would risk yours.

MyLocal · 22/04/2016 06:39

I arranged temporary insurance for one day to pick up my daughters new car from 100 miles away, it cost 25.00 for the day. Insist your husband and his mates rake out two says for the trip there and back and show you before the keys get handed over. They need to incorporate this into the cost of their trip.

Bohemond · 22/04/2016 06:43

Only one pp has mentioned the biggest issue here.

Yes, this is about the potential impact on you but your greater concern should be about the potential impact on anyone involved in an accident with this wanker. Having an uninsured driver hit you is no picnic.

You are all being totally unreasonable for having such a laissez faire attitude.

Insure him or do not let them take the car - it is as simple as that. And I would do the latter.

tobysmum77 · 22/04/2016 06:47

Of course yanbu.

I think the dh/ your money is irrelevant though depending on how family finances are organised. I'd just pay the 60 quid for peace of mind. Even if he was old enough for third party, personally I'd never drive a nice car on that anyway.

Inertia · 22/04/2016 06:49

Oh for heaven's sake.

You're going to 'trust' that friend won't drive the car when your partner has already told you he will. You won't add friend to the insurance - if neither of them can scrape together the £60 between them then they can't afford the trip.

And you get to drive Mil's car - wooh! Let's hope she allows you to drive it when yours is seized.

tobysmum77 · 22/04/2016 06:50

You are all being totally unreasonable for having such a laissez faire attitude.

Not one person has told her not to worry about it. Just because we haven't analysed the awful (and really obvious) implications of driving without insurance doesnt make anyone laissez faire.

afussyphase · 22/04/2016 06:53

Can you talk to the friend directly? Much of the risk is his. Does he understand how serious it is to drive uninsured?

pearlylum · 22/04/2016 06:54

I would refuse to lend the car if you can't trust OH.
Let them hire a car for the weekend. Many budget rental companies hire cars over the weekend for less than you are considering for the excess insurance costs.

My local enterprise hire do a weekend hire Friday toMonday for £50.

lastnightiwenttomanderley · 22/04/2016 06:54

Hang on...Exactly what car does DH have that is so cumbersome that it can't manage a 5hr trip? I don't see why they need your car?

If the friend is determined to drive without insurance, as it sounds he is, you need to make DH aware that this is totally unacceptable. Legally, morally and in just about every other way. I'm actually quite horrified that someone who works in the motor trade has such a laissez faire attitude to it. He sounds oblivious to the potential impact on others but you'd have thought he'd at least be concerned about his job going down the pan if he got caught.

pinkerpeony · 22/04/2016 06:57

I'd send them both a text along the lines of 'Friend is not insured to drive the Freelander and I do not give him consent to drive it'.

I'd be furious with DP for even considering it.

herecomethepotatoes · 22/04/2016 06:58

As we are all guessing as to if your husband's friend would be insured, why not ask him. He may well be. We have no idea as to the T&Cs of his insurance.

He may have DOC cover as I would.

Spring2016 · 22/04/2016 06:59

Split the cost of insurance or lock up your keys.

AuntJane · 22/04/2016 07:00

Far too much at risk. Any stop could lose you your car - an accident, driving through a red light, pulling away from lights too fast, somebody else hitting him, a dog running out into the road .....

Hire a car, use public transport, or anything else.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 22/04/2016 07:01

If the friend crashes the car, he's responsible for paying for the damage to your car/whatever he hits. If he can't afford to insure a car for himself it's unlikely he can afford to pay for the damage. I would say he can't drive. If you can't trust him and DH to accept that I wouldn't let them have the car and I'd be rethinking my relationship. I wouldn't let friends/family drive my car with only third party insurance and I wouldn't be happy to drive theirs. Unless the driver can buy a new car, it's too much of a risk.

Bohemond · 22/04/2016 07:09

Apologies, the all was referring to the three of them not all posters. I could never accuse the entirety of mumsnet of being laissez faire. Thanks Tobys.

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