Driving without insurance

[gurdhk]

Says it all in the title, really. My partner's car broke down this evening. I've been at my sisters all day with the baby and I've come home to find out that he's dropped his brother off to the pub (he'll be drinking so of course can't drive) in his brother's car without being insured!

I've absolutely hit the roof. He doesn't understand why I've got so annoyed, saying that it's 'only a few miles', but I just think that it's so so stupid and dangerous to do this! Now he's annoyed at me for apparently overreacting...

Is your partner's insurance on his own car fully comprehensive? In my experience if you have fully comprehensive insurance in one vehicle, it's pretty typical for third party only insurance to be included for any other vehicle.

As long as on his insurance in the t&cs it doesn’t say excluding driving other vehicles he’s covered third party as long as the other car he’s driving is already insured in it’s own right

It's actually now not the norm to have DOC cover with fully comp insurance. That's really bloody stupid of him. As well as a criminal conviction, he could end up in a shedload of debt if he was in an accident.

As long as on his insurance in the t&cs it doesn’t say excluding driving other vehicles he’s covered third party as long as the other car he’s driving is already insured in it’s own right

Well that’s a load of crap right there. It will state on his insurance very whether driving other cars is included. Depending on the the company it will also state if the other car needs to be insured in its own right, some companies require it, some don’t.

Cert not very!

He'll only be insured 3rd party on other vehicles if his policy says so specifically. Mine does, but it's not standard, plenty of insurance companies only insure you on the named vehicle even if you're fully comp.
He's an idiot to do it. At least 6 points and a four figure fine if he gets pulled/has an accident, both for him for using the vehicle and the owner for permitting him to use it.

Fully comp is only for the vehicle insured. There isn’t an instant 3rd party insurance anymore. Your partner has driven a car illegally end of, if he’d have been caught he’d have been fucked, few miles or not

*Isn’t

I think we should have insurance discs in the front of the car, so everyone including the police would know you are insured, and if it is named driver only.

A Lot of insurance companies cut this cover - you know the cheap premiums people want and then find they aren't covered?

Stupid thing to do

If he has insurance on his car in his own name he's almost certainly insured to drive any car (unless he's very young). It's probably only third party but he would be legal

How would they know it wasn't you though for?

What does his insurance cert say?

If he's fully comp on his insurance then he's probably covered 3rd party on the other car, with owner's permission.

Is the BIL’s car a company car by any chance? My company car can be driven by any UK qualified driver with my permission.

If he's not insured, as well as the points and fine the police will also seize the car so it's a total mug's game as well as being illegal and immoral.

Out of interest I checked my insurance and I am covered to drive any other car with the owner's permission. I have fully comp with business use also. So hopefully he'll be okay.

@MaxTeyon I work for a top insurance company so I clearly know what I am talking about, the insurer I work for only excludes driving other vehicles if it says “excludes driving other vehicles” in the actual terms and conditions of the policy

OP says he drove without insurance so I'm not sure why everyone is debating whether he is covered or not?

OP I would be raging as well. The effects of a non insured accident can be financially devastating.

Well he's done it now. No point crying over spilt milk. But as others say he may well have been covered 3rd party only through his own policy.
Is it you that has just assumed he wasn't covered or has he done it knowing full well he isn't covered, or without checking he was?

Yanbu to be disappointed in him though.

@MaxTeyon I work for a top insurance company so I clearly know what I am talking about, the insurer I work for only excludes driving other vehicles if it says “excludes driving other vehicles” in the actual terms and conditions of the policy.

You really don't know what you're talking about. DOC cover has to be specifically included, and shown on the certificate of insurance. If it isn't on your certificate, you don't have it. They don't have to tell you you don't have it by excluding it. If they don't give it to you, you ain't got it.

I work for a car insurance company, and DOC is not always offered as standard. Not a good idea to just assume. Also Fully Comp isn't a thing, we have to tell customers its just Comprehensive or Third Party, Fire and Theft cover that we offer

It will state on his insurance cert whether driving other cars is included. Depending on the the company it will also state if the other car needs to be insured in its own right, some companies require it, some don’t.

This is 100% accurate.