Driving my car if 'Psych says not insured' ?

[medianewbie]

ExH lives 8m away. We're rural. 2 disabled kids so (try to!) co-operate re transport. He's still on my insurance policy so he can use my small car when needed re kids (ages 18 & 15)
Now, ExH suffers from Depression. Currently signed off (last 6+wks) & on 200mcg Sertraline. Not his fault obvs.

He's arranged to use the car tonight (inc giving a lift to15 y/it's friend). Only he's just said that his Psychiatrist says he isn't insured to drive atm due to 'concentration issues'. So, I've said NO.

Apparently I'm 'being unreasonable'.
Apart from not having kids in car, I don't want him using it alone. Surely that's correct in the circumstances?? (obvs I
only have his word on Psych comment)

Should say : ' inc giving a lift to our 15 y/old's friend'.

Cancel his insurance on the car.
Why can't he get his own car/use a bike.

Today I'd give the dc a lift but then tell them dad will have to sort himself out after today. He doesn't have the insurance to drive my car anymore

I don't think his psychiatrist can cancel his insurance! But you would be well within your rights to say he can't drive your car because of what the psychiatrist said. Of course, that will mean you will have to work together to find other solutions.

If his psychiatrist says he has concentration issues then you don't want him driving your children. And the parent of your child's friend would not be happy with this either - they are trusting that the person taking their child places is medically fit to drive.
Plus, if he pranged the car, insurance won't pay out if he's been told not to drive.

Its a bit odd. He's a bus driver, so is quite rightly signed off that work whilst his concentration is so poor.
I couldn't quite grasp why that meant he couldn't drive socially & he didn't much want to discuss it.
But then he got angry when I said he couldn't drive my car as I was 'over reacting' seemingly?
I wonder if I've only got part of the story or he doesn't want to 'help' any more so this is a good reason why?

Of course you don’t. Even if he only has a wee bump he’s not insured and who’s footing the bill? Who’s premiums are going up at a time when nobody needs another bill increase? Yours.

I've he's been signed off because he's not safe to drive you'd be absurd to let your children get in the car with him.

@ImImAvingOops : those were exactly the things I said to him! He then argued. Bof. Whatever the reason I'm sticking to my guns re him not driving any of us or my car itself from now on.

And your child's friend. i can't tell you how annoyed I'd be if someone drove my child around without telling me this.

What you are saying doesn’t make sense. He cannot have his insurance cancelled for health reasons, although he might have a temporary ban on driving for health reasons, which would of course invalidate insurance. But the doctor saying his insurance is cancelled is a very strange way of putting it.

Get him off the insurance now. And hope he doesn't have a serious RTC in the meantime because in your car, it's on you.

Psychiatrist wouldn't have said he's not insured.
They can report to the DVLA if for example a patient is sectioned
They likely told him his judgement/ concentration may be impaired whilst the medication takes effect
It even says on the dispensary label
Do not drive or operate machinery
( speaking as a psychiatrists patient!)

Yes, just to be clear : he's not driving my kids. Anyone else's kids. Or my car.
I'd just wondered about the way he phrased it. And why he was quite so aggro about my stance when informed.

Ring your insurance company and ask for advice.

It all sounds very weird, but why did he even tell you if he wasn't expecting you to say he couldn't take your car?! Did he think you'd be fine with it?!

Driving under the influence of drink or drugs (prescription or otherwise) is illegal so there's that, and there may also be a clause in your insurance invalidating it if you sit behind the wheel while taking certain drugs.

Was your ex hoping you'd just laugh it off? I am wondering why he told you?

I don't think that's what the psychiatrist said - and it isn't what the OP said either. A doctor can tell you that you are not fit to drive, and advise you how long that impediment may last if they are able to determine that. If you then choose to drive you are likely to find that any insurance you have isn't valid because they will take the view that your were told not to drive. It's very common that this happens - it isn't "cancelling insurance" at all. When I had hip surgery I was told that I wasn't fit to drive for 8 weeks. In actualy fact I was fine and recovered really quickly, but the 8 weeks would have stood except for the fact that the surgeon revised his advice after 4. Had I driven without that happening though, and had an accident, my insurance would have found out that I was advised not to drive and I would have been royally screwed!

I imagine if he's under the care of a psychiatrist and has been signed off work, his behaviour might be unusual for him. As you say, it's not his fault he is suffering from depression so maybe, and since you say he's not driving then maybe give him some slack.

I'm not sure what you want from this thread.

Maybe the psychiatrist said something more like "as you're medically disqualified, if you drove, you'd be uninsured"

If he's been told he cannot drive then it would actually be illegal for him to do so.

It's likely his psychiatrist will have notified the DVLA already that this is the case.

Unfortunately it can be quite rough (understandably) when people have freedom's removed from them but it's really important you stick to your guns on this.

@OneTC. Probably yes ?
Hes been signed off with Depression frequently through our marriage. Bus driver all that time but always driven socially even when signed off as only ever been on antidepressants so I've never formally taken him off my insurance.
Now he's suddenly saying he's seeing a Psychiatrist (poss a Psychologist, he's 'not sure') & been told not to drive (some weeks back apparently ...
but still only on antidepressants)
As for 'what do I want from this thread'- I think i'm just trying to puzzle it out?

We're Divorcing (it's taken ages but he now has the Draft to sign which isn't happening so far). I'm sympathetic but it all seems a bit odd, esp being aggro when I made perfectly sensible comments about not using my car.

I assume if he chooses to drive his own car then the fact he's on my insurance isn't a problem too ?

He may have also expressed risk related to driving ie. "I feel like I want to drive the car into a wall", this is the other situation that this happens in. Or it could just be that he is cognitively not functioning well enough to drive.

What he does in his own car and his own insurance is his decisions, but do not let your kids get into a car with him, and I would report him if you know he is driving.

It is more likely, like this.

His medical records now show he has been advised not to drive - his work have been told he's advised not to drive hence, off work.

So if there's an accident when he is driving, the insurance company might well discover this and then he wouldn't be covered.

But being told not to drive for a while and your medical records reflecting you've been advised not to drive does not mean the DVLA have been informed and you have to return your licence (it is usually on you to do this unless a HCP believes theres a strong chance you will not do so AND will drive whilst advised not to). So he wouldn't flag up on a police system as uninsured automatically.

The dvla website gives guidance for anxiety & depression and driving. www.gov.uk/guidance/psychiatric-disorders-assessing-fitness-to-drive

Basically without concentration issues he’s ok to drive but with concentration issues he cannot drive and must notify dvla. Your insurance would be invalid as it means there’s an increased risk of accident. Stick to your “no” decision, it’s the right one,

I mean if he took the car and had an accident your insurance would be invalid.