AIBU to think we don't need to tell the insurer about daughter learning to drive?

[flawless234]

Hi All,
My daughter has just started learning to drive and we're now doing some practice sessions in our car. She's got her provisional licence and everything, and I'm sitting with her, but we haven't told our car insurance company. I'm thinking, she's not the main driver, it's just a bit of practice with me supervising, so surely we don't need to add her as a named driver?
I've heard some people say you need special learner insurance or to add them to your policy, but it feels a bit OTT for just a few supervised drives. I'm a bit worried about the premium shooting up, to be honest!
Am I being unreasonable to think we can just carry on as we are, or do we really need to contact our insurer? Does anyone have any experience with this? Any advice on what to do would be amazing, as I'm totally clueless about all this.
Thanks in advance!

You can only take her out on your own private land ie you have to be the landowner. And no public access as above. So I doubt OP owns a private car park for her.

tbh I think the posts about her crashing or killing someone are a bit drama lllama. It’s clearly very unlikely to happen. And the industry isn’t allowed to just wash their hands of victims of this sort of thing. However, the point is it’s a legal requirement and that’s why you do it. Not because you think you might kill a person 🙄

Hang on though, we don't know where the OP lives, maybe she's in a territory where people who haven't passed their test don't need to be insured when driving.

Can't think of any other reason this would need to be asked

The whole OP is one massive justification.

😂

She needs learner insurance (eg Marmalade and similar). How can you not know this? What if she runs over a parent with a baby in a pushchair on a zebra crossing? You could be liable for millions of pounds in rehabilitation or prison if she kills someone.

@flawless234 I'm genuinely astonished you think this is OK. Your DD is breaking the law by not having motor insurance and you risk voiding your own insurance policy by allowing someone who is uninsured to drive your car. The risks of what you might have to pay out if your DD was involved in a collision in your car far outweigh the increased insurance premiums. Give your head a wobble and help your DD find some affordable insurance as a matter of urgency.

Even if she doesn't crash, you're likely to be spotted by the police. They can seize your car and ban the learner. I believe there may be penalties for you too as you are responsible for the learner whilst supervising.

OP it’s a crime to drive without insurance. You know this. Why are you posting? I’m reporting.

Some of the comments on here are really quite insulting, the people on here could answer without being offensive,

This has to be a troll. There cannot be people this stupid on our roads .... can there?

If you let her drive your car with no insurance you will both be prosecuted if caught, I imagine the penalty would be severe if she were to have an accident in that basis.

Does this mean driving instructors don't need insurance at all, since their car is for practice runs?

Would you be fine with an uninsured driver hitting you, your house or car as long as they are only practicing?

You’d be insulting the OP yourself if the uninsured, illegally driving daughter drove into you or someone you cared about!

Are you sure you're safe to supervise her driving if you believe she doesn't need to be insured? 😅

Crashes are very likely to happen. It's a private car so no dual controls.
I know several driving instructors who have been involved in accidents whilst out on lessons, so it definitely is a possibility.

Killing someone is probably unlikely, but that's why we have insurance surely?

You do need to add her, as she is only on a provisional it doesn’t cost much more but you have to, if she happens to get pulled by the police or even crash you’ll be screwed

You can only take her out on your own private land ie you have to be the landowner.

You access private land every time you enter a car park. Some private land is unfenced and ungated. What about unadopted roads owned by leaseholder(s)? It used to be common for disused airfields, car parks out of hours and other redundant spaces to be practiced in by dozens of learners.

Unless this is a wind up, I’m not sure OP or daughter should even be on the road based on lack of common sense alone. Despairing also 😔

This!!! I can't believe anyone needs to ask this question

Crashes are not very likely at all. And I would hope most people would apply a bit of common sense and go to quiet places at quiet times to practise. Round here people go to business parks at the weekend, or quiet areas very early in the morning, specifically to avoid the stress of other drivers.

Bottom line is your daughter is driving illegally. It would be a shame if she had to give up driving because she got points on her provisional licence before she passed her test!

Be aware to that if she did cause an accident:

• all damage to other vehicles she'd have to pay for out of pocket because there'd be no insurance.
• any pay-outs relating to injuries to people or animals she'd have to pay for out of pocket because there'd be no insurance.
• any other damage to property such as if she drove into someone's garden wall, she'd be paying for out of pocket.

So presuming your daughter has a few spare grand in a bank somewhere, she might be ok, if not don't let her leave your property in control of a car until you have proper insurance for her on the car.

It's illegal to drive without insurance.
She's not covered. Your premium will go up if you add her. If you don't add her then she can't drive your car.

You need insurance but you don’t need to add her to yours necessarily.
You can get Buy as you go Insurance from lots of places. When I learnt to drive a few years ago I had an app and I would go on and pay for an hour or 2 hours worth of insurance for learning in my husband’s car.
There are lots of different ones available.

Insurance for a learner driver isn't actually that expensive. For many insurance companies it only really shoots up once they pass and are driving unsupervised as that is when the accidents happen.

ETA - obviously it is a legal requirement to have insurance, that goes without saying, but thought I'd reassure you that this stage may not be as expensive as you think.

No. No one ever gets caught for carless driving or driving without a license. Never happens

You definitely need to inform your insurers - sge will not be covered to drive otherwise.