Driving another car on your own insurance - does the other car need a policy on it too?

[Wallace]

I am fully comp but my car is in the garage. We have been given an old jeep that is still taxed and has an MOT. I can drive other vehicles with my insurance, but does that vehicle need to be already insured?

AFAIK other car must be insured too. In the UK it is the car which is insured, not the person (I know in some other countries it's the other way round).

My husband had his car serviced and used a courtesy car to get to work - he had to have a day's insurance to drive it. He is fully comp on his own car.

Also, be warned about driving other cars with your insurance. If you are not a named driver on their policy (or if they have av all drivers over 25 policy), then you are highly unlikely to have the same level of cover (will probably just be the bare minimum iirc).

Thanks, I thought that was the case but wanted to check before spending money!

I can get courtesy cars from my garage whenmy car goes in but unless you can show them a cover note with details of their car on it (which would take a couple of days to sort out) you have to take out their insurance in case your transpires to be invalid for some reason. It's a bit of a rip-off so I don't bother. I manage without rather than pay £15 more.

I think driving other cars on your insurance makes the cover 3rd party only but I may be wrong. Why not ring your insurance company and get them to add the car on temporarily?

My understanding is that, provided your own insurance allows you to do so, you can drive any other car with the owner's permission BUT even if you're fully comp, you'd only be covered 3rd party on the other car. I'm not sure whether that car has to be insured too though. Let me know please if you find out.

Well usually a car would have to be insured in order to be taxed.

My policy which does allow me to drive other cars with owner's permission does not require that car to be insured. However the car cannot be owned by me or hired by me. Also there is an opt out if your car has been written off.

No idea what happens if the Jeep is in Dh's name rather than yours?

The 'driving other cars' thing is the most misunderstood bit of insurance policies according to DH. It is really only designed for emergency use of other cars - the other car must have insurance, and it covers third party liability only, and then often with a cap (which leaves you liable if there are large injury expenses).

My policy has provision for courtesy cars from garages, and they can often sort something out for you.

Ring your insurer and make sure you are properly covered. It is illegal to drive without cover, and leaves you financially liable

I'm driving someone else's car at the moment, just to keep it roadworthy while he's unable to use it.

I was advised by my insurer, that as long as I have his permission, my insurance allows me to drive his car legally, but I have no cover if I damage it, it's stolen or bursts into flames. If I crash into someone else, the damage to their car is covered.

I suggested taking out my own insurance, but I can only do that if I have an interest in the car, ie I'm the owner/keeper.

So I take it for a spin a couple of times a month and take the risk that it isn't nicked, or I dent it.