Teenager passed their test and always asking to borrow your car?
Need to borrow your mum's car while you're home for the holidays?
Or perhaps you and your partner want to drive each other’s vehicles from time to time?
Whatever your situation – if someone regularly borrows your car, you’ll need to get them added to your car insurance policy as a named driver. This means they’ll be legally covered to drive your car.
How do I add a named driver?
Adding a named driver is usually easy to do. Churchill customers can add a named driver online or via the app. If you’re not with us, then you'll need to check the process with your car insurer.
How will a named driver affect my No Claim Discount?
Named drivers won’t typically earn their own No Claim Discount (NCD) when driving your car. But, if they have an accident in your vehicle, then your NCD may be affected.
What's 'fronting' and how can I avoid it?
Fronting is when someone claims to be the main driver of a car, but actually the named driver is the person who uses the vehicle most often.
This can be done deliberately, by an older or more experienced driver who claims to be the main driver to help reduce costs, or it may happen by accident. For example, your child finishes university and returns home. They get a job and start using the family car for their regular commute. Suddenly, they’re the main driver, but if you don’t update your policy, then this could be classed as fronting.
Fronting is a form of insurance fraud, so it’s important to always be honest with your insurer when stating who drives the car the most.
What about learner drivers?
If you're a learner driver, or you’re letting a learner drive your car, it’s important to check that you have the correct insurance cover in place.
The best approach is to add the learner as a named driver on the car owner’s insurance policy. This can be done on a temporary basis or for a specific amount of time.
And remember, learners must also display L-plates on the car whenever they’re driving.
I already have car insurance in my name, can I drive someone else’s vehicle?
Not necessarily. Many of us assume that if we have a comprehensive car insurance policy this means that we’re covered to drive another vehicle. It’s wrong to assume this and it could be a costly mistake.
You can be fined and get points on your driving licence if you drive without adequate car insurance. In some cases, you could be banned from driving altogether. In these instances, insurance companies can refuse to pay for damage to the car being driven.
If you have car insurance, you may be covered to drive a car that does not belong to you on a third-party basis, provided you have the owner’s permission. Third-party basis means that the insurance company will cover you legally if you kill or injure someone, damage their property or damage their car. This is referred to in car insurance policies as a ‘Drive Other Cars’ option.
However, as not all car insurance companies offer this option, you must check your insurance certificate or check with the company before you drive someone else’s car. It’s also worth noting that a lot of car insurance companies want you to be over the age of 25 before they’ll provide the ‘Drive Other Cars’ (DOC) option. If you’re under 25 then you may need to shop around to find a policy that includes DOC for younger drivers.
Am I insured to test-drive a car?
If you want to test-drive a car you're thinking of buying, you may wonder whether you're insured. The thing to remember is that if you are test-driving a car from a dealer, they will have insurance cover for this purpose.
However, if you want to test driving a car from a private seller, you'll only be insured to drive it on a public road if you have the 'Drive Other Cars' option on your insurance policy.
Tips for driving someone else's car
Even when you've got the right cover in place, it’s always a good idea to familiarise yourself with a different car before you drive off. For example, if you’ve been used to driving an automatic car for a few years, you might find a manual gear system quite daunting.
Give yourself the opportunity to get used to a new car. Check the seat position, mirrors, clutch and gears before taking it on the road. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
