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Named Drivers - Should They Be On Your Policy?

By: Mark Bartley

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It is often thought that just because you have insurance to drive a car, it means anyone can drive that vehicle. But this is not always the case. In order for other people, such as members of your family, friends and work colleagues, to drive your car they must be named on your insurance policy. This can usually be an easy and cost effective way for another person to be insured.

Comprehensive cover doesn't always mean anyone can drive the car without letting the insurer know. Sometimes there is no charge to add a named driver, but if there is one, it should be relatively small compared to the price of a new policy just for that named driver.

Guidelines for named drivers
You could be fined up to £5000 for driving a car without the correct insurance cover, as well as receive up to eight penalty points on your driving licence, and you could even be banned from driving. So always ensure that you will be covered for any car you do drive, whether it's your own or someone else's car. Named driver insurance is not always mandatory though, if you are already covered to drive other people's vehicles under your own policy. This is known as the 'drive other cars' facility. Most people will not have this on their policy so it should not be taken for granted that you are covered, especially if you are less than 25 years old.

It's worth noting that even if you are covered to drive other vehicles, the insurance could be just for third party claims, so any damage to the car you drive may not be covered if an accident was your fault. If you do need to be named on someone else's insurance policy, then there could be restrictions and conditions on the policy that you would need to note and adhere to in order to comply with the law.

Learning to drive?
Outside of having professional driving lessons, many learner drivers find that practicing their learnt skills in a the car of a friend or family member can prove invaluable. If you can find a colleague or relative to supervise your driving in their own car then you need to make sure you are legally covered to do so. In this instance, you should find out about being named driver on a temporary basis, or at least until you pass your driving test. This can be a good way to get extra driving time in at a fraction of the cost of lessons, though don't regard this as a substitute for a driving instructor and remember you'll still need to have L-plates on display.

No claims and named drivers
Named drivers can have an affect on the no claims bonus of a policy holder. If your no claims history on your insurance is long, and your insurance premium is low, it might be well worth finding out about how a claim might affect the cost of future insurance, and whether any no claims protection is available.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

This report by Mark Bartley is one of several about car insurance. Mark reports on various aspects of personal finance and product options.

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