If you’re a regular road user, you’ve probably wondered can I drive another car on my insurance? Whether it’s a family member’s, or a friend’s you should always remember to ensure that you’re driving legally.
One of the simplest ways to make sure you’re driving safely in someone else’s vehicle is to be added as a named driver on the policy covering the other car. This can’t be done without the permission of the car’s owner, and the person wanting to be a named driver will have to provide details to the insurer of that car. This policy feature is designed to offer cover for a second road user, alongside the primary driver of the vehicle. You’ll need to provide some key details to your insurer, where you can be added on either a permanent or temporary basis , although it’s good to know that not all insurers will provide cover for temporary drivers.
If you’re looking for short term insurance for driving someone else's car, you can also apply for a very limited type of cover - you’ll still need permission of the car owner to do this. One thing to avoid as a responsible driver is “fronting” – this is when experienced drivers take out insurance in their name, but the car is primarily used by a younger driver to get them a lower premium.
In this article:
- Driving Other Cars (DOC) Insurance Cover
- Does fully comprehensive insurance cover driving other cars?
- Driving penalties
- Frequently asked questions about driving other cars
Driving Other Cars (DOC) Insurance Cover
DOC cover isn’t provided for all policyholder’s. If you’re 25 or over, and your motor certificate provides cover for the policyholder to drive other cars you will be able to drive someone else’s car. However you will need their permission, the car must have its own insurance.
Driving other cars was designed to only be used in emergencies and doesn’t provide cover for damage to the car being driven, so if you are driving another car regularly on your DOC extension you should consider being added to the policy that covers it.
Does fully comprehensive insurance cover driving other cars?
Although fully comprehensive cover is the highest level of protection offered and includes damage to your own car cover, this does not mean you are automatically covered to drive other cars even if you are over 25. The DOC extension is not provided in all cases, so before you drive any other car you must check if your certificate has this extension. And, if it is provided it only provides third party cover.
Driving penalties
To make sure that road users are safe at all times, driving penalties are in place for people who do not follow the rules of the road. It’s worth knowing that it is always illegal to use a car on public roads without a minimum of 3rd party insurance.
The penalties for driving without the correct insurance can include six points on your driving licence and if you receive twelve points you can be banned from driving. Losing your license is something no road user wants – that’s why it’s essential to ensure you have the correct cover before you drive any car that isn’t covered under your policy.
