Car Insurance

[Homer55]

I have a policy that covers me for any other car 3rd party only, But does this only apply when the car is insured by someone else?

I mean if a car is not insured by anyone am I legal to drive it?

Thanks

[Ethel]

The car must be insured by the owner.

[Homer55]

Ah right, thanks that clears it up.

[Stu Dent]

No, you can drive another car under your own policy if it entitles you to. The other party need not have insurance - there may not be another party. For example if you buy a car at auction and decide to drive it home. it is perfectly legitimate to do this if it has a valid tax disc and a current MOT - YOUR policy entitles you to drive it home.

But, BEWARE! Most fully comp policies that allow you to drive another car with third party insurance generally only allow you to do so in an EMERGENCY. Generally you are NEVER allowed to drive it under any other circumstances. Check your policy and/or your insurers.

Some insurers allow you to drive any car you wish to third party (usually insurers with policies for performance vehicles), but this is quite rare. Other insurers e.g. Direct Line? EMERGENCIES ONLY!!

[mrknowall]

This question has come up before and i said like you Stu Dent i got greif off people for telling lies
I know friends who did this last week they got pulled over.
There was a car reg check he got pulled over because the car showed no insurance on the car he borrowed.
He produced his insurance for his car which said he could drive a car that doesnt belong to him as long as the owner gave him permission
They said thats fine.

[Ethel]

Comprehensive motor policies have a clause allowing you to drive QUOTE " any motor vehicle not owned by the insured and not hired to him under a higher purchase agreement. However the vehicle you intend to drive MUST be covered by another insurance policy held by the owner of the vehicle."

So if you buy a car at auction it belongs to you and most certainly IS NOT covered by the 'any car' terms of the insurance policy.

Since January 2006 the Police have had the power to impound any vehicle which is shown on their databases not to have insurance.
So, you drive your mates uninsured car on your insurance, park it legally and come back to find it impounded,.
Who pays?

Very dodgy ground.

[mrknowall]

Hi Ethel
This might come effect when my policey runs out in sep
Ive just checked mine
And mine says i can drive another car without insurance in place on another vechicle as long as i have permission from the vechicles owner.
So my adivce phone your insurance

[Stu Dent]

Ethel is correct and so I stand corrected - I think.

I called Direct Line (my insurers) they confirm that I can drive any vehicle not owned by me third party (in an emergency only) - but that crucially, as Ethel has stated, it must be insured by someone. I would not for example be permitted to drive Ethel to hospital in her own car if I were to come across her in the middle of nowhere, Ethel having come to some terrible misfortune, and is unconcious and incapable of consenting to my driving her car. (Though a defence of 'necessity' may be available depending on other circumstances). But this surely depends upon the conditions of use by that individual insurance company. So the only way to be entirely sure is to contact your insurer and to check your policy documents.

Regarding uninsured cars and the police impounding it though, this is new territory and it has been shown that quite commonly, the database is out-of-date. Insurers and the police are investigating ways that information be more accurate and updated more quickly. If the car I bought and insured earlier today shows up as being uninsured, the police can indeed impound my car. But not if I can subsequently show that the car was in fact insured at the relevant time. Would I have to pay to get it back? Lord knows! I tried calling the police and the chap I spoke to was clueless:-)

[mrknowall]

I have checked my policey but to update you all i will phone esure in the morning and check it out

[kempie]

As the law stands at this moment in time "car" insurance is subject to Part VI of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended)...

"Compulsory insurance or security against third-party risks - Users of motor vehicles to be insured or secured against third-party risks."

...thus each "user" policy will stipulate which vehicles can be driven and under what circumstances.

Currently not all policies state that "the vehicle you intend to drive MUST be covered by another insurance policy held by the owner of the vehicle" - NOT YET!!! - but they soon will to bring them in line with Section 22 of the Road Safety Act 2006 which will further amend Part VI of the RTA 1988 and make it an offence to keep a vehicle not covered by its "own" insurance.

Section 22 of the RSA 2006 has not yet come into force.