Car insured as long as it's not mine?

[dave]

I have just bought a second car (due to my other car catching fire on the way to work the other week), but it has no road tax.

 

Obviously I need to get insurance first - well because I have my other car insured already, car insurers won't let me use my NCD on this car as well.

 

(The rules have changed somewhat since I joined the CII!!!)

 

However, I have my other car insured fully comp, which allows me to drive any car that doesn't belong to me third party only. That's fine - TP only is what I want.

 

So, my question is - am I able to buy road tax with the certificate that allows me to drive the car providing it's my partners car for instance?

 

Hope this makes sense.

[rippedoffagain]

Dont think so!

 

You should be able to get temporary cover, say for one week, so you have a cover note to tax your new car.

[Spiceskull]

You must remember that the insurance relates to the car it was taken out to cover. The fact that it also extends to you as TP when driving other vehicles is a courtesy extended to YOU as a driver, but implicit in this is that the OTHER car is also properly insured and taxed.

 

In a nutshell, the certificate is only for the car, and therefore will not cover the other cars concerned. However, if the insurers will not extend your NCD to the other car - exercise your right to move to an insurer that will offer this. Martin Lewis did a good talk about this last week on the radio...your current insurer may soon change their mind when faced with losing what is effectively two policies...

 

(Does all that sound gramattically right?)

[dave]

Thank you - good call - I'm on MSE now! ;-)

 

It seems odd to me that the NCD is gained by me not hitting anything - yet I can only use it on one car at a time.

 

I can only drive one car at a time, so why would I be a bigger risk in another (similar sized, same grouped) car?

[Spiceskull]

so why would I be a bigger risk in another (similar sized, same grouped) car?

I'm not sure if this would be a valid point, but when you are driving your 'normal' car, then you are completely familiar with everything about it. In another car you may not be so familiar, and therefore your reaction times could be affected. Additionally, in someone else's car, it is possible to have an 'it's not my car, so it doesn't matter' kind of attitude. Not that I am sugesting this is the case, but I wouldn't be surprised if this theory has been expounded at some point in time...

[martinwhite]

There is a chicken and egg situation to watch out for too.

 

Can't get tax without insurance, no tax will invalidate insurance. Also whilst the insurance certificate DOES NOT have to mention the vehicle you are taxing explicitly, I would think it would have to be in your name.

 

Get a refund of the tax from the burnt car for the remainder of the year paid for previously!

 

Spiceskull is exactly right, the car must be insured by its owner to allow you to drive it third party on your own policy.

[dave]

The road tax won't actually invalidate the third party part of the insurance - only the Comp bit - I won't go into details (as it's very boring) but it's because the person is insured for TP NOT the car.

 

My policy states that I am able to drive any other car that doesn't belong to me - there's no mention of the car being insured by another person to make this valid anywhere in the entire T&C's?????????

 

I'm not sure that it is a requirement - it's certainly not a legal requirement.

 

In another car you may not be so familiar, and therefore your reaction times could be affected. Additionally, in someone else's car, it is possible to have an 'it's not my car, so it doesn't matter' kind of attitude.

 

I would say that if they feel that way, then the driving test isn't hard enough. I can jump into any car and drive it immediatly - a car is a car to me - different cars handle differently, sure, but driving is driving no matter what car it is that is being driven.

[Spiceskull]

I can jump into any car and drive it immediatly - a car is a car to me - different cars handle differently, sure, but driving is driving no matter what car it is that is being driven.

I agree completely, but they have to spout some sort of contentious drivel to bamboozle people into believing the higher costs are justified...

[dave]

Maybe when the bank thing is won - we go after them!!!??

[Spiceskull]

hmmm...maybe...

[Loula]

You can only get Road Tax using a certificate which either has that car's reg number on it, or states any vehicle belonging to the polciy holder...

 

sorry!

 

LOULA

[dave]

Yeah - I thought as much.

 

Oh well - it's done now.

 

It turns out I can have an extra car policy with my existing insurer and they will honour my NCD AND I get a discount for a second car (although the discounted price was about 10p MORE than a non-discounted price their site was showing on Insuresupermarket.com!! ??)

[Loula]

(although the discounted price was about 10p MORE than a non-discounted price their site was showing on Insuresupermarket.com!! ??)

 

 

I know, I know. If you ever want me to explain how/why I will, but it will send you to sleep!

 

LOULA

[cwk]

Glad you got it sorted

 

But for the record; to drive another car Third Party on your own Comprehensive insurance, the 'other' car must be insured itself (either C or TP)

[dave]

Glad you got it sorted

 

But for the record; to drive another car Third Party on your own Comprehensive insurance, the 'other' car must be insured itself (either C or TP)

 

I'm not so sure that this is the case - there is certainly no legal reason why it should be, and it's not mentioned anywhere in my policy - it just states that I can drive any other car not belonging to me.

[dave]

I know, I know. If you ever want me to explain how/why I will, but it will send you to sleep!

 

LOULA

 

Could I have an edited version? ;-)

[Spiceskull]

I'm not so sure that this is the case - there is certainly no legal reason why it should be, and it's not mentioned anywhere in my policy - it just states that I can drive any other car not belonging to me.

The logic of the argument is this - it is a criminal offence to drive a car WITHOUT insurance, and therefore the car must be insured...

[panther12]

I'm not so sure that this is the case - there is certainly no legal reason why it should be, and it's not mentioned anywhere in my policy - it just states that I can drive any other car not belonging to me.

From what I gather there is no need for the other car to be insured. You can legally drive on your own policy if it allows you to drive other cars, however, as soon as you park it on the public highway the insurance then reverts back to the registered keeper of that vehicle. If there is no insurance on that car then I think the registered keeper can be done for allowing it to be kept on the public highway with no insurance.

 

In the small print of your policy it will probably say that anyone can USE your vehicle but not DRIVE it. That means that whoever drives your car with your permission does so on their own TP policy, but when they park it on the road the insurance reverts back to you as they are now the users of your car. Well that's the understanding I make of it.

[Loula]

Sorry only just caught up with this thread again.

 

It is basically because the website put some of their commission against the product to reduce the costs but claw it back in other charges which we are now seeing in failed DD fees, cancellation charges etc.

 

LOULA

 

PS Dave, clear your inbox again please!!!! ;-)

[Loula]

Panther

 

You are correct.

 

The overall responsibilty is for the owner of the vehicle to insurance it for the Road Traffic Act only. ie. TP only. If you drive some elses car and they fail to notify you that there is no such cover in place then you could rely on your 'driving other cars' extension if your policy carries one, this only covers you whilst the vehicle is in motion.

 

If the owner drives and has an accident and is uninsured, hurts TP or TP property then his last insurer becomes liable under RTA law.

 

Hope no-one is confused by this

 

LOULA

[dave]

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