Car Insurance. Parent as main driver.

Hey,

As I understand, I can have my dad as the main driver on a car and me as an additional driver, and the insurance would be a lot less. However, this means that if I was to have a crash, it would ruin my dads no claims, right?

So it's unfair because I wouldn't want to ruin my dads no claims bonus, however.. I've heard that some companies will put it on mine (the additional driver) if I was to crash, but I don't know which insurers offer this?

My dad can actually be the main driver, so it's nothing dodgy, much cheaper with him as the main, which got me thinking. :smile:

Chris

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Reply 1

Cj-Tj

Chris4

Chris

How do you mean "can be"? He either is or isnt. If its your car and you do most of the driving then its illegal. And yes, it will ruin his no claims not yours, no matter which company you go with.

Reply 2

flyinthesky

Chris4

Hey,

I've heard that some companies will put it on mine (the additional driver) if I was to crash, but I don't know which insurers offer this?

Chris

I think the co-op offer something like this. You can also build up your own no-claims with them. Might be worth investing in protecting your dad's no claims too. It cost my mum £10 to do that I think.

Reply 3

Kevmeister

You can protect no-claims, you just pay for the privilege. Direct line also let you build up your own no-claims. The best thing you can do is ring several insurance brokers tomorrow and ask them about your options.....

Reply 4

warrenpenalver

Driving as an additional driver on a parents insurance policy is illegal if you are the main driver.

Reply 5

Music Maestro

warrenpenalver

Driving as an additional driver on a parents insurance policy is illegal if you are the main driver.

How Would Anyone Find Out?

Reply 6

Music Maestro

Chris4

Chris

Im gonna do this :smile:

Me and my mum discussed it. She knows a couple of people at her workplace that do it and its been fine for them.

Also, its only for 3 years for me :smile:

Until i get good income :smile:

Reply 7

The_Goose

tbf your better off just getting your own policy. also be aware that if your dad has his own policy with his own car then he can't use his no claims discount twice. I looked into this, but because my dad no claims discount was already in use on another policy it didn't make it one bit cheaper by having him as the main driver. although i found it made my insurance about £60 cheaper when i added my parents as named drivers to my policy with quinn direct. freaky

Reply 8

username156343

Music Maestro

How Would Anyone Find Out?

They almost certainly wouldn't. The only reason you wouldn't do it would be on moral grounds.

Reply 9

pumpkin7

er, that's called fronting and it is illegal. if you get caught you will get 6 points on your licence and may be charged with driving without insurance.

Reply 10

trumpet001

This is a strange one… figured out that with direct line when you add yourself as an additional driver (one of your parents as the main driver) when it asked for the connection or whatever to the main driver… if you “accidentally” put spouse it seriously brings down your insurance (in my case from £760 down to £176!!)

For the record I have no plans on doing this, and I don’t recommend it… it implies incest & its illegal. Lol

Reply 11

mackemforever

It is illegal.

While under normal circumstances you are not going to be caught HOWEVER if you have a crash and they find out that its your car, either through any mods you have done to it or anybody testifying that you drive it most then they won't pay out.

Reply 12

flyinthesky

It's actually not illegal if OP isn't the main driver, which he's already said.

Reply 13

Gilly Gillett

Would like to point out that if your parent already has a car, and already uses their no claims discount, then that discount WILL NOT apply to the second car - ie the one you're driving - so it will be quite a lot more expensive than you'd imagine.
That's what Direct Line told me anyway - imagine my surprise when I got a letter through saying my premium was going up by £600 because my mum already had a car using her no claims bonus!!

Reply 14

Gilly Gillett

flyinthesky

It's actually not illegal if OP isn't the main driver, which he's already said.

Correct, but if OP's Dad has a car already which he uses, the OP is gonna be doing most of the driving.
To be fair, it's normally fine for the first accident. If you have a second accident, though, and both times you were driving your insurance is unlikely to pay out - that's what happened to a friend of mine, anyway, as the insurance company (rightly) figured she was the main driver when she crashed a second time :rolleyes:

Reply 15

anandv05

Chris4

Chris

you will get loads of replies about how this is "fraud" and its called "fronting".. just ignore those replies!

Reply 16

Elementric

warrenpenalver

Driving as an additional driver on a parents insurance policy is illegal if you are the main driver.

pumpkin7

er, that's called fronting and it is illegal. if you get caught you will get 6 points on your licence and may be charged with driving without insurance.

mackemforever

Seriously would you shut up? Are you stupid or something? He's already said that his dad is going to be driving it more than him, so no, it isn't illegal - just sensible.

I'm a named driver on my mum's policy, and adding me on added less than £400 to the insurance (if my brother wasn't on there as well). If I was insured as main driver (in which case my mum couldn't drive it as much as she does, obviously), it would have cost upwards of £2000. The two issues are the 1. if you crash, your parent will lose their no claims (assuming it's not one of the policies you mentioned), and 2. you aren't building up a no claims for yourself (again assuming it isn't one of those policies). Simple answer is don't crash. You can build up your no claims later on when insurance is a fraction of what it is when you've just passed.

Reply 17

Elementric

Cj-Tj

How do you mean "can be"? He either is or isnt. If its your car and you do most of the driving then its illegal. And yes, it will ruin his no claims not yours, no matter which company you go with.

"Can be" because his dad would be driving it more than him... not hard to work out. + it will only ruin his no claims if you crash it.

Reply 18

Nuffles

Elementric

This

This is what I do, £350 vs. £3000+ per year. In term time I only drive my car to work on Saturdays and occasionally if I want to go out one night with friends, and Dad drives it 3 days a week to get to the station for work and at weekends. Holidays is a bit of a different matter but it works out to be about 50/50 overall so I'm not feeling too bad :p:

It is my car, I paid for it, but I don't see why this makes any difference? Many people have cars given to them by parents but insure themselves as the driver so why should it be any different when named drivers come into play?

Reply 19

Cj-Tj

Elementric

"Can be" because his dad would be driving it more than him... not hard to work out. + it will only ruin his no claims if you crash it.

Where did he say that? He didnt. All he said was that his dad "could be". My dad "could be", for insurance purposes, as it is hes insured on the car, but hasnt driven it once in 3 years. From "could be" you assumed it would all be legal and kosher. There are plenty of people whos rents are main drivers (for insurance purposes) when in fact they only rarely get behind the wheel. Assumptions are dangerous......... :wink: