Can Someone Not On Your Insurance Drive Your Car?

We often tend to borrow and lend things to our friends and family. These things may include small household items, money, and sometimes our vehicles. But, what if your lent car gets damaged in a mishap due to any reason. Sure, you got insurance but how does insurance work if someone borrows your car and gets explicitly involved in the accident. Many people have this question, and here in this article, we will help you out with that. You will get to know whether your four wheeler insurance covers the damage in case you are not driving the vehicle or not. So, let’s just dive in!

Can someone not on your insurance drive your car?

Yes, if a person is not on your four wheeler insurance, he or she can still drive your car. However, he or she needs to be a permissive driver. The term permissive driver means that your friend needs to be permitted by you to drive your car.

Will you receive the insurance cover if someone else got in an accident with your car?

Yes, you will be entitled to receive the insurance cover if any of your friends or family got into an accident with your car. However, there are some scenarios to consider:

1.     If the at-fault driver is permitted by you

If the driver of the car is permitted by you to drive it and gets into an accident, you will get the full insurance cover. As insurance is primarily yours, even if you are not in the car when the accident happened, you will get the benefit of the insurance. As liability cover is also a part of your insurance, that is also included in your insurance cover. If the person in the car causes damage to others, that is more than the expected limit. The insurance of the permissive driver will be leveraged to cover the losses. If his or her insurance auto policy is also not enough, the permissive driver will have to pay for the damages done.

2.     What if it is your spouse

Now, if your spouse tries to drive your car and he or she engages in an accident, your insurance will cover all the expenses. It is because your spouse will be on your policy unless he or she is on the excluded driver’s list.

When will you not get an insurance cover if someone borrows your car?

How does insurance work if someone borrows your car? The answer to this question depends on various scenarios and conditions. You are entitled to an insurance cover if:

1. Your friend is in the age groups of drivers that are covered in the insurance policy.
2. Your friend or relative is permitted by you to drive your car. If you haven’t granted any permission to anyone to drive your car, he or she would be liable for the losses. However, it is necessary to prove that you didn’t permit them.
3. The person is on the included driver’s list. The person who is not on the included driver’s list cannot drive your car. If he does and gets into an accident, you will not get any insurance cover.
4. The person has a valid driving license. If not, you may not get the insurance cover.
5. Your friend or family member should not be driving under the influence. For instance, if your friend is under the influence of any drug while driving, you will not get the cover.

Will your premiums surge if someone else drives your car?

The answer to “can someone not on your insurance drive your car” depends on various scenarios, but this one is easy! If someone drives your car and faces an accident, your premium value will surely surge. If you want your premium values to stay low, you can opt for the accident forgiveness feature in your policy. With this feature, you can keep your car insurance premium low after an accident committed by someone else by your car. Usually, this feature is provided to drivers who haven’t encountered an accident with their car in a certain number of years.

What if the driver of your car has a traffic ticket?

If the driver of your car has a traffic ticket other than involvement in an accident, it will not affect your insurance policy rates or premium. The traffic ticket charges go on the driver’s license.

Is it safe to lend your car?

If you want to lend your four-wheeler to your friend or relative, make sure that he or she has a valid driver’s license, the required age, and is also not fond of any sort of drugs. If all of these factors check, you are good to go!

FAQs

1. Do I have to list all drivers on my insurance?

Yes, it will be best to list people on your vehicle insurance policy, provided they can drive. You can also add names that need to be part of the excluded list. This will help in providing damage cover if anything unfortunate happens.

2. Do I need four wheeler insurance to borrow my friend’s car?

Not exactly, the insurance cover is for the vehicle, not the driver so if you don’t have insurance, you can drive your friend’s car. In case of an accident, your friend’s insurance policy will cover the damages.