Can I Drive Another Car on My Insurance?

Occasionally, it may arise where you might think that driving someone else’s car is the only solution. Insurance is often the problem, though, and in this edition of our blog, we explain how it works when it comes to driving another car.

In many cases, you cannot drive another car on your insurance, regardless of the policy you hold. In some cases, though, exemptions can be made, but it can be confusing.

Can I drive any car on my insurance?

This is where the confusion often sets in. Car insurance is for the car, not the individual. Whilst your personal circumstances are factored into how much your insurance costs, it is the car that the policy applies to.

This means you cannot simply hop into another car and drive. Each car needs its own car insurance policy so as a result, you cannot insure yourself to drive any car.

When you take out a car insurance policy, you can list who is eligible to drive it – likewise, someone can name you as eligible to drive their car.

Should you not be a named driver, you will need to look at DOC cover, for example, to be able to drive another person’s car. However, it’s worth noting that with DOC (Drive Other Cars), driving someone else’s car does become possible, but only in an emergency and only with certain caveats met.

What is DOC cover?

DOC, or Drive Other Cars, allows you to drive someone else’s vehicle without you being named on their policy with third-party cover. Should their vehicle not be insured though, you won’t be covered by DOC – their car will still need to have a valid comprehensive car insurance policy. Driving someone else’s car, without that vehicle being insured, could see both you and the owner facing a costly penalty.

How does DOC car insurance work?

With DOC, you can indeed drive another person’s car and not be named on their insurance policy. However, restrictions apply. Your DOC cover would normally include restrictions and requirements such as:

• The car owner has permitted you to drive it
• You can only drive the car if there is an emergency
• The car you are using must have a valid insurance policy already in place
• DOC will only apply to the policyholder and not any named drivers on the policy
• You will only be covered by third-party cover when driving someone else’s car when you have DOC cover

Do I have DOC cover?

It is often mistaken that a comprehensive car insurance policy will include drive other car cover, but this is not always the case.

If you are unsure whether or not your policy includes the option for DOC, you should check your documentation. It will be listed on your policy or renewal documents. If nothing is mentioned, then you aren’t covered to drive other cars, regardless of the policy type you have.

Driving on the assumption that you are covered to drive someone else’s car could see you risking fines and penalty points. Not only that, but you could find that your policies cost significantly more next time you try and take one out.

Could I add DOC to an insurance policy?

If you think that there will always be the likelihood of needing to drive another person’s vehicle, it could be worth adding DOC cover to your car insurance. However, it is worth remembering that for DOC to be an option, the restrictions we mentioned earlier would apply.

Some insurance companies will request you cancel your current policy and begin a totally new one, and others may not offer the opportunity at all. Where insurance providers will offer the opportunity to add or upgrade DOC cover, they may require you to fulfil some specific requirements. For the most part, these will include:

• You must be aged at least 25 when starting the policy
• The car you plan to drive must have insurance already
• You cannot work in the motoring trade where driving other vehicles is frequent
• Your car insurance policy needs to be comprehensive

Requirements may vary between providers, so it is worth checking before committing to a new policy. These restrictions can mean that DOC cover is not available to everyone. Where that is the case, you can investigate temporary car insurance if you know that you will be required to use another person’s vehicle. Otherwise, you could ask the policy holder if they can add you to their policy as a named driver for the car you want to drive.

What is temporary car insurance?

A temporary car insurance policy is often an easy solution if you need to drive someone else’s car. With policies valid for as little as 1 hour and as long as 28 days, temporary cover provides you with a quick solution.

Compared to DOC cover, you could find that temporary car insurance is your best option. Where DOC only offers third-party cover, temporary car insurance gives you comprehensive cover for the use of another vehicle.

You should consider temporary car insurance if:

• There is an emergency and you need an immediate insurance policy to drive someone to the hospital
• You are moving house or transporting goods and need to borrow a larger vehicle to assist you
• Your current car is broken down so you are borrowing a car until yours is repaired
• You are borrowing a car and sharing the driving

What are the penalties for driving someone else’s car without insurance?

If you choose to drive without DOC or temporary car insurance, when using someone else’s car, you stand to not only have six points added to your license but also a substantial fine. Depending on the severity of the offence, you could even have the car taken from you. Whilst all this is bad enough, the fact you have breached insurance rules and broken the law means that any policy you look to secure afterwards will cost significantly more than the previous one.

If you need to drive someone else’s car, either for an emergency or temporarily, you should make sure that the correct insurance is taken out to ensure you don’t end up with a penalty. Furthermore, if temporary car insurance has been taken out because the cost of a new car has put you off making a purchase, consider speaking to Euphoria Finance. We operate as a direct lender, meaning we can assess each application for quick car finance based on your exact needs. This means that whether you are looking for used car finance deals or are in search of car finance for very poor credit, we can help. With all types of vehicles available, affordable car finance is just a call away. Get your free quote today and drive away tomorrow.