Please help - may be arrested

[Ciaran187]

Hi All

I am very sorry for posting this in the general discussion forum but I need an answer asap. Afterwards, I will have it moved to Insurance forum.

I'm insured with NIG. I was driving a friend's car and got into a crash. Not a bad one - everyone's fine. Trouble is, police are saying my insurance doesn't allow me to drive other people's cars. I thought it did. I can't get a straight answer from my insurance company. Something tells me they just want to avoid dealing with the claim but I might be done for driving without insurance.

Can someone please help me out here??? Is anyone else insured with NIG and do they have a "Driving Other Cars (DOC) extension"?

 

[arc]

if you are covered it will say so on your policy, if it doesn't say it, then you are not covered. my policy specifically states that i have DOC

 

[vikerina19]

Get your insurance certificate out - it will specifically say on your policy if it is included or excluded from your policy.

As far as I'm aware - from being told by my insurance company - DOC is not something which can be "added" to your policy, it is something the insurance company "offers" you because of NCB and age (generally you must be over 25). Unfortunately it's not standard on everyone's car insurance policy but your certificate will give you the info you need.

 

[miff121]

hi, I'm sure if your fully comp,you can drive the owners car with there consent on a Third Party basis,
but not sure with NIG insurance policy,as some have age related clauses put in some policies.

 

[udtrev]

Doesn't the car have to be insured already for DOC ? You don't say if it is currently insured.


Trev

 

[Ciaran187]

Hi all

Thanks for the info. Car is insured. He has his own policy with another insurance company. My certificate says "Cover under the driving other vehicle extension, if applicable, is limited soley to Third Party liability. WARNING - this extension does not apply if your own vehicle is sold or disposed of".

It doesn't say anywhere if it's applicable or not. It's a commercial policy.

 

[Andy Monty]

How old are you Ciaran?

 

[custard]

have you looked over all your insurance docs?
eg the schedule etc?
TBH if it makes no explicit statement on DOC then you wont be covered

 

[vikerina19]

it has to specifically say your insurance has DOC cover.

 

[Ciaran187]

23. Nothing mentioned on my insurance about it anywhere else.

I'm ok. Turns out he has "Open Drive" which means anyone is insured to drive his car.

Phew.

 

[arc]

hi, I'm sure if your fully comp,you can drive the owners car with there consent on a Third Party basis,
but not sure with NIG insurance policy,as some have age related clauses put in some policies.

no, you cannot. That used to be 'the done thing' but as more and more cut price insurers are around, that was dropped. You cannot assume that you can do that anymore.

Doesn't the car have to be insured already for DOC ? You don't say if it is currently insured.


Trev

no, it does not have to be insured. DOC covers the car whilst you are driving it, and then whilst it is parked up until someone else gets in and drives it. Why would your own insurance company care if the car you were driving has another policy in someone elses name covering it? Simple, they don't.

 

[Andy Monty]

no, you cannot. That used to be 'the done thing' but as more and more cut price insurers are around, that was dropped. You cannot assume that you can do that anymore.

Most insurance co's i have been with say it comes in at 25 (as long as you are 25 when you take out the policy) as i rung moreth>n last year after i turned 25 and the DOC only comes out when you insure the car aged 25 at the time..

no, it does not have to be insured. DOC covers the car whilst you are driving it, and then whilst it is parked up until someone else gets in and drives it. Why would your own insurance company care if the car you were driving has another policy in someone elses name covering it? Simple, they don't.

Yes it does because when driving it under DOC its only covered when your sat in it you park it at the side of the road it is for all intents un-insured

My policy handbook says along the line i can drive any car 3rd party only as long as the the car is already insured has a valid mot and tax...

 

[5abr3]

My policy handbook says along the line i can drive any car 3rd party only as long as the the car is already insured has a valid mot and tax...

My handbook states the same, even though I don't qualify for DOC; as a side note it would seem motorcycle instructors (that might change after his Cardington assessment though) don't qualify for it either.

 

[devilz_own]

Hi All

I'm insured with NIG. I was driving a friend's car and got into a crash. Not a bad one - everyone's fine. Trouble is, police are saying my insurance doesn't allow me to drive other people's cars. I thought it did. I can't get a straight answer from my insurance company. Something tells me they just want to avoid dealing with the claim but I might be done for driving without insurance.

Can someone please help me out here??? Is anyone else insured with NIG and do they have a "Driving Other Cars (DOC) extension"?

I Was caughtout with my elephant policy while driving my mums car an reversed into a mercedes...told the sherriff court i believed i was insured 3rd party and still ended up with 6 points which i believe is the norm and £150 fine so it really doesnt matter what you do

was only after i read the small print i realised i wasnt covered

 

[puntomadboy]

I Was caughtout with my elephant policy while driving my mums car an reversed into a mercedes...told the sherriff court i believed i was insured 3rd party and still ended up with 6 points which i believe is the norm and £150 fine so it really doesnt matter what you do

was only after i read the small print i realised i wasnt covered

yeah six point and £150 fine is the standard prenatally for not being covered..

it amazes me the amount of people who never read the small print on the policy. the go off driving other cars while not knowing.. it would even only take a 2 min phone call to the insurers and asking are they covered or not... :shakehead:

 

[devilz_own]

yeah six point and £150 fine is the standard prenatally for not being covered..

it amazes me the amount of people who never read the small print on the policy. the go off driving other cars while not knowing.. it would even only take a 2 min phone call to the insurers and asking are they covered or not... :shakehead:

everyone else i knew was covered 3rd party on their policy and for the 1200 notes i was paying i figured it was included

if you ask me theres far too much red tape

 

[Rich_65402]

why have you written maybe arreseted???

you can't get arrested for a driving offence,unless it's a number of criminal offences made..i.e. drink driving, dangerous driving, death by dangerous driving and so on but if that was the case it would have to be a police prosecution made against you, so clear that from your mind, the worst case scenario would be a 6 point conviction and a £100-200 fine...

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

hi, I'm sure if your fully comp,you can drive the owners car with there consent on a Third Party basis,
but not sure with NIG insurance policy,as some have age related clauses put in some policies.

As you say depends on age. Most exclude under 25's

Most insurance co's i have been with say it comes in at 25 (as long as you are 25 when you take out the policy) as i rung moreth>n last year after i turned 25 and the DOC only comes out when you insure the car aged 25 at the time..

I know. a right bummer. Here's me fully comp, and can't drive anything else

everyone else i knew was covered 3rd party on their policy and for the 1200 notes i was paying i figured it was included

if you ask me theres far too much red tape

How? You simply didn't check and assumed. Assumptions are the mother of all ****-ups! Never assume, especially when it comes to insurance.

 

[Daver]

Road Traffic Act 1988 s.143

No Insurance.

Must endorse and may disqualify, If no disqualification, impose 6 - 8 points.

Factors indicating higher culpability
Evidence of sustained uninsured use. Never passed test etc, etc

Factors indicating lower culpability
Genuine misunderstanding, Responsibility for providing insurance rests with another, etc, etc

Consider a reduction for an early guilty plea.

 

[spishak]

I would never want to go to jail.