Named driver on car insurance

[Curleysue]

Hi there, have a quick question.

I am a named driver on my husbands car insurance policy. His policy is up for renewal in the next few days. I had my own car but had an accident a couple of months ago and haven't been driving since (new medical condition prevents me from driving for 1yr) i went to renew my husbands insurance and it was actually working out €150 more to take me off his policy, so I decided to leave my name on as a named driver but obviously won't be driving. I didn't declare this to the insurance company and was just wondering if I should have. If I don't declare it even though I won't be driving will it affect his policy by making it nul and void ?

 

[odyssey06]

As long as you legally could drive the car, it doesn't matter whether you actually drive it. It's cheaper because insurance companies have found that policies taken out as insured+spouse have less claims.

 

[Curleysue]

As long as you legally could drive the car, it doesn't matter whether you actually drive it. It's cheaper because insurance companies have found that policies taken out as insured+spouse have less claims.

Thanks Odyssey06 I am waiting on a letter from my consultant to say when I can go back driving but I'm giving myself 1 yr , which should be middle of next year. So am I right in saying that technically at the moment I'm not legally allowed to drive? I might just ring the insurance company in the morning and explain it to them.

 

[odyssey06]

Sorry, I was answering a more specific question about actually driving the car versus being entitled to drive it.

I'll have to put my hands up to the "am I legally allowed to drive" from an insurance perspective when advised by a consultant\doctor that I should not for a temporary period - am really not 100% sure on that one. Probably best to run it by the insurance company, but I suspect that the first person you get will not have an immediate answer for you. They will likely want to know if the condition is noted on your licence.
Also, if you do get someone with answers, find out how you notify them that you have been medically cleared to drive e.g. will they require a consultants letter. Double-check that if they remove you now as a named driver will there be any difficulty in 12 months putting you back on the policy - usually insurance companies do not like 'gaps'.
Ideally you would want to stay on the policy as a named driver but declare that you will not actually drive it until medically cleared to do so.

 

[Northie]

Hi CurleySue,
I'm in a similar position but its my policy and my husband is the named driver, he was in an accident over a year ago and hasn't driven since. Like your story when my insurance came up for renewal I asked to take him off my policy as I figured I would save money ... yeah right, turned out it was cheaper to keep him on it. In our case both of our insurances were with the same company so they were well aware of his accident (he was in the middle of a claim as he was hit by a stolen car), they had no problem keeping him on as a named driver, the only thing they flagged for him was that he has two years in which to reinstate his own policy or he will lose his no claims discount.

Funnily they never asked about him being medically cleared to drive or looked for information regarding him not being cleared to drive. He's back with the consultant next week so must get him to check (although I think the bigger problem will be getting his head back in driving mode)