buckmac wrote:
Just seen this one from Ian. There seems to be some semantics at play here. Most insurance policies say 'drive', while the law appears to refer to 'use'. Would these two terms (in a court of law) be deemed to be synonymous? Or would drive be seen as applying the insurance only when the vehicle is actually on the move?
“Use” has a much wider meaning than “Drive”. An employer that owns/hires/leases a vehicle that an employee drives in the course of his employment “Uses” the vehicle.
A person who employs a chauffeur to drive
their vehicle also “Uses” it, even though they may be a non-driver.
The reason for the wording “Drive” in the Insurance Document is to negate the following.
You, being an ardent DIY’er, are working at home one day, assisted by your non-car owning mate Barney Rubble. You urgently need supplies from Jewsons but your wife is out in the family car shopping. Next door is an amiable neighbour, Fred Flintstone, who will gladly lend you his car, and has done on many occasions when you have “Driven” it on your insurance.
But on this occasion, you are in the middle of something a bit technical, and so you want your mate Barney to collect your materials. The “Use” of the vehicle would clearly be for your sole benefit and purposes, but your policy only allows you to “Drive” the vehicle, thereby obviating the possibility of you delegating your cover to another person.
IanH wrote:
IIRC, this option of third party driving of someone elses car was brought in as an option many years ago to allow a person to drive someone elses car when the normal user was for some acute reason unable to drive him/herself. At least that's my understanding, but I'd be happy to be corrected.
Never heard that one, and it was a reasonably common clause in the 1960’s. Personally, when I was working, I ALWAYS insured my car ANY DRIVER on the basis that, when I got injured, at least someone could make sure my car got ferried back home.
greengoblin wrote:
If anyone can clarify this it would be of great use as both my wife and I own motorcycles but she prefers to ride on only 6 month policies . and I was under the impression that that I could not ride hers whilst she herself had no insurance in place.

A dangerous one. The wording of the Policy invariably contains the wording “Not owned by……..” Although your wife may be the Registered Keeper of the vehicle, are you not also part owner? If there were to be a matrimonial split, or even the cessation of a non-matrimonial partnership, would the value of the motorcycle(s) not feature in the financial settlement. If it were a son, daughter, mother, father, etc, with an independent income, then I would advise yes. But a spouse. There is certainly an argument towards joint ownership although I know of no Case Law on this topic.
Just to be clear. Generally, when using your own policy to drive another’s vehicle, you are only covered for Third Party Risks.
Therefore,
No cover for the damage to the vehicle that you are driving.
No compensation for injuries YOU receive including loss of limbs or loss of sight.
No legal advice or support in any claim against another motorist.
No recovery of costs associated with recovery or loss of use of the vehicle.
Loss of/reduction in NCB.
Most Insurance companies, for the sake of a phone call, will extend your cover to another vehicle at a minimal cost. Are you so in need of saving £20 or so. It’s not worth the risk.