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How to add a driver to your policy

Learner Driver Insurance

Adding a new driver can be straightforward to do and it’s a sensible idea if you have a family who would like to make use of the vehicle. Read our handy guide on what you need to know when adding another driver to your insurance policy.

What is a named driver?

An additional driver that can be added to a car insurance policy to enable them to drive the policy holder’s vehicle. Insurers typically let you add around six as the maximum, which is available on multi-car insurance policies

Can adding a named driver affect your premium?

Getting a named driver added to your policy can affect the policy owner’s premium. Whether it increases or decreases is dependent on the added driver’s circumstances, it can be affected by factors like age and occupation. For instance, adding a younger and less experienced driver to a policy will typically push premiums up as under-25s are considered the riskiest group by insurers.

How frequently can a named driver use the vehicle?

The named driver should be using the vehicle less that the main driver. If the primary user of the car does not use the vehicle the most then this is known as ‘fronting’, a type of car insurance fraud.

Fronting is illegal and if you get caught doing it your insurance will be invalidated and you could be taken to court.

What information you’ll need to add a named driver

The details tend to be basic when adding a named driver, they will typically include; name, age marital status, address, occupation, driving licence details and information about any accidents or motoring convictions.

There is also a fee required to add a named driver, this varies between insurance provider.

Temporary car insurance could be a more suitable choice

If you’ve added someone to your policy but they only use the vehicle occasionally then it could be cheaper for them to use temporary car insurance whenever they need the vehicle.

This is separate to the vehicle owner’s policy so there’s the added benefit of protecting your No Claims Discount (NCD). As an additional driver, in the event of a claim you’ll be affecting the vehicle owner’s NCD even if they were not involved in the accident.

Short term car insurance is a specialist type of motor insurance which allows you to get covered on a vehicle for the period you need. Insurers tend to offer the cover from as little as one hour up to thirty days.

To find out more, visit our sister site Jaunt where you can get insurance from 1 hour up to 30 days.

For more hints and tips on all things motor, visit the driving section of our blog.

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