When you buy a car, you aren't the only one who will drive it. Friends, family members or even neighbors may drive your car from time to time. You need to make sure these people have adequate insurance so you don't become liable for accidents they may have with your car. Here are the categories of people that your insurance policy should cover:
Members of Your Household
The first thing to consider is where each of the drivers live. As a general rule, you are supposed to list every member of your household who doesn't have a separate coverage. The definition of a household member varies with each insurer, so it's possible your insurer may include someone you wouldn't ordinarily consider a member of your household. For example, it may include non-family members living with you, such as a roommate. For insurance purposes, your household may also include family members who are temporarily living away from home, such as those attending college.
Teenage Drivers
When adding members of your household to your policy, you only need to consider those who can actually drive. This means you should add your teen drivers immediately when they start driving. The definition of driving varies with insurers; for example, a few insurers consider teenagers with learner's permits as drivers while the majority only considers those who have got their driver's insurance. Check with your insurer and act accordingly.
Regular Visitors
Do you have somebody who regularly visits you and drives your car? If the answer is yes, then you need to include them in your auto insurance policy, too. Consider an example of a divorced couple with a teenage driver. Even if one parent has custody of the child, the child may make regular visits to the noncustodial parent. The noncustodial parent will be liable for the damages if the teenager drives and wrecks their car. Therefore, this parent needs to add the teenager to their insurance policy, too.
Random Drivers of Your Car
Lastly, you need to consider any other person who occasionally has use of your car. Don't forget that car insurance follows the car and not the driver. So if you let an uninsured person drive your car, you will be liable for any injuries or damages they may cause; it's in your best interest to include them in your policy. This category of people may include a neighbor who usually borrows your car, a friend who occasionally has use of your car or a girlfriend or boyfriend who sometimes drives your car.
You may not have to add these people to your policy, but you should have a policy that provides coverage to permissive drivers. A permissive driver is anybody who has your approval, expressly or implied, to drive your car. Not all policies automatically offer this coverage, so you should scrutinize your policy before lending out your car. Contact a company like Keyes Insurance Services Inc for more information.
Share