As long as you have the owner’s permission, and you’re accompanied by a suitably qualified driver (aged at least 21, full licence for at least 3 years) then you should be ok to borrow a car for driving practice – but you still need to think about the insurance.
There are 2 main options :
- ask the owner/main user of the vehicle to add you as a named driver to their annual insurance policy, or
- buy short-term Learner Driver insurance in your own name.
There are pro’s and cons of each method :
- getting added to an annual policy may not be possible (if , for example your parents had a policy specifically for drivers aged over 50), may be expensive (especially if the insurer adds a hefty administration fee each time it amends a policy), and may not be convenient (for example if you wanted to practice on a Sunday morning you may have difficulty contacting the insurer). Also – and this could be a contentious point – any claims that you have as a Learner WILL affect the No Claims Discount that the vehicle owner may have accrued over the years. On the positive side though, normally you would only have to do it once – although you’d need to contact the annual insurer again when you pass your test, and they may either refuse cover or impose stringent terms at that point.
- short-term Learner insurance is much more flexible – you can either buy cover as-and-when you need it (say a couple of hours at a time), or you can buy a block of cover aimed to last as long as you anticipate it will take you to past your test. If you buy too much cove, for example if you bought 6 months of cover but managed to pass your test after 4 months then most companies will refund you a portion of the un-used premium (be sure to check the exact details in their terms – they may add a cancellation fee). Learner insurance is also more convenient – you arrange it yourself online and pay with your debit or credit card- and, crucially, any accidents do NOT typically affect the No Claims Discount of the vehicle owner.
Category:
Learner