By Sue Hayward
Looking forward to those sunny summer evenings and weekends. Planning to enjoy a few beers or glasses of wine with friends in a beer garden? And if your friend or partner has a few too many, would you be happy to take their keys and drive them home?
Sounds sensible but “unless your own policy allows you to drive other vehicles, you could risk claims being made against you if you’re involved in an accident”, warns Grant Mitchell from Co-operative Insurance.
This could mean facing a fine and penalty points on your licence and worse still if you’ve already got points on your licence any extra ones could mean you lose it completely.
What to check before you drive
Ideally if you’re driving someone else’s car you should be a named driver on their policy, advises Emma Banks from LV=. This then extends their insurance cover to you but in reality it’s probably only a partner or other family member who’d be likely to name you on their policy, rather than a friend.
“If you’re not a named driver then cover is limited to third party fire and theft only which means there’s no payout for any damage to the car if you have a bump while driving”, warns Banks.
But in order to get even third party cover you’d need to check if your own policy includes a 'driving other cars' extension which Banks says “is not standard across the marketplace”.
Is the car roadworthy?
This can be another headache as if you’re helping a friend out you’re unlikely to ask for their MOT certificate or check for bald tyres before driving off.
But it’s down to the driver to ensure a vehicle is roadworthy, so driving without a valid MOT certificate can incur a £1,000 fine and for illegal tyres it’s either a fixed penalty notice or prosecution which, according to the AA, can mean both the driver and owner facing charges with the maximum penalty a £2,500 fine and three penalty points per tyre.
Convertible hazards
They look great when the sun is out but an unexpected downpour can be costly say if your sat nav gets soaked before you’ve a chance to put the roof up. “Convertible drivers have a duty of care to minimise any damage caused by unexpected downpours”, says Steve Chelton from Swinton, and if your insurer thinks you’ve been negligent they won’t pay up, simple as that.
And how safe is your stuff? You don’t leave your front door wide open, so what about cover for your bag or mobile if it’s on the seat next to you when the roof’s down?
Most motor policies will cover personal belongings up to certain limits - with Marks & Spencer it’s up to £200 but that’s if your car’s broken into, not if they’re pinched while the roof’s down.
As M&S’s Simon Coughlin advises: “Most motor insurers will have a caveat in the wording that excludes personal belongings in a convertible car unless they’re stored in a locked boot or locked glove compartment”.
And when you park up on hot days don’t run the risk of invalidating your car insurance by leaving the roof or windows down, as a related claim may not be covered as most policies stipulate vehicles must be locked and alarmed (if you have one) when unattended.
If you’re struggling to work out how much is too much before you get behind the wheel, then we can guide you with our new Alcohol Unit Calculator.
Please watch our 30-second guide for more information.
