Can I let my friend drive my vehicle?
If something happens would it be covered under my insurance or theirs?
This question has probably come into ever automobile owner’s head at some point in their life. And if it didn’t, it should.
Who is allowed to drive my vehicle
This is a great question and has a very simple answer.
Anyone that you give PERMISSION to drive your vehicle will be covered if they get into an accident by YOUR auto insurance.
Do you see I used bold and italics on the two important words? That is because I want you to understand that you have to give permission to your friend or person to drive your car and that if something happens it is covered on your insurance.
Rule of thumb- Accidents follow the car, not the driver.
So, as simple as that answer is, there are some underlying issues and questions you need to know about before continuing.
Should I let my friends drive my car
My advice starts with no unless there are emergencies. I feel strongly enough why that we did an entire blog about it which you can find here.
The main reason why I do not recommend other people driving your car (unless they are household residents and listed on your insurance) is because of my rule of thumb above.
Accidents follow the car, not the driver. The car insurance covering that vehicle will pay for damages, if there is not enough coverage on that insurance they can go after the owner of the car’s assets.
Listen accidents happen but I wouldn’t want my lively-hood to be at risk because of someone else driving my car.
Do I need to list drivers on my auto policy?
Any licensed household resident who does not have their own auto insurance has to be listed on your auto insurance policy.
This goes for immediate family members and also roommates.
We see this situation come up specifically when teen drivers first get their license. You should list your teen driver the moment they get there license so in the event something happens you won’t have any issues.
Depending on the insurance company, failure to disclose drivers in your household that are not listed on your policy, nor have their own insurance, can result in a denial of a claim.
Reach out to your insurance agent to talk about options for you when adding other drivers to your policy.
If you don’t have a relationship with an agent or want a review of your insurance then click the button below to schedule a review with one of our trusted insurance advisors.
