Which drivers should I include on my car’s insurance policy? 5


It is advisable that you include the details of every driver, whether they are regular or occasional, on your vehicle’s insurance policy.

Now, if your insurance company only allows you to add the name of one driver, it is important that you include the driver with the least experience – the youngest and the one that has held his or her driving license for the shortest period of time – in order to avoid complications in the case of an accident.

What could happen if there is an accident and the driver is not the same person as the named driver on the insurance policy, and is, in fact, younger than the person figuring on the insurance?

Very often an older driver will lend his or her vehicle to his children, another family member or a friend who is under the age of 24 or 25 years old, and besides, who has been driving for less than 2 years, without realising that this younger driver has not been declared to the insurer. If there is an accident, the company warns that as the age and length of driving licence acquired do not coincide with the information provided on taking out the policy, and, on having had this new information initially, the policy either would not have been accepted, or if it had, a higher premium would have been asked for. 

In such a case, following article 10 of the Insurance Contract Law, the insurance company would most likely reduce the amount paid out in compensation so that it is in proportion to the premium that was not received in the first place.

Practical cases

My son has just received his driving license and is using my car. Should I include him as a named driver on my insurance cover? Of course, you should; this should be done as soon as possible. It is likely that the insurance company with whom you have taken out your own cover charges a supplement for second drivers, which would be an additional premium calculated from the date the second driver was declared until your policy expires. It is likely that your annual premium will increase.

My 19-year-old son, who has been driving for one year, took my car and had quite a serious road accident. The insurance company is now posing problems in dealing with the claim. What are my rights in this situation? The problem arises, in this case, because you did not declare a driver with his age and length of time driving to the company. The insurer can claim that there is a higher risk of accident involved and cover the cost of the incident in proportion to the amount paid and the amount that should have been paid due to the characteristics of this driver. The basis of this matter is down to how often your son drives your car.  If he doesn’t use it very often, declaring him as a named driver does not really fit the reality. However, on the other hand, if he does use your car regularly, then this would effectively assume a higher accident risk because of his age.

At SC INNOVA, we will answer these and other questions with complete honesty and clarity.

Silvia Berenguer

www.scinnova.es