insurance for newl drivers

[brookz]

when a learner driver is under instruction they can drive without their own insurance. Once they pass - can they still drive whilst accompanied by someone or do they need their own insurance even if they don't have their own car?

[dotty.]

they have to be insured as a learner on someone's policy, usually a parents unless the supervising driver is a qualified instructor.

[Buenchico]

While there is a recent piece of legislation which means that all VEHICLES on the road have to be covered by an insurance policy, the over-riding rule is the one which (under earlier, but still current, legislation) states that every DRIVER has to be covered by insurance.

That's because you can't sue a car, only a person. If a driver causes an accident which leaves another driver requiring life-long medical attention, the injured person has the right to sue the negligent driver for several million pounds. The law states that the negligent driver must have insurance cover in place to ensure that (whatever his own financial situation is) the injured driver will still receive their payment.

So ALL drivers (learners, newly-qualified or otherwise) need to be covered by an insurance policy which can pay out millions of pounds if they cause a nasty accident. As has been stated above, driving schools have policies which cover their students, and some people are covered (as a named 'additional driver) on another person's policy. But, as long as they're driving a vehicle, they must be covered by insurance, however that is achieved.

Chris

[joko]

not sure where you got the idea that learners dont need to be insured...they do

[New Judge]

You cannot be sent to prison for No Insurance, Eddie, no matter how many times you commit the offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of £5,000.

Contrary to popular myth there are very few motoring offences for which custody is an optional penalty. The only ones I can think of without looking it up are Causing Death by Dangerous Driving, Dangerous Driving, Causing Death by Careless Driving, Driving whilst Disqualified, Failing to Stop/report an accident, Driving or attempting to drive with excess alcohol or drugs and failing to provide specimens for those offences.

There may be one or two that I’ve missed off, but driving without insurance is certainly not one of them.