Does car insurance cover the person or the vehicle, or does it vary?
Here’s the situation: my wife needed to go somewhere while her car was in the shop, but I was at work. I suggested she use one of her parents’ three cars, but she said she wasn’t covered to drive them. This puzzled me because I always thought that if you have insurance, you can drive someone else’s car as long as you have their permission. Can anyone explain how this works?
Car insurance can indeed be a bit complex, and it often depends on both the specific policy and the laws in your state. Generally, car insurance tends to follow the car rather than the driver, but there are some important nuances to keep in mind.
Permissive Use: Many insurance policies provide coverage for drivers who have permission to use the vehicle. This means that if your wife has your parent’s permission to use their car, she may be covered under their insurance, provided they have liability coverage and she does not have her own policy that excludes her from using other cars.
Exclusions: However, there might be exclusions in their insurance policy. Some policies only cover certain drivers (like family members) or may have restrictions on who can drive the vehicle. This is likely what your wife is referring to when she says she isn’t covered to drive her parents’ cars.
Primary vs. Secondary Coverage: If she were to drive her parents’ car, their insurance could act as the primary coverage in case of an accident, while her own insurance may provide secondary coverage. If her parents’ policy doesn’t cover her for some reason, she could be left without coverage.
State Laws: It’s also worth noting that insurance laws can differ significantly from one state to another.
In short, it’s a good idea for your wife to check with her parents’ insurance provider to see whether she is covered to drive their cars. It’s always best to clarify things like this before hitting the road to avoid any surprises in case of an accident.