Car insurance question

[TheOriginalLongsider]

Hi.

I got quotes a few weeks ago for my daughter's car insurance and bought a policy. Stupidly I got the start date wrong, asking for 22/12 instead of 21/12. She called to get the date change but they say prices have gone up and it would cost £50 extra. I've checked elsewhere and they've gone up by more than £50 everywhere so I can't just cancel it and go elsewhere. I said that she could leave it on the driveway all day on the 21st and i'll wedge my car behind hers so nobody could nick it, but they're telling me that's illegal.

So, if anyone knows for certain, if I just do what I suggested would her insurance be valid or will it be void because there has been a 1 day gap between policies? For added complication the current one is with Hastings and the new is with Hastings Direct (online only) (not a renewal)

Cheers

[ClaretOfMancunia]

As long as it's off the road for that day and not driven, I don't think there's anything for you to worry about?

[ŽižkovClaret]

Could her current policy run an extra day and still be within the cooling off period to cancel it on the 22nd?

[Fretters]

As long as it's off the road for that day and not driven, I don't think there's anything for you to worry about?

I think technically it needs to be declared SORN, but I would risk just keeping it on the drive for that day.

[NickBFC]

Is it worth the hassle to save £50? What if the car DID get stolen/vandalised/went up in smoke etc? Unlikely but also not worth the risk/hassle etc IMO.

[TheOriginalLongsider]

Is it worth the hassle to save £50? What if the car DID get stolen/vandalised/went up in smoke etc? Unlikely but also not worth the risk/hassle etc IMO.

I looked at SORN but declaring it SORN automatically cancels the car tax, and that's too much hassle as it takes a while for the policy to go onto the national insurance database and therefore cannot tax online.

[TheOriginalLongsider]

Is it worth the hassle to save £50? What if the car DID get stolen/vandalised/went up in smoke etc? Unlikely but also not worth the risk/hassle etc IMO.

Maybe for some people but I live in a quiet cut-de-sac and we don't get crime around here, and if there is they are on camera. £50 to my daughter is a lot of money, so yes, worth it to her.

[Squidgy]

The vehicle is off road and does not require insurance. The risk as stated relates to theft/damage.
The law refers to a motor vehicle “on a road”
The one day gap shouldn’t matter when declaring no claims in future

[TheOriginalLongsider]

Thanks Squidgy. I've found out a bit more. There is a law around "Continuous Insurance Enforcement" which is not relevant if the car has a SORN otherwise it does apply. But, it does seem that the worst she'd get is an insurance advisory letter if she was very unlucky.

From the AA:

"The Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) regularly compares the driver and vehicle records held by the DVLA and the records held on the Motor Insurance Database (MID).

Insurance advisory letter

If you're suspected of being the registered keeper of a vehicle without insurance or SORN you'll first get an official reminder – an 'Insurance Advisory Letter'.

If you ignore the letter and take no further action then you can expect:

A £100 fixed penalty (reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days).
A fine of up to £1000 if the case goes to court.
The vehicle being clamped, seized or destroyed."

[FeedTheArf]

There's a few companies knocking around that do temporary insurance. Why don't you just look for a one day policy instead?

https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-in ... lsrc=aw.ds

[GodIsADeeJay81]

If it’s parked on a private driveway, just for a day, then you’ll be fine

Chances of dvla spotting it are slim to nil, plus it’s a private driveway so they don’t care
The police won’t care as it’s private land
If you sorn it, then you can’t un-sorn it for a period of time, I think it’s two weeks or so, plus you only really need to sorn it if the tax has expired

Don’t fret about it, no one’s going to be bothered over a day

I’ve had a moped sat uninsured in my garden for months
It’s sorned for tax purposes but that’s it, but no one’s been knocking on the door claiming what I’m doing is illegal

[whiffa]

From a road legal perspective - just don't use it on the road on the day and you'll be fine.
From a theft/vandalism perspective - you'd have to be incredibly unfortunate to have an issue that is stationary on your drive on the exact day your insurance has lapsed. You'll be fine.

[Jamesy]

Wouldn’t even worry about it. You say you live in a safe relatively crime free area. If you put yours in front of it the worst that could happen is a break in or vehicle fire. Both extremely unlikely.

[ŽižkovClaret]

I used to be a Motor Insurance and MID / MIB expert liaison but its been over 8 years since i had be current about it so i wouldn't want to advise any more specifically as i'm way out of the loop

[whiffa]

I used to be a Motor Insurance and MID / MIB expert liaison but its been over 8 years since i had be current about it so i wouldn't want to advise any more specifically as i'm way out of the loop

Good to know, thanks for that

[bfcmik]

Wouldn’t even worry about it. You say you live in a safe relatively crime free area. If you put yours in front of it the worst that could happen is a break in or vehicle fire. Both extremely unlikely.

And, if it does get damaged for whatever reason, it obviously happened the day before/after of course, when, coincidentally, there was insurance in place!

[Jamesy]

And, if it does get damaged for whatever reason, it obviously happened the day before/after of course, when, coincidentally, there was insurance in place!

Of course!

[Notsosuperstevedavis]

The only time i think you’d have bother is if it was on the road with no road tax/MOT

Insurance, if on your drive is optional.

In my humble opinion. The chance of something happening in the 24hrs is slim. But done at your own risk/cost

[Ric_C]

My car insurance was always around £200-£250

Cheapest I can get now is nearer £400

Absolute robbing bastards

[Kilson810]

Bad time for insuring cars generally as it's so expensive! For me it depends on how risk averse you are. I am quite risk averse so I would probably bite the bullet and pay it personally.

[alf_resco]

Come and live in Birmingham.
Most folk just don't bother with motor insurance.

[TheFamilyCat]

My advice to your daughter is to not to leave such things up to you.

[NewClaret]

Just park it up behind yours and keep it off the road for the day. No worries whatsoever.

In short, it’s your risk for 24 hours, but the risks are so slim it’s worth it for £50.

I would try calling the existing insurance company to see if they can extend for a day however.

[ŽižkovClaret]

Could you add a 2nd vehicle temporarily to your own policy? I know we used to offer temp drivers but unsure how far its gone with multi car policies and the like now