My neighbor borrowed my car and…

Do you know when to include a driver on your policy?

A driver who is included on your auto policy is referred to as a Rated Driver. Any licensed driver who lives in your household, including anyone with a drivers permit, should be included on your policy. Some carriers do not specifically list those with a permit as a rated driver, but coverage will still follow them as long as they are driving within their state’s guidelines.

Most carriers do offer some options if a licensed driver who resides in your household is insured on their own separate policy. These options can include rating them as drivers, list them as an ‘insured elsewhere’ driver, or exclude them from your policy. Rating these household members as a driver or even as ‘insured elsewhere’ still gives them access to your vehicles — when needed — and is the best option as it is likely they may use your vehicle at some point. Only a few carriers will allow you to exclude drivers; this would mean these individuals could not, under any circumstance, drive your vehicle and would eliminate any coverage in the event of an accident in your vehicle.

You can allow a ‘Permitted Driver’ to drive your vehicle without adding them to your auto policy. This would give a licensed driver, who does not reside in your household, permission to drive your vehicle. Most carriers have guidelines to determine a permitted driver that would require infrequent use of the vehicle. An example of this would be your neighbor borrowing your truck for a dump run once every few months, or a friend borrowing your car for the day while theirs is in the shop.

This article provides generic information only, for specific coverage questions on your policy please contact your Bouvier Agent at 860.232.4491 or www.binsurance.com.