Open Drive Insurance Explained

                                                                   by Melanie May | 5 min read    February 19th, 2021
 

Open Drive Insurance is a really useful benefit to have on your motor insurance policy.

Say your best mate comes home from abroad for a few weeks and you want to take a road trip in your car. If you have Open Drive Insurance, your friend will be covered to drive your car too, provided you both meet some criteria (which we will get to later on!).

In this instance, there is no need to get your friend added as a named driver on your insurance policy as the cover extends to others as well.

However, having Open Drive Insurance doesn’t mean that you can drive someone else’s car, which is a common misunderstanding.

Yes, we know insurance can sometimes be confusing but we’re here to help! Read on to find out all you need to know about Open Drive Insurance.

What exactly is Open Drive Insurance?

Open Drive Insurance is also known as ‘Open Driving’ or ‘Open Driver’. If your motor insurance policy includes Open Drive Insurance, it means that certain other drivers, with your permission, can drive your car. It is a handy addition to have on your policy.

Does my Allianz Motor Insurance Policy include Open Driving?

Open Driving is an optional extra that you can add to your motor insurance policy for a small additional cost.

If your motor insurance has Open Driving it will say so on your Certificate of Insurance or you can check your MyAllianz account. You can also check if your policy includes Open Driving over the phone. Just give us a call and we will let you know.

Can anyone have Open Drive Insurance?

Open Drive can be selected and is applicable for all policyholders except in cases where the insured holds a second car/van/taxi policy in their name. 

Who can drive my car if I have an Open Drive Insurance policy?

If you have an Open Drive Insurance policy, it’s up to you who you let drive it. However, for us to protect you, your car and the other driver, they do have to meet a few conditions:

• Be aged between 30 and 70 years old
• Are medically fit to drive a car
• Hold a clean licence – this means they can have up to 6 penalty points (no more than two offences) and have had no disqualifications or convictions arising from a motoring offences within the past five years, other than a spent conviction. 

What happens if the other driver has an accident in my car?

The type of cover on your car’s insurance policy extends to all the other drivers of your car. Therefore, if you have fully comprehensive insurance cover so too will the other driver. However, this does mean that if they are involved in an accident whilst driving your car, the damage and claim will be under your policy.

If the other driver has an accident will this affect my No Claims Bonus?

Yes, it will. That’s why we put in place the conditions mentioned above. They are there to protect you. So, be selective and careful with whom you let drive your precious motor. Don’t just hand over the keys to anyone just because you have Open Driving on your policy!

Am I insured to drive other cars?

One of our most frequently asked questions is “can I drive another car on my insurance?”. There seems to be a lot of confusion around open driving policies and insurance that allows you to drive other cars.

Open Drive Insurance on your car does not cover you to drive someone else’s car.

What insurance do I need to drive someone else’s car?

If you sometimes need to drive another person’s car we offer a great add-on to your Allianz motor insurance policy called Driving Other Cars.

Let’s say your friend has injured their leg and you need to drive their car to help them . You could request that they add you to their insurance policy as a named driver. However, this can take a bit of time to sort out and is really only worth it if you are going to be driving their car regularly.

If the other person has Open Drive Insurance you may be able to drive their car if you meet the criteria set out by their insurance company. This might be different from the criteria we mentioned above. So, to ensure you are covered and protected, it is best to double-check.

A better option, is to add Driving Other Cars cover to your Allianz motor insurance policy.

What is ‘Driving Other Cars’ insurance cover?

Driving Other Cars is an optional extra that you can add to your motor insurance policy for a small additional cost.

As the name suggests, it covers you to drive cars that belong to other people, with their permission of course.

To add Driving Other Cars cover to your insurance, you need to be over 25 years old. There are a few other criteria as well, which you can read about on our Driving Other Cars cover information page.

However, Driving Other Cars is a basic third party cover only. This means that if you have an accident whilst driving someone else’s car and make a claim, only damage done to the other car will be covered. If there is damage to the car you are driving, you will have to pay for the cost of repairs yourself. 

Remember, as it is your own car insurance policy that covers any claims, this could potentially affect your No Claims Bonus.

Driving Other Cars cover should only be used for occasional use of someone else’s car e.g. in an emergency situation.

Do I need Open Drive Insurance?

If other people sometimes drive your car, then having Open Drive Insurance is a good idea.

If you have Open Drive Insurance on your fully comprehensive insurance policy this cover extends to the other drivers of your car. So they will also have fully comprehensive cover.

If you don’t have Open Drive Insurance, and the other drivers of your car just have their own Driving Other Cars cover, then they would have basic third party only cover. This could be quite costly in the event of an accident.

So, for added protection, your own peace of mind and greater flexibility, Open Driving is a great add-on to your Allianz motor insurance policy. 

Give us a call on 01 448 4848* and we’ll help you get up and running with Open Drive Insurance. We promise it will be quick and painless.

Allianz p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Standard acceptance criteria and policy conditions apply. *Calls may be recorded.