vindaloo

Two things: In your example, you would still be 'in control' or responsible for the vehicle until you parked it up and locked it. Secondly, if someone runs into your stationary car, it tends to be thought of as being their fault, not yours.

If it is not your car, you are only responsible for it whilst you are driving it. Accidents whilst parked, whilst they may strain friendships or relationships are the responsibility of the registered keeper. (Though if the handbrake fails, you are maybe vulnerable to arguments of incompetence if no mechanical fault is found in the mechanism).

I'm sure that there are grey areas and it depends on the Insurance Company's intentions and their wording of their policies.

J.

classicwagon2

I would ask how this would stand as far as any motor trade involvement is concerned. If the vehicle is traded in, in for repair, being valetted etc etc The traders policy will cover the trader or their employee to drive it. No insurance company at that stage will be specifically aware of the car itself. This also applies to fleet policies, where the company is covered and will not list the actual vehicles. I do not really believe that the police have a definitive database, so many grey areas

dr_ming

Thanks for the comments!

Having spoken to both my own insurance company, and my wife's (it's her car), it seems that I can legally drive it whether or not it is otherwise insured, because my policy gives me third party cover to do so. However, she (not me) is breaking the law if it is kept (i.e. parked) on the public highway without its own policy. As previously pointed out, if the handbrake slipped and it crushed someone to death, you'd be in deep ****! Hence the need for it to be insured.

Anyway the issue was resolved by putting on my own policy as a temporary additional vehicle at a cost of £15 for a month (versus the £72 her insurance company wanted for the same thing).