Am I Covered If I Drive Someone Else’s Vehicle?

Find out if you’re protected through auto insurance when you drive someone else’s car.

Occasionally, you may need to borrow your friend or neighbor’s car to run an errand, go to work, or soberly drive your drunk friend home. Before slipping into the driver’s seat, do you know if you’re covered by their auto insurance policy?

Here are a few things to consider before you borrow a friend’s car!

How often do you use the car? If you only borrow your friend’s car once a month, most likely your friend’s policy will cover you when you drive the vehicle. An auto policy will define who it covers. An “insured person” may include “any person with respect to an accident arising out of that person’s use of a covered auto with the permission of you or a relative”. Under this definition, if someone else gives you permission to drive his vehicle, you’re covered by his insurance policy.

How long do you borrow the car? If you use the car for a day or two, it’s most likely not considered regular and frequent use. If you borrow the vehicle for several weeks, you may not be covered by his auto policy. If you are a regular driver of his car, you should be added to your friend’s insurance policy!

What is the purpose of using the car? If you’re using the car to conduct business, like delivering pizza or hauling equipment for a landscaping business, you’ll need to make sure the vehicle is covered under a commercial auto or business insurance policy. Personal auto policies typically don’t cover anyone for conducting business with their vehicles!

Be sure to check what and whom is covered before you drive your friend’s vehicle! For the most reliable and quality auto insurance policy for you and your vehicle, contact Abbate Insurance in New Haven, Connecticut!