What is secondary driver insurance?  

When you insure a vehicle leased or owned under your name, you are, by default, the "primary driver." Your insurer will use your personal information and driving history to determine your insurance premium and coverage. But what happens when you're not the only one driving your car?

If there is a person who uses your car regularly, you must add them to your policy. An insurance company could deny a claim if you haven’t listed all the drivers on your car insurance policy and one of them gets in an accident.

Who is a secondary driver?  

A secondary driver is anyone who uses your car regularly. They could be a spouse, child or roommate with regular access to your vehicle.

An occasional driver can use the car daily or weekly to be included under your auto insurance coverage. Any person who you anticipate will use your vehicle consistently, even if only occasionally, must be included. This is a separate category of driver.

What does secondary driver insurance cover?  

Secondary driver car insurance gives the listed drivers the same coverage as the primary policyholder. This means the coverage in your policy will automatically cover the secondary driver when they're using your vehicle.

What doesn't secondary driver insurance cover?  

Secondary driver car insurance is coverage for extra drivers added to your car insurance policy. Named drivers typically have the same level of coverage as the policyholder. It's best to speak to your provider to ensure your secondary driver is protected under all the same coverages as you (or the primary driver).

When don’t you need to add a secondary driver?

When two people co-own a car, one person doesn't have to be listed as a secondary driver. They can each be listed as the 'named insured,’ making them both primary drivers. As co-named insureds, they both have the authority to change coverage, renew, or cancel coverage. The final premium will be based on each of their insurance histories, and they are equally responsible for making payments on time.

You also don't have to list secondary or occasional drivers for one-off events. For example, your personal insurance policy will extend to friends or relatives using your car to move it to a new parking spot or using it to run errands while you’re ill. You don't need to add these people to your policy.

How do secondary driver car insurance claims work? 

Before delving into how claims by secondary drivers get handled, let's revisit what it means to be a primary driver.

The primary driver generally owns the vehicle and the policy. They are responsible for engaging with their insurance company on policy rules, deductibles, coverage, and claims.

The secondary driver uses the car (say, as the partner of the primary driver) but less frequently than the primary driver. The insurance coverage obtained by the primary driver will list the secondary driver on the policy, which ensures the coverage will extend to the secondary driver.

As a secondary driver, they cannot amend the policy, cancel it, or make claims. Therefore, the primary driver is responsible for making a claim on the secondary driver's behalf.

If your secondary driver gets into a situation where a claim must be filed, it'll impact the overall premium cost. Make sure you trust your secondary driver before adding them to your policy.