Some drivers find the question of who can drive their lease car rather confusing. Lease car drivers often assume the situation's more complicated than it would be if it was a car they owned. Our article focuses on who can drive your lease car other than you and outlines the factors you’ll need to take into account. These will be helpful to know when allowing other people to drive your lease vehicle, particularly younger people, such as your children who may have recently passed their driving test and need access to a car for the first time.
Can another person drive my lease car?
In short, the answer is yes. Another driver can get behind the wheel of your lease car, whether they're family, a partner, or somebody else. You’ll need to take into account a couple of considerations, which we’ve outlined in the rest of this article. However it isn’t as complicated as you might think to allow another driver to drive your lease car.
What criteria need to be meet for someone else to drive my lease car?
If another driver wants to drive your lease car, they need to be on your insurance or else they need to have fully comprehensive insurance covering them to drive a lease car that isn’t in their name. Speak to your insurance company. They’ll run through the usual credit history check for your additional driver to calculate the additional cost, taking into account your named driver's previous driving experience, as they would if you were insuring a second driver on a non-lease car.
Are there exceptions to other drivers being allowed to drive my lease car?
Yes, if it states in your car lease contract that allowing another driver to drive your lease car is forbidden then regardless of your insurance, you can't allow them to do so. As long as the terms of your contract don’t state that it’s not allowed, there should be no issue with another driver being allowed to drive your lease car.
Should I tell the lease provider there's a second person driving the car?
No it isn’t necessary for you to tell your finance provider or lease company that you have another driver driving the vehicle, just so long as the lease contract allows it and the insurance company have been properly informed.
Is it a good idea to have a second driver on a lease car?
Whether it's a good idea or not to have a named driver on your insurance driving your lease car depends how well you trust them with your brand new vehicle! If they were to have an accident, the claim would be against your policy so be aware that you, as the main driver, will be held accountable, even if you weren't in the vehicle. Any insurance claim made may affect you as the policyholder.
Is it a good idea for my child to drive my lease car?
As outlined above, you'll need to consider the possibility that your child, as an inexperienced driver, may potentially crash the vehicle and the impact this could have on your insurance. You’ll also need to make sure you're avoiding being considered to be committing car insurance fronting.
What is car insurance fronting?
Fronting is a car insurance fraud that's carried out to obtain cheaper car insurance. It's when a driver tells their insurer that they are the main driver of a car when in reality they're not. It most commonly occurs when a more experienced driver insures a car in their name to reduce the insurance costs of a younger, less experienced driver. Fronting will invalidate your policy, is a criminal offence and you can be prosecuted for fraud if found guilty of it.
How can I avoid being accused of car insurance fronting?
To avoid being accused of car insurance fronting, whoever is driving the car the most must make sure to insure the vehicle in their own name with drivers who drive the car less frequently added to the policy as named drivers.
What if a named driver gets a speeding ticket?
If your child or any other named driver gets a speeding ticket then it’s you as the named driver who is held liable. The ticket's likely to be sent to the leasing company if the offence has been captured on camera, since they're the registered keeper of the vehicle. The funder will usually let the authorities know that it's you leasing the vehicle so they can get in touch. You'll just need to provide them with the details of who was driving your car so they can contact them regarding the penalty.