Car insurance agreements could be invalidated if motorists simply switch around the driver during a long journey to enable someone to rest. If the new driver of the vehicle is not named on the owner’s insurance details, the terms and conditions of a policy could be broken.
Under previous guidelines, many insurers offered third party cover to drive someone else’s car but this is no longer included in many agreements.
This third party cover would mean your vehicle is legally insured to drive on the road but any damage to your car won’t be covered.
Motorists would also not be covered if their car is stolen or damaged by fire while being used by anyone else other than the main driver.
They warn it is quite likely that your policy does not include a DOC meaning all drivers should check before assuming.
They warn offenders will be issued heavy fines and could be hit with up to eight penalty points on their driving licence.
In some cases, road users could even be banned from driving and the owner could face prosecution for letting an uninsured driver use their car.
Insurance companies take convictions seriously and both the owner and offender could become blacklisted by insurance firms.
This is likely to force drivers to buy specialist cover which is more expensive than cover offered from traditional companies.
The Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) revealed police officers had reported 4,000 DOC incidents in the 12 months to December 2018.
More than 1,500 cars were seized by officers after motorists were found not to be driving with the correct level of insurance.