How often do you borrow a friend’s vehicle to pop out to a store or use a family member’s car to run an errand? But can you drive someone else’s car without insurance? Most people don’t consider whether or not they’re insured to be driving that vehicle.
Fortunately, there’s a pretty clear answer to the question: In most cases, as long as the car itself is insured and you’re fully licensed, you’re OK. If the car isn’t insured, though, you could be on the hook for a costly ticket.
Let’s look at the ins and outs of driving someone else’s car without insurance:
Key Takeaways
- In Alberta, car insurance covers the car itself, not the person.
- Even if you are insured to drive your own car, if someone else’s vehicle is uninsured, it can’t be driven.
- Driving someone else’s uninsured vehicle can lead to expensive fines and even a suspended license.
What Is a Driving Without Insurance Ticket?
In Alberta, getting caught for driving without insurance can come with tickets of up to $10,000 for first-time offenders, as well as huge increases in insurance premiums, the potential for a suspended license, and even potential criminal charges.
Under the Alberta Safety Act, every vehicle that drives on a public road needs to be insured. That’s important to remember for the purposes of answering the question of if you can drive someone else’s car legally without insurance.
What Are the Rules for Driving Someone Else’s Car Without Insurance?
This is also clearly laid out in Section 54(1) of the Alberta Traffic Safety Act, which says:
Except as otherwise permitted under this Act, a person shall not do any of the following: …Where a person is the registered owner of a motor vehicle, permit another person to (i) drive the motor vehicle on a highway or (ii) have the motor vehicle on a highway, unless the motor vehicle is an insured motor vehicle.
It’s important to understand that in Alberta, a vehicle is insured, not a driver. Some people wonder ‘Does my insurance cover driving other cars?’ But even if you are covered for your own vehicle, that same insurance doesn’t carry over when you get behind the wheel in a friend’s car.
If their vehicle isn’t insured, you will face the same penalties for driving without insurance as you would if it were your own car, and it’s your responsibility as a driver to make sure the car you’re driving is insured.
The same principle applies if you lend someone your car. They are covered under your insurance policy.
When Can You Drive Someone Else’s Car?
In Alberta, driving someone else’s car is allowed under a few conditions:
- You have their permission
- Their car is insured
- You have a valid driver’s license
- You will be operating the vehicle legally
If you’re going to be driving the same person’s car repeatedly, it’s possible that you will need to be added to their insurance policy as an occasional driver. Every insurance company will have its own rules for who needs to be added as an occasional driver, but generally speaking, anybody with a driver’s license living in your household should be listed.
What Happens If You’re in an Accident While Driving Someone Else’s Car?
Let’s talk about the worst-case scenario: You’re involved in an accident while driving a friend’s car. What happens then?
Assuming their car is insured, it’s the owner’s policy that will be directly affected, and it will cover the accident the same way it would if they were driving. This can lead to expensive increases in insurance premiums.
That doesn’t mean the driver will just get off without any repercussions, though. The accident may go on their driver’s record, which could affect their own insurance rates.
What to Do if You’re Caught Driving Someone Else’s Car Without Insurance
It is always worth fighting a ticket for driving without insurance, especially if it was somebody else’s car and you didn’t know the vehicle was uninsured. The fines are expensive, and the possibility of a suspended license can affect your ability to get to school, work, or appointments.
Fortunately, We Defend is on your side, and our expert team has decades of experience helping Alberta drivers in similar situations. You may not have known the answer to the question ‘Can you drive someone else’s car with your own insurance’ and assumed you were on the right side of the law.
It’s your responsibility to make sure the car you’re driving is insured, but there are defences, including that you could not have reasonably known that the vehicle you were driving didn’t have valid insurance.
Fight Tickets for Driving Without Insurance with We Defend
‘Can you drive someone else’s car without insurance?’ is an important question, and the answer is that it’s the car that needs to be insured, not the driver. That’s not something everyone realizes intuitively, though, and if you’ve been charged for driving uninsured while you were driving someone else’s vehicle, it’s always the right call to fight it with We Defend.
Contact us for a free consultation today,
FAQs
Does my insurance cover driving other cars?
No, your insurance covers only your car. If you lend it to someone to drive, they are covered, too, but your insurance is only for your vehicle.
Are there demerit points for driving without insurance?
There are no demerit points for driving without insurance in Alberta. There are expensive fines, and you’ll face heavy increases to your insurance premiums, though.