However, fronting is illegal, and if an older motorist is falsely naming themselves as the main driver of a car then the insurance policy can be invalidated and the driver could even find themselves charged with a criminal offence.
One way of reducing the costs that many people consider, is listing their parent as the main driver on their car, and themselves as a secondary driver. Although this can reduce the costs of the insurance, insurance companies call this 'fronting', and consider it to be fraud.
Fronting is illegal, and could lead to criminal convictions for those involved. People found guilty of fronting, or any other type of insurance fraud, will also find it more difficult to buy insurance in the future and their premiums will be more expensive.
Does the owner of the car have to be the main driver?
It depends. Some insurance providers will only insure you as the main driver if you're the car's owner or registered keeper. Usually, the main driver is the registered keeper anyway. However, you don't have to be the registered owner of a vehicle to insure it.
The insurance provider could refuse to pay for any damage to a car if the main driver isn't correctly stated. If a third party was affected in an accident, the insurer may be obliged to pay out any successful claim, but it could then pursue the policyholder to recover the uninsured costs.
Who Needs To Be Added As A Driver On My Car Insurance?
Does it matter who is main driver on insurance?
The main driver on your car insurance
The declared main driver should be the person who: regularly uses a car to drive to or from work / place of education. uses the car for the highest percentage of the time. uses the car on a daily basis.
So it's understandable that a parent or carer might want to help ease the financial burden and insure a car in their own name, even if they're not the main driver. But this is known as car insurance fronting, a type of fraud. It's illegal and could land you with a criminal record.
That person should be identified as the main driver on any insurance policy. If, for example, you drive to and from work every day in the car and your child drives it a couple of times a week, then you would be considered the main driver.
The main driver (or vehicle policyholder) is the person who drives the vehicle most often and earns no claims discount. They do not need to be the principle policyholder but they must live at the same address as them.
Who is the main driver? Every car insurance policy has a “main driver”. By law, this has to be the person who drives the vehicle the most often. The main driver doesn't necessarily have to be the owner or the registered keeper of the car.
Naming yourself as the main driver on your teen's car insurance could get you into trouble. Getting car insurance for your teen is expensive, which is why it's tempting to save money by taking out the policy in your name. But it's known as 'fronting' and has serious consequences if you're found out.
This will usually involve them interviewing both the main driver and the named drivers on the policy. They may also refer to motoring databases and look at CCTV footage for proof of fronting.
You could end up being taken to court and charged – after all, fronting is illegal. You could also invalidate your insurance policy. If you're caught, the best case scenario is that the insurer rejects a claim and cancels your policy. So if you have an accident, you may have to pay the repair costs yourself.
Should I make my parent the main driver on my car or me?
Premiums are calculated largely on the risk presented by the policyholder, so pretending that an experienced parent is a more regular driver of the car than their inexperienced child is fraudulent. This practice is called “fronting” but many parents and young drivers are unaware that it's illegal.
Yes, it is completely legal. Before going down this route, you should compare quotes, as adding a named driver to one policy or taking out temporary car insurance might prove cheaper.
So it's understandable that a parent or carer might want to help ease the financial burden and insure a car in their own name, even if they're not the main driver. But this is known as car insurance fronting, a type of fraud. It's illegal and could land you with a criminal record.
In the right circumstances it's perfectly ok to be insured as a named driver on your parents' policy; and you could save money in the short term, but there are several reasons why it's not always a good idea and in some cases you might even be breaking the law!
What is the difference between a named driver and a main driver?
The vehicle policyholder is nominated by the principal policyholder as being the person who drives the vehicle most often and earns the no claim discount. Named drivers are additional drivers nominated by the principal policyholder who are entitled to drive the vehicle under the policy.
Car insurance fronting is a driving offence and a crime, so if you're caught, it could impact more than just your insurance. Car insurance fraud could result in any of the following penalties: Six points on your licence and an unlimited fine. A possible driving licence ban.
Can you change the main driver on a policy? Yes, you can. If, for example, you're taking the car away to university, let your insurance provider know that you'll be the main driver from then on. They will update the policy accordingly.
However, the fronting company (insurer) assumes a credit risk since it would be required to honor the obligations imposed by the policy if the self-insurer or captive failed to indemnify it. Fronting companies charge a fee for this service, generally between 5 and 10 percent of the premium being written.
When you add a named driver to your policy, the insurance company will typically check their driving history. This includes any motoring convictions they may have, as well as their driving record and claims history.
To recap, this offence is most commonly charged as “careless driving,” which is a strict liability offence under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Penalties can include fines, penalty points, or even driving disqualification.
