Driving is a privilege filled with layers upon layers of responsibility. The driver is responsible for himself, his vehicle, and any person that is in a vehicle or in proximity to the open road. The reality is accidents happen and people make mistakes. This is why any vehicle on the road in Ontario must carry insurance. However, the question that is often more important than whether you have insurance is who can drive the car under your insurance in Ontario.
What Are the Types of Drivers Driving Your Car in Ontario?
There are three types of drivers that will drive your car in Ontario. First, there is the regular driver. This person is anyone in your home that has a driver’s license and drives your car on a regular basis. You are a regular driver of your car. In most homes, a spouse is a regular driver of your car. Then you have your licensed children who, if they live in your home, are likely regular drivers of your car.
The next type of driver is the occasional driver. This person is the person who drives your car more than once in a while. For instance, maybe you have a nanny who drives your car every Wednesday to take your child to dance class. Or, maybe you have a friend who drives your car to take you to a weekly doctors appointment that renders you unable to drive. This person is not a regular driver of your car, but they drive your car often enough to be considered an occasional driver.
Finally, there is the rare driver. This is the person who is out with you on a Friday night and drives you home because you are incapable of driving. This driver maybe drives your car once a year or once every few months. Maybe this person drives your car once in a lifetime. Either way, this person is a rare driver of your vehicle.
Who Needs to Be Added To Your Insurance Policy in Order to Drive Your Car in Ontario?
The reality is that anyone with a valid driver’s license can drive your car in Ontario, if you give them permission to do so. Insurance follows the vehicle, not the individual. However, it is not that cut and dry. Of course, if a person needs to take the wheel in an emergent situation, that person, as long as they have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record, will be covered in the event of an incident. However, other drivers who drive your car more often need to be covered under your Ontario insurance policy in some capacity.
The occasional drivers, as discussed above, should be added to your policy as an occasional driver. This means they are undeniably covered if an instance occurs. Otherwise, your insurance company can deny a claim after an investigation discloses the person is an occasional driver of your car.
Most importantly, anyone who lives in your home and is a G2 driver must be added to your insurance policy to be covered in the event of an accident. This is any child living in your home, your spouse, and any other legally licensed driver that resides in your home. Even if the person owns their own car, if they do not have their own insurance policy they must be added to yours to be legally covered in the event of an incident while driving your vehicle.
You are able to exclude a driver from your insurance policy as well. For example, maybe your sibling lives in your home but is a known alcoholic. As a result, you do not want this person ever driving your vehicle, you can specifically exclude this person from your insurance. As a result, he or she is not legally allowed to drive your vehicle under any circumstances, unless you remove this exclusion in writing.
How Does Another Driver’s Accident or Ticket Affect My Insurance in Ontario?
In Ontario, it is important to note that an accident will follow the vehicle. Therefore, if someone is driving your vehicle and has an accident, that accident directly affects your insurance policy. In order to make sure you are covered for this accident, that person should be appropriately named as an occasional or regular driver on your policy. If this is a rare driver, the argument could exist to provide coverage for the accident as the driver was driving in a rare situation.
On the other hand, violations, such as speeding tickets, obstructing traffic, and any other non-accident driving offenses, follow the driver. Therefore, if a person is driving your car and gets a ticket, the violation affects that person’s insurance, not yours. The points go against the person’s driving record and should have no impact on your insurance unless the person is insured on your policy.
To learn more about who can drive your car under your insurance in Ontario, contact the insurance experts at Duliban Insurance Brokers at 855-385-4226. Their team of insurance experts will help you determine who needs to be covered under your policy and to what extent.
