car insurance query

[mint]

Please excuse me if this is an obvious given and it's something that "everybody" knows already!

I am in the process of changing insurance for our 2 cars so can somebody confirm that as long as I am named as "principal" driver then OH or anyone else can also drive the cars?

I have a feeling that this is the case but then it does seem very strange to me that there is no need to have a named second driver and that, say, I could allow a teenager to drive my car as indeed I could OH who is at the other end of the teenage scale?

Thank you.  I am almost sure I haven't got hold of the wrong end of the stick but I'd like to know definitely before completing the forms.

[Kong]

Depends which insurance company you are going with. Our insurance stipulates us as drivers, but there is an excess of 700€ if anyone else driving causes a claim as opposed to an excess of 200€ for us.

[Val_2]

With over 20 odd years of French insurance and all drivers have always been named on the policies we have/held. I only allow my son to drive my car and is stipulated so on the policy to keep the cost down but his policy states any driver with his permission. You need to be careful as stated above, should someone else drive that is not named or even possibly not have their own insurance elsewhere, you could end up counting the cost!

[Val_2]

As an extra, allowing a teenager to drive your car even with permission may increase your franchise to cover them until they have completed their three years probation (2 conduite accompagné) as they are not regarded as full drivers until they have done so, hence why most parents will take out the policy for a new driver until they qualify and can get a lower premium off their own back and a lower franchise.

[Pickles]

Our French car insurance named both of us, but allowed any other driver. Additional excesses applied to young (ie <25 years old) and inexperienced drivers (ie those who had held a licence for <3 years, regardless of age).

[mint]

Thanks, everybody.  I'll send off OH's driving license as well and ask for him to be added to the insurance.