Baby, you can't drive my car

Insurance policies are being stripped of a clause that lets you use other people's vehicles, says Esther Shaw

Getting from A to B by car may soon be less of a smooth ride. Some of the big insurers are planning to change the content of comprehensive cover, removing a clause called "driving other cars".

DOC allows a driver to get behind the wheel of a car that he or she does not own provided the registered owner's permission is granted. It has long been a convenient part of the cover in that motorists can use a friend's vehicle in emergencies - to drive them to hospital, say.

However, because of the lack of definition of what constitutes an emergency on most car policies, the DOC clause has been causing problems, say insurers, through misinterpretation and abuse.

Some motorists think ferrying friends home after they've drunk too much is an emergency, or even popping to the shops in a relative's car. And when there's an incident during these "emergencies", insurers are currently footing the bill for the claims.

More seriously, others are exploiting the policy wording by getting insured for a small car - a Renault Clio, say - and then driving a friend's larger, more powerful vehicle.

If stopped by the police and asked to hand over documents, they can say they were driving the car in an emergency - and be covered for any claim.

Now Norwich Union Direct, the insurer's direct sales arm, has said it will discontinue this cover by March next year. It claims the benefit is open to abuse and is also an obstacle to the Government's crackdown on uninsured drivers.

This is because DOC clashes with proposals to give police access to the UK's giant Motor Insurance Database. "The MID is crucial to combat the problem of uninsured motorists," says Alison McCulloch of insurer More Than. "But when DOC cover is used, it cannot identify whether a vehicle is being legally driven."

Nigel Bartram of Norwich Union Direct says removing DOC is "the right thing to do. This will only affect those taking out new policies and those renewing existing policies - so we don't end up with customers unwittingly driving without cover."

But, the move is controversial - especially as it could mean a life being put at risk if a person can't be driven to hospital.

Other insurers are either undecided or set against any change, arguing that consumers could unknowingly be left uninsured. "There will be no cover for genuine emergencies - so rather than tackling the problem of uninsured driving, removal is likely to exacerbate it," says Kevin Sinclair of AA Insurance.

Direct Line agrees. "We have no plans to remove it and would like to see an industry-wide initiative raising customer awareness in place before [there is any general move towards] doing so," says spokes- woman Emma Holyer.

Graeme Trudgill from industry body the British Insurance Brokers' Association (Biba) says there is already consumer confusion: "People think they are covered comprehensively with DOC when it actually only covers you for third-party incidents.

"Named drivers [on a fully comprehensive policy] also think they have cover when it only applies for the policyholder."

Further, he adds, there are other vital exclusions. DOC is valid only in the UK; certain occupations - such as members of the armed forces - aren't eligible; most insurers insist the driver is over 25; and the cover does not extend to vans.

Biba is firmly against consumers losing this area of cover. "We were initially surprised at the announcement by Norwich Union Direct," says Mr Trudgill. "The insurer has jumped too early. It needs to get a measure of the fraud it talks about, as we know of very few claims made under DOC."

There should, he adds, be proper consultation with the industry and consumer bodies before removing DOC protection.

The UK has one of the highest levels of uninsured driving in Europe - with statistics showing that as many as one in 20 motorists aren't covered. This figure comes from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the industry body. It says accidents involving these motorists cost insurers up to £500m a year - adding an extra £30 to the premiums of law-abiding drivers.

However, the Government has come up with new measures to increase the chance of catching and punishing motorists driving without cover.

These were announced last month by the road safety minister Stephen Ladyman, and tabled as amendments to the Road Safety Bill currently going through Parliament.

The proposed changes to the law include making it an offence to "own" a car that is neither insured nor registered as off the road. This would make the job of the police easier as, at present, they have to catch law-breakers in order to prosecute them.

Police will be able to access the MID - the insurance industry's nationwide computer records - and cross reference this with a database of all registered vehicles. It is expected that automatic fines will be at least £60.

'DOC' DEBATE

Are you planning to remove DOC from your premiums?

Norwich Union Direct - yes

More Than - decision is under review

Esure - under review

Churchill - under review

AXA - under review

Tesco - no

Direct Line - no

AA Insurance - no