by John Hendon
A WARRINGTON solicitor is urging parents of young drivers to double check their car insurance after a number of innocent youngsters have been taken to court for breaking the law.
The warning comes from Gary Heaven, a criminal law partner at Forshaws Davies Ridgway, who has recently defended
several local teenagers charged with driving without insurance as a result of misunderstandings between their parents and insurance companies.
He said: "The massive cost of insurance means many parents are adding newly qualified drivers to their own insurance and then, due to maladministration or misunderstanding, their children's cover has lapsed at renewal time.
"It's not fair that young people may then be driving without insurance protection and even end up with a police record and risk losing their licence."
In each case his teenage clients have pleaded guilty to driving without insurance but after mitigation, have left magistrates court with an absolute discharge and saved their clean record.
Mr Heaven said: "In many cases, insurance companies are not being upfront or straightforward when policies are altered or renewed, leading to confusion with parents who are left with the misguided belief their children are appropriately covered. And it's their sons and daughters who are suffering the consequences.
"I appeal to parents just to spend a few moments double checking their insurance documents are in order - and that way everyone can drive lawfully."
The warning comes from Gary Heaven, a criminal law partner at Forshaws Davies Ridgway, who has recently defended
several local teenagers charged with driving without insurance as a result of misunderstandings between their parents and insurance companies.He said: "The massive cost of insurance means many parents are adding newly qualified drivers to their own insurance and then, due to maladministration or misunderstanding, their children's cover has lapsed at renewal time.
"It's not fair that young people may then be driving without insurance protection and even end up with a police record and risk losing their licence."
In each case his teenage clients have pleaded guilty to driving without insurance but after mitigation, have left magistrates court with an absolute discharge and saved their clean record.
Mr Heaven said: "In many cases, insurance companies are not being upfront or straightforward when policies are altered or renewed, leading to confusion with parents who are left with the misguided belief their children are appropriately covered. And it's their sons and daughters who are suffering the consequences.
"I appeal to parents just to spend a few moments double checking their insurance documents are in order - and that way everyone can drive lawfully."
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5 Responses to ""Parents should check motor insurance"" 
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said this on 17 Oct 2011 7:48:21 AM BST
Parents also need to be honest with insurance companies as to who the main driver of the vehicle is. In order to keep premiums down, many parents say that they are the main driver and name the child as an additional driver, when the reality is that they have bought the car for their child, and that their child is the main or sometimes only driver of the car.
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said this on 17 Oct 2011 10:18:51 AM BST
"......due to maladministration or misunderstanding, their children's cover has lapsed at renewal time......" so in other words, the parents have not told the insurance company that they still want to have the child on their policy... why would the insurance company ask? they may as well ask if you want to put your mum and dad or spouse on too if that was the case.... It is down to the one taking out the policy to say who and what they need covering....and as lookingfromafar has said, for them to be honest about the usage of the car too
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said this on 17 Oct 2011 11:56:12 AM BST
I agree with the above two comments and also with the solicitor that people should check. BUT surely it should be obvious to parents if their child is no longer covered by their own insurance as the renewal premium would drop significantly, not to mention that renewal notices state the names of those covered on the policy which you are asked to check before renewal. To add my son to my insurance would add an extra '0' at least to my yearly insurance premium. I would definately have noticed if it had gone back down to £200 at renewal time and realised. Also isn't it the responsibility of the actual driver to ensure that they are fully covered for the vehicle they are driving. I guess kids would trust their parents words though rather than checking themselves to make sure. As for being honest about who the main driver is .... well I doubt that would really bring the heafty rip off premiums down across the board in reality.
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said this on 17 Oct 2011 8:12:54 PM BST
It's the DRIVERS responsibility to ensure they are insured. If they don't have a copy of a valid insurance document naming them, then they should never get in the car. Driving uninsured is no trivial matter to be dealt with by absolute discharges from magistrates - it can easily lead to a seriously injured innocent victim of a crash having to live the rest of their life without being able to afford the care, support or equipment they need.
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said this on 18 Oct 2011 1:01:09 PM BST
also as he has defended "several" local teenagers; this doesn't appear to be an isolated incident so is more likely to be the result of not wanting to pay the insurance and hoping they didn't get caught!
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