While the majority of motor insurance providers are changing their policies to exclude Driving Other Cars (DOC), the AA has decided to keep this provision in their policies.
The AA felt that by excluding DOC it would have a detrimental effect on uninsured driving. As it is the UK has a very poor record for people who drive without being insured.
Other insurance companies have the opposite approach. They feel that DOC gives people an opportunity to rip the insurance system off by insuring their low risk models with a cheap policy, then go and drive high risk cars that belongs to someone else.
A Norwich Union spokesman said, “The ‘drive other cars’ clause is being widely abused.
“We want to end the situation where an 18-year-old is driving around in a souped-up four-litre sports car for which they would not be able to ordinarily get insurance, and then crashes into a bus stop.
“It also muddies the water for police seeking to crack down on uninsured drivers.”
The DOC clause has been dropped by Norwich Union and other insurers after a report was published by the Department of Transport that revealed DOC was a contributory factor for people driving uninsured cars.
The AA however argues the motor insurance industry should have a clearer stance on what the rules are which govern car insurance.