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NAMED DRIVER INSURANCE

Need some backup? Adding a named driver to your insurance policy is easy.

Add flexibility to your driving plans with named driver insurance

If you ever want to hand over your car keys so that your spouse can nip to the shops or give you a lift somewhere, then you’ll need to add them to your car insurance as a named driver.

Read on to discover what the implications of being a named driver are, the level of cover they’ll get and how to add them onto your policy.

What is named driver car insurance?

If you want to extend your car insurance cover to a partner, relative, or friend so that they can drive your car occasionally, this is known as named driver insurance. The second driver can be anyone with a valid UK license.

Who is the main driver on a car insurance policy?

The main driver on an insurance policy is the person who owns the car and drives it the majority of the time, so if you take the wheel of your car most often then that would be you. If someone else drives your car more than you, they can be the main driver on your policy and you can be a named driver but they must live at the same address as you.

What kind of cover will the named driver have?

Once you add a named driver to your insurance policy, they will have the same level of cover as you do. For instance, if you have Saga Plus cover, any additional drivers will do too. Your named driver will also be covered by any extras you have, like our breakdown cover.

How does a named driver affect your insurance premiums?

Adding a named driver could change your insurance premiums, depending on their age, employment status, how long they’ve held a license for and their relationship to you.

If you’re an experienced driver and you add a younger named driver to your car insurance policy, such as a son or daughter, then your premiums may go up because inexperienced motorists are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident.

However, this would make premiums cheaper for them compared to having their own policy, as if they’re sharing a car it’s assumed they’ll spend less time driving.

If you add someone who is a more experienced driver than you, with a good claims history, this could potentially reduce your premium as they have less risk associated with them than you.

How does a named driver affect your No Claim Discount?

Your existing No Claim Discount will not be affected by adding a named driver unless they have an accident. If they do, you’ll have to make a claim as the main driver, which could affect your No Claim Discount.

If you’re adding another motorist as your named driver, they won’t be able to build up their own No Claim Discount.

What is fronting?

When a person ‘fronts’ a car insurance policy, they falsely claim to be the main driver of a vehicle, when it’s actually someone else who does most of the driving.

Fronting is often done by an older person to make car insurance premiums cheaper for someone who has less driving experience.

Fronting is illegal and if a motorist is found to be falsely naming themselves as the main driver of a car, their insurance policy can be invalidated and it can result in police prosecution.

How do I add a named driver to my car insurance policy?

If you’d like to add a second driver to your car insurance policy, simply visit MySaga to make the change online or call us on 0800 302 9735. All you’ll need is their name, date of birth, and details of their driving history.

Who are Saga's car insurance policies underwritten by?

Saga’s car insurance policies, exclusively for people over 50, are unique products designed by us specifically for our customers. They are underwritten by a number of carefully selected insurers that provide high standards of quality and service.