Driving someone else's car with permission

What is the name of your state? TX

Okay, I have a question,

Sometimes I run errands for this old couple in their car, because they cannot do it themselves due to health problems. They have full coverage on their car for themselves and I have liability on my personal car. I also have a permission letter from them to operate their car.

If i get pulled over when I am using their car and asked for insurance, and I provide the officer with a copy of my insurance (for my own car) and a copy of their insurance in the car I am driving, would I run into any problems? Would this give me a ticket?

I can flash the permission slip but I don't know if thats advisable. Would the officer call the old couple and verify the permission on the spot?

Anyone have any thoughts?

All the officer really needs is the insurance for the car. Doesn't hurt to have the other info just in case, but the owner's insurance will satisfy the legal requirements for driving it.

If you want to be 100% sure, then read that 50 page insurance policy.

I always wondere why int he US we ensure the car, regardless of who drives it, and not the driver, regardless of the car???

jaquin said:

If you want to be 100% sure, then read that 50 page insurance policy.

I always wondere why int he US we ensure the car, regardless of who drives it, and not the driver, regardless of the car???

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We do both. Its situational. And, we don't always insure the car, regardless of who drives it. That's one of those insurance "myths" that has some basis in fact.

Most policies insure the named drivers on the policy, as well as any "occasional users" that drive the car with permission. Some exclude people who live in your household UNLESS they are specifically named on the policy, some don't. All will exclude people who drive the car WITHOUT permission, but non-permissive use is hard to prove unless the car was actually reported stolen prior to the accident, and in some states, case law has not allowed insurance companies to deny coverage for non-permissive use when the car was not reported stolen, EVEN if the person was specifically told not to drive the car, and the keys were not made readily available to the driver.

I would find it very surprising if a policy did NOT provide coverage to someone who does not live in your household and occasionally drives the car with permission, but of course reading the policy is the only way to know for sure.

The fact that you have a written note to drive the car and the fact that you use it regularly means you are NOT an occasional driver. Your name should be added to their insurance policy if they (and you) want to protect yourselves. If an insurance company ever got wind of that note they could use it as a basis to refuse a claim when you were driving.

ecmst12 said:

I would find it very surprising if a policy did NOT provide coverage to someone who does not live in your household and occasionally drives the car with permission, but of course reading the policy is the only way to know for sure.

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I've seen quite a few policies that exclude coverage to occasional drivers under the age of 25...

The car owners could ask about adding OP to the policy as a named driver, but I'm not sure if they would be able to do so since he doesn't live in their household. And it may not be necessary. But they could talk to their agent about it.