Car insured but owner does not drive?

[PayrollHRGuy]

Cath her in a good mood,

Please don't.

 

[Zigner]

Something simple like removing the ignition module would work.

That's heart surgery compared to just putting a battery cut-off switch on the car

 

[xylene]

That's heart surgery compared to just putting a battery cut-off switch on the car

That's installing something verses pulling out a small cube like relay...

Battery switches are great but:
1. Not completely free
2. It's an installation and actually quite hard to do on some cars without modifying the battery box
3. Wouldn't simulate the car not starting 'for some weird reason' - where are as a battery kill switch would seem like a dead battery.
4. Would mess up the clock and radio settings.

 

[Dragonbits]

I agree that I was incorrect in my earlier statement regarding the role of a named insured. I don't believe that the OP is a named insured. I think his dad is, and they share the same name.

I said it's possible that happened 14 years ago. I never liked it that they had my name on the policy without my middle initial. The middle name (initial) is the only thing that really distinguished my name from my fathers. I was concerned so over 10 years ago so I made sure it was correct as to my name, now the policy is listed as mom or XXXX Jr. But they did have the correct driver's lic number. My father died in 2002, so it's quite a while ago. He has removed from the policy since 2002.

There are a couple of things that happened a decade or more ago that seemed a bit odd. My mother added me to a couple of her credit cards, but I am listed as a joint owner not an authorized user. It was helpful at one time as it gave me a 32 year credit history.

Recently they said they didn't have my SS, so Allstate added that to my named driver profile.

 

[Zigner]

That's installing something verses pulling out a small cube like relay...

Battery switches are great but:
1. Not completely free
2. It's an installation and actually quite hard to do on some cars without modifying the battery box
3. Wouldn't simulate the car not starting 'for some weird reason' - where are as a battery kill switch would seem like a dead battery.
4. Would mess up the clock and radio settings.

I think we're talking about different things. First, I should have said a starter kill switch, not a battery cutoff switch. Second, to my understanding, ignition control modules are small computers that are mounted (ie: screwed) to the car. Yes, installation of a starter kill switch would require installation, but once done, it's very easy to deal with.

 

[Zigner]

To be clear - I'm not disagreeing with you xylene. If the ign. control module is easy to get to and remove, that's a great idea

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Recently they said they didn't have my SS, so Allstate added that to my named driver profile.

See now you right "Named Driver". That makes me think you are an insured. What you need to do is head down to the Allstate agent's office and at least find out how you are actually listed.

If you are going to ask question about it here please take notes.

 

[Dragonbits]

Your relationship with your parent is weird.

She is 92 and has dementia. How much 'arguing' could there be?

Cath her in a good mood, "Mom, it's time to get rid of the car, sign this so I can sell it for you."

You should be reporting her mental condition to the DMV so she can't try on her own.

If you insist on inaction, you might want to sabotage the vehicle as well as keeping the keys. She may have one secreted somewhere. Something simple like removing the ignition module would work.

, Three years ago, I left for a month to visit Thailand. During that time my brother was stopping by once a week, friends were stopping by to check. My mother wanted to go to the bank with my brother, She didn't know where the bank was, it had moved. My brother took away her keys, but she laughed and told me she had a secret key he didn't know about.

BUT now there are no keys, I had the auto dealer program the only 3 keys that exist, I have them all.

I have a couple of blank honda keys, I was thinking of cutting her a key which has remote access for the doors. It wouldn't start the car, but it would open the doors. Keys have to be programed into the ignition system other wise they don't work.

She is pretty rational on a day to day basis, but her short term memory is nearly non-existent.

Honestly, if she truly isn't capable of being rational, you should also recognized she can't legally sign over her car. Did you think of that?

 

[LdiJ]

Your relationship with your parent is weird.

She is 92 and has dementia. How much 'arguing' could there be?

Cath her in a good mood, "Mom, it's time to get rid of the car, sign this so I can sell it for you."

You should be reporting her mental condition to the DMV so she can't try on her own.

If you insist on inaction, you might want to sabotage the vehicle as well as keeping the keys. She may have one secreted somewhere. Something simple like removing the ignition module would work.

People with dementia can be surprisingly argumentative and combative. There is a lot of fear involved for people with dementia and that often presents in argumentation and combativeness.

 

[xylene]

Honestly, if she truly isn't capable of being rational, you should also recognized she can't legally sign over her car. Did you think of that?

You didn't say that, you said 'early signs of dementia' or something like that. A far cry from legal incompetence.

If she is legally incompetent then your actions in handling this are even less appropriate.

 

[xylene]

People with dementia can be surprisingly argumentative and combative. There is a lot of fear involved for people with dementia and that often presents in argumentation and combativeness.

While I understand the desire to protect the emotions of the dementia sufferer, honestly for me concerneing elder driving is a critical issue and needs to be tackled head on. Too many safety considerations are in play for an older person with dementia, even mild, to have access to a personal vehicle. This is especially true if they still express interest in driving .

 

[HighwayMan]

Please don't.

You beat me to it. I was going to say that such actions should only be undertaken by trained medical professionals or injury and/or infection may result.

 

[Dragonbits]

People with dementia can be surprisingly argumentative and combative. There is a lot of fear involved for people with dementia and that often presents in argumentation and combativeness.

That's true, however it's also her normal personality when younger.

 

[Dragonbits]

While I understand the desire to protect the emotions of the dementia sufferer, honestly for me concerneing elder driving is a critical issue and needs to be tackled head on. Too many safety considerations are in play for an older person with dementia, even mild, to have access to a personal vehicle. This is especially true if they still express interest in driving .

As I said earlier, she doesn't have any keys to a car. So that pretty much solves the problem. Now days I don't think she is even inclined to attempt to drive, but I feel safer in control of all keys.

I think it's 50/50 whether she would pass a driving test, she failed the first time last year then passed on her second attempt. She is a pretty safe driver, what I have seen is she takes too long to make decisions like when to enter the traffic flow when making a turn into traffic. For sure she would get lost if she ever drove outside the immediate neighborhood.

Last year when she had her licence she wanted to drive to the store, I followed behind her. Just curious about how she would drive totally on her own.

She did fine, but couldn't find the car when she left the store. A common occurrence for many, but she kept trying her key in various cars.

Amusingly, or not so amusingly, she owns a honda which is blue, and if I leave my silver Toyota on the street in front of the house she tries to use her key to move my car to the driveway. Which sets off my alarm. This was in the past when she had a car key. I also have a Nissan, now she never thinks that is her car, but I have had that car for over 20 years, the Toyota is only a couple of years old.

I don't trust her to ride a bike either, for the same sort of reasons. I was thinking of getting a tandem bike so she could at least go riding.

 

[Dragonbits]

From YOUR OWN CITE:

Who is not a named insured?

All drivers living in the household who are not listed in the title of the car as an owner and are not married to the owner need to be listed as a driver rather than as a named insured. Also, any children in the household generally would not be included in the named insured.

You commented previously that the insurance may have been confusing you with your dad, and I think that's what's happening. In any case, you are NOT the owner of the insurance policy, and I doubt that you (as opposed to someone sharing your name) are even a named insured.

So does that mean there are actually at least 4 categories on an insurance policy? (Because I have never seen a policy owner listed.)

Policy Owner
Named insured
Listed drivers
Excluded divers

But perhaps therein lies the explanation. The following seems more plausible than anything else.

When I joined the family car insurance policy, I was an adult child and my car was titled solely under my own name.

Perhaps the insurance company then considered me a named insured.

I have changed the policy several times in the last 7 years, added a car and listed driver, changed coverage, etc.

It must have happened when I got this policy, my father was still alive but very sick. I don't know if he was on the policy or not, probably he was even though he couldn't drive. My mother had a car then that was jointly titled with my father.

At that time I was pretty busy taking care of my father and catching up on maintenance with the house. Outside of making sure I had car insurance, I didn't pay any attention to the declaration page.

Yesteryear a new claims adjuster called to introduce herself, ask a few questions and update me on my wife's claim. I took that opportunity to request a full policy document to include all items like policy language and details of arbitration. I doubt I really need it, but I like reading legal documents and maybe it will clarify this question,

Whatever happened, there is still no doubt that I am one of the named insured.