Can a 17 year old drive another person's insured vehicle without being on the policy?

Answer

No. It is unwise, but many people make that mistake of allowing a person who is not on the policy to drive the vehicle. If there is an accident, your insurance company may cancel your policy because of irresponsible behaviour or at the very least, raise your insurance premium so you are paying much more for your mistake.

17, or 40, age doesn't matter. If the person is not on the policy, don't let them drive your car.

Answer

Unless the policy has a named driver exclusion which specifically says this person is not insured, in every state that I am familiar with, insurance follows the vehicle, no matter who is driving. If this 17-year-old has a lisence, the insurance should be good. In fact, if the owner reasonably believed that he had a lisence and gave him permission, it should be covered. There might be a problem if he was using the car on a regular basis as if it was his personal vehicle and the owner was not using it.

Answer

I personally know of a situation where an unlicensed 15 year old drove a friends car and wrecked it in a single car accident. The insurance policy of the parents of the 15 year old payed for the damage. The first answer on this is totally incorrect. I do know that in some states, California, that there may be reduced liability coverage but there would still be coverage for any operator not formally excluded from the policy who had express or implied permission to use the vehicle.

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