Learner driver

[Buckman]

Our grandson has his learner's licence and is insured to drive the daughter's car which is insured and registered in her name. I have tried to find an answer for my question, but get conflicting information. If it is just the grandson and myself in the vehicle, should the insurance still cover any mishaps?

Unfortunately trying to ask her provider is just about impossible as the provider tries to use AI technology though a chat to answer questions and all you get is "Sorry don't understand the question". You are then on hold forever and eventually give up. There is no email address.

 

[Mr Plodd]

So it's your daughters car and the insurance policy is in her name.
Your grandson is a named driver on her policy.
He has a provisional licence so he is insured to drive that car providing he is accompanied by a full licence holder, I.e. you, then the insurance is 100% valid.
UNLESS the certificate of insufance states something like the policyholder (your daighter) must be supervising the learner (very unlikely, but a remote possibility) However it might be worth checking the level of insurance when grandson is driving. I have heard of some companies restricting cover to third party only when being driven by a provisional licence holder.
Don't lets get sidetracked by the full licence holder needing to have held a licence for over 2 years if under 21 etc please, I have answered the OP's question as posed.

 

[Buckman]

So it's your daughters car and the insurance policy is in her name.
Your grandson is a named driver on her policy.
He has a provisional licence so he is insured to drive that car providing he is accompanied by a full licence holder, I.e. you, then the insurance is 100% valid.
UNLESS the certificate of insufance states something like the policyholder (your daighter) must be supervising the learner (very unlikely, but a remote possibility) However it might be worth checking the level of insurance when grandson is driving. I have heard of some companies restricting cover to third party only when being driven by a provisional licence holder.
Don't lets get sidetracked by the full licence holder needing to have held a licence for over 2 years if under 21 etc please, I have answered the OP's question as posed.

Thanks as that was the information I was looking for and straight from the horse's mouth so to speak. LOL!

These AI Chat systems should be banned as very frustrating dealing with them as you tend to go around in circles. This morning it took me nearly half an hour to get to an agent to resolve a car insurance cancellation!

 

[Mr Plodd]

I have found that saying something like "Speak to an agent" or "Sspeak to a human" when replying to "What can I help you with" will often get me past the dreaded AI robot!

 

[Buckman]

I have found that saying something like "Speak to an agent" or "Sspeak to a human" when replying to "What can I help you with" will often get me past the dreaded AI robot!

Yep that is what I tried this morning and was getting nowhere. I then realised that one of the options was "live chat which I initially thought was the chat system I was using! Clicking on that took me to a webpage and then had to wait about 15-20 minutes for a reply.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Change your insurance provider.

 

[Buckman]

Change your insurance provider.

I cancelled 10 days ago and was trying to chase up the refund!

 

[Mr Plodd]

Refunds are always graduated, when you get to 6 months thats usually the point at which there is no refund.
"Its all the T's & C's you clicked on as having read sir"

Insurance companies, like banks, are not your friend!

 

[Buckman]

Refunds are always graduated, when you get to 6 months thats usually the point at which there is no refund.
"Its all the T's & C's you clicked on as having read sir"

Insurance companies, like banks, are not your friend!

In this case the insurance was cancelled within 5 days of it being initiated.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Just wondering. Driving licences are different between passing your test in an Auto Vs Manual.

So does the qualifying passenger in charge of the learner have to have the correct license. I.E. learner driving manual but passenger has Auto License.

Or am I on a different part of the world 😉

 

[Buckman]

Just wondering. Driving licences are different between passing your test in an Auto Vs Manual.

So does the qualifying passenger in charge of the learner have to have the correct license. I.E. learner driving manual but passenger has Auto License.

Or am I on a different part of the world 😉

No issue here as did a manual pass in Rhodesia, South Africa and then the UK.

 

[Mr Plodd]

A "full" licence for supervising in a car does not have to match the cars transmission type.

But here's a daft anomaly. If you take your test in an auto car, you get an auto only licence. If you then take your HGV test in an auto truck you get a licence that's valid for auto AND manual lorries, but you still cannot drive a manual car until you pass tge manual car test. Crazy isnt it?

 

[Tobes]

When my eldest turned 17 back in 2017, we bought a used Kia Picanto specifically for all three of them to learn to drive in, just so they would have a manual licence. As time went on, and we got into the EV owning world, I realised that they may never need the manual licence, though its definitely useful to have in case of renting a car in Europe, or needing to help out a friend. Here we are in 2025 and two of them drive full EV, and the third an auto PHEV, hoping to move to a full EV.
I am now teaching our Ukrainian guest to drive - in an EV...

 

[Mr Plodd]

I am now teaching our Ukrainian guest to drive - in an EV...

All well and good if, having passed their test on an auto they can either find a used auto (fairly rare) Afford to get an auto on PCP or similar, or have the money to buy a new auto.
I would, and do, always recommend to learn on, and get, a manual licence to avoid any possible "issues" at a future date, such as not having access to an auto hire car (still fairly rare unless you are happy to pay a lot for the privilege), or being unable to borrow a manual car in an emergency etc.
Why restrict your options when you don't have to?

 

[Beardy]

A "full" licence for supervising in a car does not have to match the cars transmission type.

But here's a daft anomaly. If you take your test in an auto car, you get an auto only licence. If you then take your HGV test in an auto truck you get a licence that's valid for auto AND manual lorries, but you still cannot drive a manual car until you pass tge manual car test. Crazy isnt it?

The government appears to disagree with you Mr Plodd.

(Sam's question as I understood it was whether someone with an 'auto only' licence could supervise a learner driver in a manual car.......... no they can't).

Driving lessons and learning to drive

Who can teach you to drive, practising with friends and family, driving lessons, insurance, using L and P plates.

www.gov.uk

 

[Tobes]

All well and good if, having passed their test on an auto they can either find a used auto (fairly rare) Afford to get an auto on PCP or similar, or have the money to buy a new auto.
I would, and do, always recommend to learn on, and get, a manual licence to avoid any possible "issues" at a future date, such as not having access to an auto hire car (still fairly rare unless you are happy to pay a lot for the privilege), or being unable to borrow a manual car in an emergency etc.
Why restrict your options when you don't have to?

We re restricting options because we have to. No manual cars (or indeed ICE cars) in the house....

 

[otherclive]

Our daughter has a manual licence, but has never driven a manual since passing her test 33 years ago. But at least she is legally allowed to if the need arose. . No doubt there would be quite a bit of kangarooing. 🦘

 

[Mr Plodd]

The government appears to disagree with you Mr Plodd.

(Sam's question as I understood it was whether someone with an 'auto only' licence could supervise a learner driver in a manual car.......... no they can't).

Driving lessons and learning to drive

Who can teach you to drive, practising with friends and family, driving lessons, insurance, using L and P plates.

www.gov.uk

Happy to stand corrected.
But the HGV bit still stands

 

[Buckman]

The government appears to disagree with you Mr Plodd.

(Sam's question as I understood it was whether someone with an 'auto only' licence could supervise a learner driver in a manual car.......... no they can't).

Driving lessons and learning to drive

Who can teach you to drive, practising with friends and family, driving lessons, insurance, using L and P plates.

www.gov.uk

What is different to Mr Plod's advice regarding me supervising grandson in daughter's car?

 

[otherclive]

What is different to Mr Plod's advice regarding me supervising grandson in daughter's car?

You have to have a license appropriate to the car. So if your license was only for auto you could not supervise him in a manual car. But a licence granted in a manual car also covers automatics. So you could supervise him in either manual or auto.

 

[Beardy]

What is different to Mr Plod's advice regarding me supervising grandson in daughter's car?

None. I was responding to Mr Plodds answer to Sam's question, not yours. (You can tell because I quoted his response to Sam's question).

 

[Dustydog]

If it is just the grandson and myself in the vehicle, should the insurance still cover any mishaps?

On my car I am the Policyholder and wife is named driver. Vice versa on her own car.

There is nothing written in my policy that says the Policyholder must be with the named driver irrespective of a full or provisional licence.

Further how can your grandson take his driving test if only your daughter can be with him?
You did the right thing binning the Insurer who did not give clear information.

 

[Buckman]

Okay then we have no issue regarding the insurance and myself as instructor while grandson is driving.

As an aside. A while ago I bought a car for OH from a dealership using finance and asked for the car to be registered in my wife's name. No problem says dealer. I take out insurance with car registered to OH with her as main driver.

V5C arrives and is in my name. I query this and told that as I am using finance having the car in her name is known as "fronting" for some reason. Neither of us have any credit issues.

Anyway I accept it and advise insurance that car is registered to me, but OH is still the main driver. The premium jumps up by about £200 and when I query this I am told that it is known as "fronting".

Either way we lose even though both of us have over 25 years NCB! As said insurance companies are not your friend!

As it turned out we rejected the car within days of delivery and no issue with refund from dealership.

 

[RogerL]

Okay then we have no issue regarding the insurance and myself as instructor while grandson is driving.

As an aside. A while ago I bought a car for OH from a dealership using finance and asked for the car to be registered in my wife's name. No problem says dealer. I take out insurance with car registered to OH with her as main driver.

V5C arrives and is in my name. I query this and told that as I am using finance having the car in her name is known as "fronting" for some reason. Neither of us have any credit issues.

Anyway I accept it and advise insurance that car is registered to me, but OH is still the main driver. The premium jumps up by about £200 and when I query this I am told that it is known as "fronting".

Either way we lose even though both of us have over 25 years NCB! As said insurance companies are not your friend!

As it turned out we rejected the car within days of delivery and no issue with refund from dealership.

A broker could have sorted that out properly for you - when I was banned on medical grounds my broker arranged insurance with my wife as main driver but with me as registered owner and policy holder specifically excluded from driving on the cover note - this retained my NCD and kept the premium down - it did take a lot of phone calls though.

Sadly, a lot of insurers use a website which has no flexibility and calling them just gets an agent saying "computer says no!"

 

[Buckman]

A broker could have sorted that out properly for you - when I was banned on medical grounds my broker arranged insurance with my wife as main driver but with me as registered owner and policy holder specifically excluded from driving on the cover note - this retained my NCD and kept the premium down - it did take a lot of phone calls though.

Sadly, a lot of insurers use a website which has no flexibility and calling them just gets an agent saying "computer says no!"

I did converse with someone at the insurance company, but guess they read from a script. Took a couple of days longer to get refund from insurance than for dealer to give refund!