Should you get your children listed for car insurance for your car?

You’re probably very careful with your car insurance, as you know how important it is to have a backup in case you are involved in an accident while driving your car. However, what most parents miss is that they should consider listing their children on their insurance if they are driving the family car.

Most accidents happen to drivers under 18 years old, and while the insurance would completely cover you in the event of a crash, if your child does any damage to the car neither the car or the driver will be covered by insurance. 

Why is it essential for your children to be listed for car insurance?

Let’s assume that you allow your child to drive the car every once in a while, and your child gets involved in a minor accident. In the accident, both your vehicle and two other vehicles involved in the crash are damaged. The bad news? If this happens, your insurance, no matter how good it is, will not cover the costs.

This means that even with a small incident, you can find yourself in the middle of the financial crisis, as paying from your own pocket for the repairs for a couple of cars is not something to neglect. Even more, the medical care will also be on your shoulders, as your insurance will not cover any potential injury for your child or anyone else. 

Other benefits of having them listed for car insurance 

When you have your child listed on your car insurance, you are not only covering the financial part, but you are also teaching them that they have to be responsible for whatever they do. Even more so, you know that even if your child takes the car and gets a scratch here and there, you won’t have to pay it out of your pocket, and you won’t feel as worried every time they use the car. 

In some situations, you have to pay legal fees and many other costs if your child gets involved in an accident. The good news is that insurance will pay for this too, but only if you have your child listed as a driver. Any potential compensation for other drivers may be covered, also.

Listing your child for car insurance also offers you peace of mind. You’ll know that while they are on the road, you can be sure that if something happens, at the very least you’ll get compensation. 

What type of car insurance should your children be listed for?

If you make a car insurance comparison, you will see that there are different types available. From insurance that covers liability to medical expenses or personal injury insurance, we always advise parents to take into consideration the child’s age and experience.

This means that you should choose a type of insurance that covers, first of all, personal liability. Your child is at risk of causing an accident that can cause damage or physical injuries to other people, and the insurance can cover this. Of course, it is crucial to choose a policy that will also include any damage to the car and any medical expenses in the case of an accident.  

When your children might not need car insurance

There are situations where each member of the family has their own car, and in this case, it is not completely necessary to put your child on your insurance. In the end, there are minimal chances ever to do so.

Also, if your child is rarely driving your car and does so the chances of having a car accident are always possible, but a smaller risk depending on where they go- such as from the local store to back home, you may consider not paying extra to add them onto your insurance. 

It’s really about weighing up the risks and the costs - you should think to yourself ‘is it worth paying the premium for the amount my child drives or the risk they are exposed to?’ 

What if they have their own car?

If your child has their own car, then chances are you don’t have to list them on your insurance. However, you do have to set an example and to teach them how important it is to be responsible while driving. You can do this by encouraging them to get insurance for their own car, that covers anything that they may need in the case of an accident. If your child refuses to do this, offering you to pay for it yourself can be a good idea. Children especially around the minimum driving age, don’t often have a lot of money - especially money that they’d be willing to spend on insurance.

On the other hand, if you believe that you will ask your child to drive your car quite often, you can put them on your insurance but only for a set period. You can do this if, for example, you know that they will need to take your car every day as other transportation methods are unable to be used.  

Get a quote for car insurance now

Putting your child on your car insurance is almost always a good idea unless they are never driving your car. Since car theft has risen lately, you should help your child understand that even if they have their own vehicle and they are fantastic drivers, they should still get insurance for their car. You never know what could happen!