Insurance to drive someone else's car
Borrowing a car is the single most common reason people buy temporary insurance in the UK. A standalone policy in your name means the owner's annual cover — and their no-claims discount — is never involved.
Why not rely on driving other cars cover?
The old 'DOC' extension on annual policies has largely disappeared, and where it survives it is usually third-party only, restricted to over-25s, and valid only in an emergency. Damage to the borrowed car would not be covered at all.
A temporary policy in your name is fully comprehensive on that specific vehicle, so if you kerb a wheel or reverse into a bollard the repair is a claim on your policy, not an awkward conversation and a bill.
The owner's no-claims bonus is safe
Your policy is a separate contract with its own certificate. A claim sits against your record, not theirs. Their renewal price and their protected no-claims years are unaffected.
This is the reason parents, partners and housemates prefer temporary cover to being added as a named driver for a weekend.
Hour by hour, or a whole month
If you only need to move the car down the road, buy an hour. If you are borrowing it for a fortnight while your own car is off the road, buy weeks. You pay for the time you actually use rather than rounding up to a full day.
Frequently asked questions
Other reasons people buy short-term cover
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