What is an Excluded Driver? - High Risk Insurance - Car Insurance

Listing a person as and excluded driver could save you money. It is important to know who to exclude and remember the fact they are indeed excluded. An excluded driver will have no coverage for liability or physical damage when driving vehicles listed on the car insurance policy in which they are excluded from.

Why would you have an excluded driver on your car insurance policy?

Insurance carriers judge a driver’s risk on several factors. Many different situations can arise in regards to wanting a driver excluded from coverage.

Insurance carrier might want a driver excluded or cancel the entire policy. Common reasons to exclude a driver would be a bad driving record, a suspended license, or too many claims.
You might want to exclude your teenagers because you do not want to pay the higher rates to insure them or they are not following the rules and are not allowed to drive. Maybe your spouse got a DUI and no longer has a driver’s license.

Does an excluded driver affect the cost of insurance?

Having a driver listed as excluded on your car insurance policy could cost more when compared to not having the driver listed anywhere on your policy. Even though the driver is excluded from coverage, usually they are still eligible for medical. And as a member of your household the medical coverage for automobile insurance costs extra depending on what coverage you have selected on your policy.

Listing a driver as excluded is usually much cheaper than adding them as a covered driver. Often the driver is excluded due to being a high risk driver and high risk drivers are very expensive to insure.

What happens if an excluded driver drives my car?

Excluded drivers should never drive the vehicle in which they are excluded from. It is the same as driving with no insurance. If an accident occurs, both the owner of the vehicle and the excluded driver could be held personally liable for damages.

How do I know if a driver is excluded?

Drivers cannot be excluded without the named insured’s permission. To authorize an excluded driver your signature is required on a driver exclusion form. If you receive a notice of cancellation from your insurance company due to a bad driver on your policy, ask if excluding the high risk driver is a possibility.

A couple of places to look on your policy to find if a driver is excluded are your proof of insurance or declaration page. Or, just call your insurance agent for verification.

How long is a driver excluded for?

The length of exclusion depends on the reason for the exclusion in the first place. Once the excluded driver has a good driving record and a valid driver’s license it is possible to get them listed as a covered driver.

How do you make an excluded driver eligible to drive again?

Normally to reinstate an excluded driver as an insured driver you need to speak with your insurance agent. Verification of a valid license and driving record will need to be provided. It should be a quick and painless process.

Do all insurance carriers make driver exclusions possible?

No, some preferred carriers may not allow a driver to be excluded. If one driver in the household is ineligible, then so is the entire household. It depends on the insurance carrier.

Can a driver be excluded from one insurance policy but insured on another?

Yes. Obviously different vehicles would be involved but it is a possibility. Driver exclusions are specific to the policy in which they are excluded.

Excluded drivers are necessary for some car insurance policies, however you are better off avoiding any scenario which requires someone being excluded. You are paying a lot of money for you car insurance and you do not want to find yourself uninsured for any reason. Remember if you exclude a driver on your car insurance policy and do not let that person drive your car under any circumstance.