Picture this: a young driver owns a car and uses it every day, but their parent is listed as the main driver on the insurance because they are more experienced. Even if both people appear on the policy, this arrangement could be fronting.
Fronting in car insurance is a form of insurance fraud. It can lead to a policy being cancelled, a claim being refused and other serious consequences. Understanding who should be named as the main driver can help you avoid arranging your insurance incorrectly.
How is the main driver decided?
When you arrange car insurance, you will be asked who the car’s main driver is. This should usually be the person who will use the vehicle most often.
To work out who that is, consider:
- Who drives the car on most days.
- Who makes regular journeys in it, including commuting to work or travelling to college.
- Who is expected to complete most of the annual mileage.
- Where the car is normally kept and who has regular access to it.
The main driver does not necessarily have to be the car’s owner or registered keeper. An insurance application may ask about each of these details separately, so every question should be answered accurately.
If two people use the car almost equally, explain the arrangement to your insurance broker. They can help you provide the details required for the policy.
What does fronting in car insurance mean?
Fronting happens when a lower-risk or more experienced person is declared as the main driver, but somebody else will actually drive the car most often. The incorrect details are usually provided in an attempt to reduce the insurance price.
This commonly involves a parent and a young or newly qualified driver. Young drivers can cost more to insure because they have less experience on the road. A parent might therefore take out the policy in their own name and add the young person as a named driver.
If the young person is really the car’s main user, the application does not accurately describe the driving arrangement. The Association of British Insurers describes this practice as fronting and warns that it is a type of insurance fraud.
A typical example of fronting
Suppose a young driver has their own car and uses it each day to get to work or college. Their parent only drives the vehicle occasionally.
Listing the parent as the main driver and adding the young person as a named driver is likely to be fronting. The young person uses the car most and should therefore be declared as its main driver.
The fact that both drivers are included on the policy does not make the arrangement accurate. What matters is whether the person named as the main driver is genuinely the car’s main user.
Is fronting car insurance illegal?
Yes. Deliberately providing false information to obtain cheaper car insurance is fraud. MoneyHelper also warns that pretending a parent is the main driver is fronting and is illegal.
Not every incorrect arrangement is necessarily deliberate. Some people may not realise that they have set up their insurance incorrectly. However, a mistake can still create problems when the policy does not match how the car is actually used.
If you are uncertain about the main-driver details, or the way the vehicle is used has changed, contact your insurance broker as soon as possible.
Named drivers and genuine shared use
Can you add a parent as a named driver?
Yes. A parent or another experienced person can be included as a named driver when they are genuinely expected to use the car.
For example, a young person who uses the vehicle most should be listed as its main driver. Their parent can still be added as a named driver if they will occasionally drive it too.
Adding an experienced named driver may lower the cost in some cases, although this is not guaranteed. The details must always be accurate, and a person should only be listed as a named driver if they are genuinely expected to drive the vehicle.
What if the main driver changes later?
Driving arrangements can change during a policy. Someone originally listed as a named driver might begin using the car more regularly, start commuting in it or take it to university.
Tell your insurance broker promptly if this happens. They can explain whether the policy details need to be updated. Do not wait until you have to make a claim, because incorrect information could affect your cover.
What are the possible consequences of fronting?
Fronting may affect both the policyholder and the person who is actually the main driver. Depending on the circumstances, the consequences can include:
- The policy being cancelled or treated as if it had never been valid.
- A claim being reduced or refused.
- Having to meet some or all of the costs after an accident.
- Finding insurance more difficult or expensive to obtain in the future.
- An investigation and a possible criminal conviction for insurance fraud.
The exact outcome depends on the individual situation. However, the ABI’s guidance on insurance fraud makes it clear that falsely declaring a lower-risk person as the main driver to reduce the price is fraud.
Legal ways for young drivers to lower insurance costs
Insurance can be expensive for new drivers, but fronting is not worth the risk. Instead, young drivers can consider several legitimate ways to look for a more affordable price:
- Choose a vehicle in a lower insurance group before buying it.
- Consider a telematics or black-box policy if it is suitable for your driving habits.
- Provide an accurate estimate of your annual mileage.
- Add an experienced person as a genuine named driver.
- Select a voluntary excess that you could comfortably afford if you needed to claim.
- Compare suitable policies and different levels of cover.
- Build a no-claims discount by driving safely and avoiding claims.
Never alter your job title, home address, annual mileage, parking arrangements or main-driver details simply to receive a cheaper quote. All the information you provide should reflect your real circumstances.
Keep your car insurance information accurate
An attempt to save money through fronting can end up creating much higher costs. Be clear about who owns the vehicle, who keeps it and who will use it most often.
If you are looking for car insurance, you can get a Yoga quote online when you are ready. If you are unsure how to describe your driving arrangements, speak to the team before arranging your policy.
Cover, terms and eligibility vary. Always read the policy wording to check that the cover meets your needs.
Sources
- Association of British Insurers: Named drivers – https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/choosing-the-right-insurance/motor-insurance/named-drivers/
- Association of British Insurers: Eight myths about insurance fraud – https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/fraud/8-myths-about-insurance-fraud/
- MoneyHelper: Car insurance for young drivers, the key facts – https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/insurance/car-insurance-for-young-drivers-the-key-facts
- Financial Ombudsman Service: Guidance for young drivers choosing car insurance – https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/who-we-are/data-insight/news/financial-ombudsman-service-urges-young-drivers-make-informed-decisions-car-insurance