Driving friends to sports or taking them home after school is a very common practice between parents who help each other. But what does your car insurance really say in the event of an incident when you’re transporting other people’s children?
This is the question that parents ask themselves on Wednesday evening or Saturday morning, when they have to take their friends to football or to the gym: am I really covered in the event of an accident? Originally, this occasional carpooling to go to school, go to a birthday or a joint extracurricular activity, is an invention that saves the day for many busy parents. Often, it’s a bit like everyone taking turns, so that everyone can avoid the hassle of taking a taxi once in a while.
But when it comes to being responsible for someone else’s children, especially on the road, it is essential to ask yourself what will really happen if something happens. Does my car insurance cover me in the event of a mishap with other minor passengers? Do I need to take out a specific contract to transport children? And conversely, are my children protected if another adult takes them in the car? Here’s what insurers are really planning.
We can already reassure you: whether for leaving school or for any other reason, there is no need to take any action regarding insurance. In reality, civil liability guarantee systematically protects your passengers, even children. It is mandatory, and therefore automatically included in any car insurance contract. “This insurance covers damage that you or your vehicle may cause to third parties during an accident. Passengers who travel with you in a carpool are also covered by this compulsory insurance”specifies the public service. This guarantee compensates for all bodily injury or property damage suffered by these passengers, whether or not you are responsible for the incident, and therefore also applies to any other parent who takes your children somewhere.
Obviously, these guarantees are subject to strict compliance with the Highway Code and the terms indicated on the registration document: if you transport four children in the back of a city car designed for three, the insurer may turn against you or limit the compensation. Ditto, of course, if a child is not wearing a seat belt or if he is not in an approved car seat adapted to his body type, for those under 10 years old.
There is, however, a small subtlety, if we take the case of a nanny or a childminder for example. If she transports your child in her own vehicle, it is essential that her car insurance contract bears the mention “professional transport of children”, as explained on the insurer AMV’s website. Your child will, whatever happens, be covered by insurance, but they could turn against the childcare professional if they are held liable. Conversely, if she is transporting your child in your personal car, “It is up to you to check that your insurance contract allows you to lend your vehicle to a third party, and that your nanny does not fall within the scope of any possible restrictions.”.
