# Named driver versus 'open drive' where wife has penalty points?



## ck_303 (13 Jan 2016)

Hi there.

My wife has just been on the receiving end of six very harsh penalty points.

She is a named driver on my insurance policy.

Our insurance is up for renewal very shortly and I suspect that her penalty points will result in a serious uplift in premium.

Is it legitimate to remove her as a named driver when renewing and then take out an 'open drive' policy which allows anyone with an Irish driver's licence to drive my car?

She only drives the car a couple of times a week for short journeys.

Any help greatly appreciated!


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## mathepac (14 Jan 2016)

Hopefully not. Most insurers specify over 25, EU licence holder and claim, motoring conviction and points free drivers only.


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## JohnJay (14 Jan 2016)

AFAIK, open drive policies are getting hard to find and most are now expensive.


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## emeralds (14 Jan 2016)

How did she accumulate 6 penalty points if she only drives the car for short journeys a couple of times a week????


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## Monbretia (14 Jan 2016)

It's very easy accumulate points sometimes, on a journey last week I met 5 speed vans, all on the outskirts of small towns and all between the 50 & 60 limits.    Yes I know we should all drop down speed immediately but I got caught a few years ago doing 55 in one of these zones, I was within sight of the 60 limit and it was not what I would call a built up area, very much the outskirts.    The irony is I would never pass 100 on open road, I am not a fast driver at all, yes I know awful things happen at low speeds too but they really do seem to be positioned to pick the low hanging fruit.

Some places have very strange limits, there is a big new stretch of road outside Newcastlewest with a limit of I think 60 for a long distance, I'm there driving along under the limit with buses, lorries and every car overtaking me!

My insurer said they ignore up to 3 points so the 6 might cause you a problem but insurers differ so shop around.


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## ck_303 (30 Jan 2016)

Thanks for all the help. Points haven't arrived yet but looks like premium loading will be a couple of hundred quid rather than being completely prohibitive. 

As folks kindly pointed out, Open Drive not feasible.


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