I learned today that the State of Maryland allows insurance companies to exclude family members from driving your car unless you pay additional premiums. My son is 27 years old and lives 50 miles away from me, has his own car and his own insurance. He pays a high premium because he has a several points on his license. My insurance company the Hartford told me I had to sign an exclusion agreement or pay an extra $100 per month in premiums in order to be covered if he drives my car. I also have to exclude my daughter in-law because she lives in my house, or pay an extra $60 per month in premiums. She also has her own car and insurance. She does not pay a high premium because she has never had a ticket or accident. The $60 per month is more than she pays her insurance company for full coverage on herself and her husband.
Maryland regulations are such that if I loan my car to my next door neighbor, and he has an accident the Hartford will cover the losses because the insurance is on the vehicle and not the driver as long as he has a valid drivers license and regardless of his driving record. It's not fair that I can provide more to my neighbor than the my own family. I am 64 years old and have been driving for 48 years. In that time I have had two tickets and 4 fender benders, 2 of which were my fault. Still my insurance premiums are about the same as my younger son who has had one accident and several tickets.
This may seem petty to anyone reading this but think about the logic. I can loan my pick up truck to my neighbor who has a bad driving record and be covered. However, I can't loan my pick up truck to my son or my daughter in-law because I am unwilling to pay an addition $160 per month in premiums.
The state regulators for automobile insurance need to seriously think about changing these regulations so that you only have to purchase insurance for the vehicle and it be covered regardless of who drives it.
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