Question: How many hours can an occasional driver drive each week?
Answer: The definition of an occasional driver can vary by state and from one insurance company to the next.
For example, according to State Farm, an occasional driver is unmarried and younger than 21 who drives a car less than 25% of the time or puts on less than 25% of the mileage on the car. A principal driver uses the vehicle 50% or more of the time. The insurance premium for a principal driver will normally be considerably higher than for an occasional driver.
Some insurers suggest as a rule of thumb that an occasional driver is not found to be driving the vehicle in question more than once a week.
The definition of an occasional driver is a person who is not the primary or principal driver of the vehicle. The definition of a principal driver is the person who drives the car most often.
The requirements for an “occasional, casual or intermittent” driver differ by the insurance company, so check with your insurance agent for your company’s requirements.
Generally, insurance companies allow coverage for the occasional driver provided that driver does not live in your household and the vehicle is parked at your dwelling at the end of the day.
If you want to add a driver as an occasional driver to your policy, you will need to discuss their definition of this term and how often they say a person can drive a car without being considered more than an occasional driver.
The occasional driver might benefit from purchasing a non-owner car insurance policy because many companies offer pay-as-you-drive insurance discounts.
— Michelle Megna contributed to this story.
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CarInsurance.com Editorial Team