It takes a lot of courage and trust to lend your car to another person. While many may think it depends on how much you trust the person taking your wheels for a ride, there are far too many considerations to keep in mind before trusting someone with your car. A car is usually the second most expensive thing a person can own, and that’s why lending it to someone else is a huge decision. After all, if anything happens when they drive, chances are you’re going to be the person paying for the repairs. You’re also more likely to be held liable if your car was involved in a road accident. So, here is everything you need to consider before making the decision of lending your car to someone else.

Know If They’re a Good Driver

The first thing most people do before agreeing to lend their car to anyone is to check whether this person can drive cautiously or not. This is exactly what you need to do before giving permission. You might as well take them on a test drive and ensure that they’re a good driver. It would make more sense to lend your car to a friend who sticks to the speed limits rather than one who’s earned a few wrecks to their name.

Identify Who Will Take Charge of the Damage

You need to know that just because someone else is driving your car doesn’t mean they would be held liable in the event of something going wrong. Most of the time, the car owners take full responsibility for whatever expenses need to be paid. In these situations, insurance does follow the car so you’re more likely to end up paying all the insurance deductibles. You’re going to need to make a deal with the person borrowing the driver’s seat even though this is still considered risky as no one can guarantee that they actually pay for their mistakes. Yet, you still have to discuss this matter with them and let them know that they’re expected to pay for any damages resulting from their driving.

Permissive Use

One of the most important things you need to come to terms with before lending your vehicle to anyone you know is Permissive and Non-Permissive Use. Permissive use is when you allow someone who is not included in your insurance policy as a member of your household to use your car. They may not be covered by your automobile insurance, but either you or they have proof that you gave them permission to drive your car.

Non-Permissive Use

Now that we’ve established what Permissive Use is, you need to understand how Non-Permissive Use works, as well as its implications. Non-Permissive Use is when friends or others who are not included in your insurance policy drive your car without permission. In these cases and in the event of a car accident caused by the driver, if the car owner can prove that they did not give permission to the driver to take the vehicle, they don’t get held liable for any consequential damages or injuries caused by the accident. However, the car owner’s insurance company would be responsible for any damages that happened to the vehicle itself.

Ask What They’re Using Your Vehicle For

Don’t think of this as something that may come off rude, it’s completely reasonable for you to inquire about the other person’s intended use of your vehicle. There are a large number of things that can go wrong when someone else is using your car, so you may want to base your decision on necessity. For example, if somebody’s asking to use the vehicle so that they can visit a sick relative in the hospital, it should be okay. However, a friend that’s just asking to drive your car to the mall so they can go shopping is not considered necessary and you can comfortably refuse.

Excluded Drivers

Another thing you should be aware of when it comes to having someone else drive your car is that you can choose certain members of your household and exclude them from your automobile policy. This may be for any reason you like but it’s very common for most people to exclude teenage drivers and other family members who can’t drive very well.

Having someone else drive your car should not be an easy decision to make. You need to think twice before trusting someone with something as expensive as your car. Especially if you’re going to be the one paying up for the insurance deductibles if the driver causes a road accident. So, make sure you read and acknowledge these considerations very well before agreeing to let someone else into your driver’s seat.