I get questions like this frequently. While car insurance is something we all pay for regularly, it seems to be something we know very little about...until it's too late. This particular question struck a nerve as I wondered how we would be affected if our babysitter (Sunny) needed to use our car since that's where Jackson's & Lawson's car seats regularly reside.
Automobile insurance is designed to follow the car, which means that the coverage we purchased for our vehicle will cover the car regardless of who's driving it.
That said, in order to be fully covered by our policy (under what's called the non-owned auto provision), Sunny must have permission (verbal or written) to drive our insured vehicle.
Sunny must be an occasional driver only, not a regular driver or user of the vehicle. If she gets into an accident while driving our car (and considering she had our permission to drive the car at the time of the accident), our auto insurance will be considered the primary coverage in any accident-related claim that's made. Sunny's car insurance coverage (if she's covered under her own policy, or that of a parent) will be considered a secondary coverage, and will only activate if damage claims exceed the limits of our own policy.
I was happy to help my friend with the answer to his question, and felt a littler better knowing where we stand if Sunny should ever need to use our car while babysitting for us.
