Protected driver cover: are you insured as the driver?

Mobility

January 3, 2022

When purchasing car insurance, the driver thinks he is protected if something happens to him. However, it is not uncommon to discover later that the driver was in fact not insured. The vehicle and the passengers are insured, but the driver needs to take out additional insurance called ‘protected driver cover’.

What is the “protected driver cover”?

The passengers of a car are always covered by insurance in the event of an accident, this is usually not the case for the driver. Indeed, whether or not the driver is responsible for the accident, the passengers are insured thanks to third party liability insurance which is compulsory in Europe. However, this does not protect the driver. In order to be protected, he must arrange for supplementary cover to his car insurance, commonly called the ‘protected driver cover’.

Protected driver cover provides insurance for the driver of the vehicle in the event of an accident. It can cover the usual driver as well as any authorised driver of the insured vehicle. In general, this cover is an option in a car insurance policy.

What cases are insured by the “protected driver cover”?

The protected driver cover allows drivers to be insured in the event of an accident:

In the event of personal injury

In a car accident, the driver may be physically injured to a greater or lesser degree and need immediate care, or may suffer from short, or long term, problems. Here are the different risks covered by this insurance:

Costs of treatment: the driver may have to undergo medical examinations or go to hospital. If he is not insured, these costs - including those not covered by the Caisse Nationale de Santé - are his responsibility.
Total or partial disability: the accident may render the driver totally or partially disabled; and this disability may result in the driver not being able to work. He therefore runs the risk of suffering an ‘economic loss’, which is where Protected Driver Cover comes in, since it will compensate the driver. Furthermore, the disability may also necessitate changes to the living environment (alterations required to the insured person's home, etc.), which can also be covered by Protected Driver Cover.

In the event of death

In the event of an accident where the driver dies, protected driver insurance will cover certain costs (funeral costs, economic loss for the beneficiaries) and provide support for the family of the deceased.

Are you adequately insured?

Since the driver is the person most vulnerable to accidents, it is important that he is completely protected when driving. This is why it is important to check with your insurer that you have taken out a “protected driver cover” as part of your car insurance policy..

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