Q&A - Learner Driver Crash Coverage

A learner driver who had made a serious error in judgment asked about collision coverage. He had taken the family car without consent, did not have the required supervisor present and caused a crash. What kind of trouble would he be in?

This is beyond the scope of my knowledge, so I asked ICBC for advice. Here's what they had to say:

A learner driver operating a vehicle without the required supervisor would be in breach of insurance and wouldn't be covered for most losses. For example, if they had Collision coverage, vehicle damage wouldn't be covered. They could also be held responsible for claims paid out to others.

A learner's licence has a number of restrictions, including driving with a qualified supervisor. A learner driver must follow all the requirements and restrictions of the licence.

While you might consider that going for a quick spin to be innocent fun, in this case it didn't turn out that way. It doesn't take much of a bump these days to result in thousands of dollars in damages, if you are lucky.

The car owner will be responsible for the bill. The only out may be to have this driver charged for theft of the vehicle and parents are not likely to want to do this.

Either way, someone will be paying out of pocket instead of having the crash covered by insurance.