Auto Insurance in the UK

My US auto insurance company just mentioned it is important to maintain auto insurance coverage even if you're not going to be driving.
I know that, when in the States, this *IS* true.
My question is: what about those of us relocating from the US to the UK? Do UK insurance companies look at past insurance history to confirm it has been continuous? Does this sort of not apply when you're an expat?

My US auto insurance company just mentioned it is important to maintain auto insurance coverage even if you're not going to be driving.

That can't be true. What are you going to insure if you don't have a car to drive? 

@larrabee  My fiance' does have a vehicle, so I assume I could be added to the insurance for it. In the US, that would practically be REQUIRED.
I just wonder if that is also the case in the UK?
Is a period of time when someone doesn't have auto insurance a 'black mark' when it comes time to get insurance later on?

That can't be true. What are you going to insure if you don't have a car to drive? 

In the US, that would proactically be REQUIRED.

Not where I was living in the US! 

And not in the UK either.

Not where I was living in the US! 

And not in the UK either.

In North Carolina,  my son's fiance just bought her own car (and passed her drivers test recently)and my son's dad received a letter in the mail saying "Congratulations on your new driver." from his insurance company. The letter stated he had so many days to add her to his insurance or they would do it for him automatically and adjust his premium.

He had to call the insurance company stating she had her own insurance and he had to provide proof of her insurance so he wouldn't be responsible for it. (She is 21 years old, btw.)

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In North Carolina,  my son's fiance just bought her own car (and passed her drivers test recently)and my son's dad received a letter in the mail saying "Congratulations on your new driver." from his insurance company. The letter stated he had so many days to add her to his insurance or they would do it for him automatically and adjust his premium.

He had to call the insurance company stating she had her own insurance and he had to provide proof of her insurance so he wouldn't be responsible for it. (She is 21 years old, btw.)

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But was that because she passed her test or because she bought a car?

It certainly doesn't work that way in Southern California!

But was that because she passed her test or because she bought a car?

It certainly doesn't work that way in Southern California!

She had passed her test within the last 6 months and then just bought a car 2 months ago. So it was probably the new car purchase that triggered it.

I think it is wrong to just have a company add an unrelated driver to your insurance just because they share the same address.

And I still have my North Carolina drivers license but I've not been insured in the US for awhile now because I no longer own a car there. If I owned a car, I would have to have insurance whether I drove it or not. In NC, they will suspend your license if you own a car but don't have insurance.

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And I still have my North Carolina drivers license but I've not been insured in the US for awhile now because I no longer own a car there. If I owned a car, I would have to have insurance whether I drove it or not. In NC, they will suspend your license if you own a car but don't have insurance.

That does make sense but having to have insurance without owning a car makes no sense at all to me!   

In my state, every person in a household who holds a driver's license MUST have auto coverage.
It is not optional.
I assume it is because the insurance companies figure if you have a license, you must intend to drive, even if it's only very occasionally.

Does anyone have resources/an insurance agent I can inquire to in the UK? Northamptonshire or thereabouts.

She had passed her test within the last 6 months and then just bought a car 2 months ago. So it was probably the new car purchase that triggered it.

I think it is wrong to just have a company add an unrelated driver to your insurance just because they share the same address.

And I still have my North Carolina drivers license but I've not been insured in the US for awhile now because I no longer own a car there. If I owned a car, I would have to have insurance whether I drove it or not. In NC, they will suspend your license if you own a car but don't have insurance.

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In my state, every person in a household who holds a driver's license MUST have auto coverage.
It is not optional.
I assume it is because the insurance companies figure if you have a license, you must intend to drive, even if it's only very occasionally.

Does anyone have resources/an insurance agent I can inquire to in the UK? Northamptonshire or thereabouts.

Ok, it is definitely not like that in the UK. Just call your fiancé's insurance company if you need confirmation. 

Ok, it is definitely not like that in the UK. Just call your fiancé's insurance company if you need confirmation. 

I concur. I have a provisional license, my husband has a full license and neither of us have a car and we don't need insurance. 

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When I was a teen and didn't own a car, I was added to the family car insurance plan.  So that makes sense to me to have insurance without a car (if you have access to a car).

But no, the UK is different.  Some insurance companies may take your US driving history into account, so it's worth getting a letter from them.  Most will not though.  Be prepared to be treated as a new driver for the first few years.

I would just use an insurance comparison website.  moneysupermarket is a good place to start.  But if you don't have a car, you can't buy insurance.  You can be added to someone else's vehicle though.  In the UK, 99.9% of the time, you can only drive a vehicle which you are a "named driver" for and on the insurance.  It's not like the US where if you have permission to drive the vehicle, then you are covered.

But if you don't have a car, you can't buy insurance.  You can be added to someone else's vehicle though.  In the UK, 99.9% of the time, you can only drive a vehicle which you are a "named driver" for and on the insurance.

Yeah, that's how I was for a few years. I got my licence in 2001, but I've only owned a car from 2006-2007 and then from 2010 onwards. Between 2001-2006 and 2007-2010, I was just a named driver on my parents' car insurance and I drove their car.

It's not like the US where if you have permission to drive the vehicle, then you are covered.

This worried me when I drove my aunt's car in the US, because I assumed I would have to be physically added to her insurance, but it seemed I could just drive it because I had her permission.

My UK car insurance, however, does cover me to drive other people's cars in the UK with their permission. So, even though I'm no longer named on my parents' insurance, I'm covered to drive their cars under my own insurance.

My UK car insurance, however, does cover me to drive other people's cars in the UK with their permission. So, even though I'm no longer named on my parents' insurance, I'm covered to drive their cars under my own insurance.

Yeah, we just added the bit onto our insurance where we can drive other cars under our insurance.  Which is cool if we need to borrow the inlaws estate to haul something home.

Just another voice to say I've never heard of an insurance company to worry about periods of not having insurance in your past. It's way more common for people to not have cars here.