Lime green Lamborghini supercar seized by West Yorkshire Police over missing 'third party insurance'

The lime green supercar was seized by West Yorkshire Police in Halifax on Monday.

The driver had claimed to officers that he was insured 'third party' on someone else's policy. But he was not insured to drive the car, so police loaded it onto the back of a recovery truck.

A spokesman for the force said: "Halifax, seized as the driver claimed to be insured third party on someone else's policy. Driver reported."

This week, the force is also appealing to find the owner of an abandoned massive Earthmover.

Can you drive someone else's car? This is what the law says on insurance according to Confused.com

It used to be the case that cover for driving other cars (DOC) was included by most insurers on comprehensive car insurance policies. Typically, this gave you third-party cover to drive cars not listed on your policy.

But increasingly, many comprehensive policies do not offer this benefit without a catch. You’ll often have to request it, and pay for it as an extra.

Many drivers believe that you can jump in someone else’s car and be covered third party by your own insurance policy. Provided, that is, that you're fully comp on yours and you have the owner’s permission.

But there are strict stipulations for this, and now some insurers are doing away with the driving-other-cars (DOC) benefit altogether.

For a start, DOC is only supposed to be used in an emergency - so it's not intended for those who are popping out for a spin.

And if you’re under 25, you can pretty much rule out driving other cars altogether, even if you have comprehensive cover.

Also don't assume that as soon as you hit 25 you'll automatically have DOC. You'll need to call up your insurer and ask them to add it, and there could be a fee for that.

Some insurers only include it on the renewal after your 25th birthday.

This is because most insurers exclude anyone who falls within the “young driver” age range.

If you’re under 25 and want to drive someone else’s car, your best bet would be to either get added as a named driver on their policy or take out temporary cover.

There are a few companies who don’t place an age restriction on the benefit, so you might be lucky.

Why your occupation matters

The second most common stipulation is occupation, and insurers reserve the right to refuse cover if your job is deemed to be too risky.

These are usually jobs where the policyholder is more likely to be driving other cars.

For this reason, many jobs in the motor industry will often be excluded from this cover. You’ll need to check with your insurer for clarification.

For example, some insurers state that the car you are borrowing should not be “owned by (or hired under a hire purchase agreement by or leased to) you or your partner".