Hi I was wondering if I was to take comprehensive insurance out for my under 25 year old son in my name (given the car is registered in his name) and not name him as a driver on the policy, would the car be covered if there was an accident and he was driving?
I know that this sort of thing happens a lot, but it's a really bad idea.
And of course, the insurance industry is well aware of the practice.
Basically, what people who do this are actually doing is committing fraud on the insurer.
This is because at some point, somewhere in the process of creating the policy contract,
the insured will have to tell the insurer some kind of an untruth, or somehow deceive them
(such as by deliberately withholding the name of young driver) in order to get a reduced premium.
In simple terms - lying to the insurer to get a financial benefit.
It's a well established principle of law that the insured has a duty of complete good faith*
in respect of an insurance contract.
Apart from being law, it also quite likely to be (read: "is almost always") a T&C of the insurance policy that an insured disclose all information material to the issuing of that policy.
The seemingly little lie you propose is grounds for them to refuse a claim - because you have not dealt with them in complete good faith.
Not only can they refuse to pay, but the policy itself can be voidable.
Apart from an accident claim not being paid, where voidability matters is if there is finance on the car.
Consider that a person can have (read: "almost always has") a duty under the loan contract
to keep the vehicle comprehensively insured.
So, if a person's comprehensive policy is void, then they may be end up in breach of the loan contract too.
I hope it is now starting to become clear that the little lie you are contemplating
is really a bag of spiders, and would be best avoided.
*
uberrimae fidei