Accident liability when borrowing a car?

19 year olds can be careless when driving. All statistics prove this to be sadly, and sometimes tragically, true.

Are her roommates going to help with the costs of the communal vehicle? Rather than having free use they would benefit more from sharing the responsibility inherent in owning a vehicle and, most likely, will be more careful when using it. You could insist that being a named driver on the insurance (and paying an equal share in that and fuel and upkeep) is a prerequisite for driving. Once they understand that they’re not getting a free ride (no pun intended) and their actions may have consequences they will likely show whether their intentions are egalitarian.

I’ve heard this, but do you have a cite? It seems to defeat the purpose of mandatory insurance laws. So if a guy crashes into me because he’s simply inattentive, I can get insurance coverage. But if he is drunk and inattentive, I’m out of luck?

DUI is probably bordering on gross negligence, but it is still something that insurance should cover. If I do something stupid like run a red light, speed, or drive over the limit and crash into someone, I pay premiums to the insurance company to protect my personal assets because of my own stupidity.