We Take A Look At How Driving Schools Ensure The Instructors Working For Them Are Adequately Insured

There are specialist insurers for both driving schools and individual driving instructors. The size of your driving school will determine what type of insurance is best for you. One thing in your favour in the expensive world of insurance is that driving instructors are known by insurance companies to be good drivers. So, if you only have a few instructors, you might find it cheaper to take out individual driving instructor insurance for them rather than taking out a block comprehensive insurance policy for the whole school.

Think about whether you need to take out insurance to cover instructors giving lessons in pupil's cars. In such cases the pupil will be insured under their policy, but not necessarily your instructor. Will you need no-fault insurance? This is when an accident occurs through no fault of the instructor, and the car is not badly damaged, but the instructor has been injured. You may need 'gap' insurance which means that if an accident occurs and your car is a write-off, the insurance will cover the gap between what you will be paid for the cost of the car at the time of the accident, with depreciation calculated, and the price you originally paid for the car.

Certainly you will need to have insurance for dual-controlled cars, and public liability insurance. Insurers cover ADI and PDI instructors, not others without these qualifications. You will also need insurance that covers all parts of the car, and it would be preferable if you had breakdown assistance, which can usually be arranged for a small fee by your insurer. Your best bet is to go to an insurer that specialises in insurance for driving schools and driving instructors. If you are dealing with experts in the field, they understand your needs and requirements and can advise you on the best deal for you. They can tailor policies to fit your specific needs as well.

Talk to other driving school owners and find out who they are insured with and ask if they are happy with the company. Don't sign on the dotted line until you have scrutinised the small print and understand it. Ask for explanations for anything you are not certain about. Remember that only registered drivers can be insured, and remind instructors that they should not take passengers or goods in cars when they are giving lessons. If they do and there is an accident, the insurers can refuse to pay out. Finally shop around to find the best quote and don't be in too much of a hurry to sign the policy.