Teaching people to drive is an inherently risky business. Beyond L-plates and a dual control car, you will need extensive insurance cover to protect you, your learner, your vehicle, and other road users.
If you work for a driving school, then your employer will likely sort out the necessary insurance on your behalf. But if you are a self-employed driving instructor, then you will be wholly responsible for arranging your own cover.
In this post we will outline the key insurance requirements for driving instructors, including the cover you need by law.
Can Driving Instructors Use Standard Car Insurance Policies?
An ordinary car insurance policy will not provide this cover, not even if you add “business use” to the policy. Only a dedicated driving tuition motor insurance policy will give you the specialist cover you need.
Legal Requirements For Driving Instructor Insurance
You have a legal requirement to get driving tuition motor insurance. This will cover you for the specific risks associated with driving a dual control car, and with providing paid tuition services.
Also, if you hire any employees, such as someone to provide admin support, then you have a legal duty to get employer’s liability insurance. This can provide protection against injury or illness claims that may take place in the workplace. You need to get this cover even if you hire one of your relatives, and even if they only work for you for a few hours a week.
Strongly Recommended Insurance Extras For Driving Instructors
Additional cover options unlikely to be covered as standard within your driving instructor’s insurance could include:
- Public Liability Cover – This can be a coverage gap for driving instructors. Driving tuition motor insurance can cover your liabilities during your driving lessons. Public liability cover, on the other hand, can cover accidents, injuries, and damages to personal property that occur outside of your driving lessons.
- Professional Indemnity Cover – If you deliver training to fleets, or if you are responsible for training other driving instructors, then professional indemnity insurance can cover legal fees and compensation payments following claims of professional negligence.
- Contents Cover – This can cover the loss, damage, or theft of your belongings that you take outside your home, such as your smartphone, your laptop, and any other equipment you use to run your business.
- Personal Accident Cover – If you are unable to provide driving lessons, then your income will stop immediately. Personal accident insurance can provide a lump sum in the event of an injury, such as loss of sight, limbs or permanent total disablement. It can also provide a weekly benefit for temporary disablement that prevents you from carrying out your work. (Personal Accident Cover is different to Accident, Sickness and Unemployment Cover, which provides a monthly benefit to cover your overheads.)
All covers included within the policy and optional extras are subject to policy terms and conditions, limits and endorsements.
Common Pitfalls with Driving Instructor Insurance
Above we mentioned that public liability can be a cover gap for driving instructors. But it is also a mistake to assume that your public liability insurance will cover you for anything that occurs outside of your driving lessons.
The same is true for the other additional extra covers, such as Professional Indemnity Insurance, Contents and Personal Accident. Your insurance policy will likely list a number of exclusions to the cover. Take the time to read your policy wording, along with the exclusions, so as to fully understand exactly what you are and are not covered for.
Also be aware that your work as a driving instructor may compromise certain other insurance policies you hold. For example, you may have to inform your home insurance provider if you are running your driving instructor business from home, and you may need to add business use to your car insurance policy in addition to getting a dedicated driving tuition motor insurance policy.
How Much is Insurance For Driving Instructors?
The amount you pay for your policy will depend on a number of factors:
- The type of car you drive – Advanced and high performance models will cost more to insure, due to the increased risk of theft, and the potential high cost of repairs following an accident.
- The type of training you provide – If you train fleet drivers or other driving instructors, then you will likely have to pay more for insurance owing to the need for professional indemnity cover.
- The level of cover you choose – You may be able to specify the level of public liability or personal accident cover you receive, for example. The higher your cover limit, the more you should expect to pay.
How James Hallam Can Help You Get The Cover You Need as a Driving Instructor
James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a dedicated team of insurance professionals who care about protecting you and your business.
We can advise you on the risks you may face as a driving instructor, and we can help you access a tailored policy that meets your cover needs. We can also help you ensure that your work as a driving instructor does not compromise any other insurance policies you hold.