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Original poster

Had an accident in driving instructors car - he said I have to pay for it

590 replies

Yupbabs · 15/03/2023 14:48

A question for uk learner drivers

I had a driving lesson today and I had an accident, I took the wing mirror off when passing a parked car. Instructor said he’ll try to lower the price as much as possible but he’ll be in touch with how much I need to pay. Is this right? Do I need to pay? My previous driving instructor said if there was an accident then his insurance covers the damage

I feel like he’s trying to con me. This was the first lesson I ever had with the guy, I had about 50 lessons with my other instructor and he made sure I didn’t have any accidents by using the dual control. This guy today just tilted the steering wheel away from the parked car and it still hit it.

OP posts:
GoodChat · 16/03/2023 06:13

SinnerBoy · 15/03/2023 21:03

GoodChat · Today 20:20

They do teach the Highway Code, otherwise, the learner won't pass. My friend has a few, who won't look at it and he spends half their lessons teaching them!

No they don't. They just teach the bits you need to know.

Climbingthelaundrymountain · 16/03/2023 06:15

I did the same thing, but it was on a wheelie bin. The lesson was cut short, we had to go home, but I didn't have to pay.

notthisagainforest · 16/03/2023 06:25

That's why instructors have insurance.

Changeitupnelly · 16/03/2023 06:27

Not sure if you even saw my other messages as they quickly get gobbled up by the thread. Do take a look as I am actually able to tell you with certainty that you’re alright. Auto would be an option but it’s not the easy peasy go kart pass that many think. It IS a nice option though and will allow you to look further ahead as I suspect the reason you’re drifting is what you’re looking at when driving. If you’re always looking near to the bonnet your steering will suffer. Look ahead (as we all should be for anticipation and planning) and you will probably find it improves naturally. Any decent instructor should be teaching you that but there are so many old school crappy instructors out there.

Changeitupnelly · 16/03/2023 06:38

GoodChat · 16/03/2023 06:13

No they don't. They just teach the bits you need to know.

Show quote history

Yes they do! Or at least they should. A driving lesson incorporates theory and practical and a good instructor is teaching the high way code in every lesson. Not sat there with the book necessarily but sometimes stopping and physically referring to it. You actually are commenting when you know nothing. Sorry.

SinnerBoy · 16/03/2023 06:38

GoodChat · Today 06:13

No they don't. They just teach the bits you need to know.

Sorry, but I'm actually laughing out loud at that! How do they know which 50 questions out of 300 and something are going to be churned out at random by the test centre computer?

They don't and should teach the entire thing and it's usually done by getting pupils to go and read through it on their own time and by questioning them during lessons, as situations arise.

Changeitupnelly · 16/03/2023 06:50

Just to add OP. I see you’re autistic- that makes it so much harder for many many people but it’s not impossible. Find someone with a much smaller car, lots of instructors are in bloody great suv these days and it’s not for everyone.
Try auto but realise it only takes the gears and clutch away it’s not a magic pass. It might help though if gears are distracting for you.

The other piece of advice I’ll give you is Mumsnet is not the place you should be coming to ask things - it’s full of trolls who just want ti judge and be unkind. It does have nice people but as you’ve seen, most don’t know what they’re talking about. Good luck

GoodChat · 16/03/2023 06:50

SinnerBoy · 16/03/2023 06:38

GoodChat · Today 06:13

No they don't. They just teach the bits you need to know.

Sorry, but I'm actually laughing out loud at that! How do they know which 50 questions out of 300 and something are going to be churned out at random by the test centre computer?

They don't and should teach the entire thing and it's usually done by getting pupils to go and read through it on their own time and by questioning them during lessons, as situations arise.

Yes - they teach as they go - but you don't study the entire Highway Code and learn every paragraph.

Changeitupnelly · 16/03/2023 06:53

GoodChat · 16/03/2023 06:50

Yes - they teach as they go - but you don't study the entire Highway Code and learn every paragraph.

Show quote history

No one learns every paragraph like a robot but you do learn the Highway Code and it IS taught in lessons.
You stated “No they don’t”. You were wrong.

Changeitupnelly · 16/03/2023 06:55

Also “the bits you need to know”

what bits are those then? You need to know it or it wouldn’t have been written!

abcde124 · 16/03/2023 06:56

I did the same to my driving instructors car years ago.
Got in the car, drove down the hill to a narrow lane, knocked it on another car coming towards me. Other driver didn't stop.
My instructor was annoyed, told me it was electric and would cost a lot to repair and took the £20 I'd paid for the lesson off me, dropped me back home.
At the time, my husband was learning with him too and he was furious. He said my instructor is there to guide and instruct me, he never said a thing about moving over. He's as familiar with the area as I was.
I only had a few more lessons with him then swapped instructors as I was just too nervous after that.
Don't pay, he has insurance!!

SinnerBoy · 16/03/2023 06:59

GoodChat · Today 06:50

Yes - they teach as they go - but you don't study the entire Highway Code and learn every paragraph.

They expect them to read the entire thing as many times as it takes, so that they are able to answer the questions correctly. Nobody said they had to recite it, in order, without a missed word.

They need to have knowledge of the entire Highway Code, not just a few bits a computer might think is more important than some other bits.

Changeitupnelly · 16/03/2023 07:41

@SinnerBoy I suspect you’re also in the industry. The ignorance of the general public regarding driving and learning to drive is astounding. I’m out now. Said what I needed to and I can’t reason with people like goodchat.

Divorcedalongtime · 16/03/2023 07:57

I also smashed someone’s mirror when having lessons, my driving instructor dealt with this and then explained that speed was the issue there, valuable lesson. I felt so bad though , having to pay would have crushed my confidence altogether no doubt. The whole point of driving instructors rather than using your own car is that they take the hit nit you. How odd . Does he even have dual controls?

Almahart · 16/03/2023 08:13

OP ring Which? For a £40 odd flat fee and small monthly payment you can have a chat with a lawyer who can tell you what to do. They are excellent

cakeorwine · 16/03/2023 08:23

Almahart · 16/03/2023 08:13

OP ring Which? For a £40 odd flat fee and small monthly payment you can have a chat with a lawyer who can tell you what to do. They are excellent

Why pay for legal advice? I think it's pretty obvious that learner drivers in the vehicle belonging to a driving school does not need their own car insurance and that any accidents in the vehicle are covered by the driving schools insurance

How would a learner driver get insurance for a car that belongs to a driving instructor?

If you are learning to drive say a lorry? You go to a HGV training company and you learn in their vehicle.

Are you supposed to have your own insurance for that? Or would you assume that the HGV and the company is insured for any accidents caused by one of the people learning in their vehicle?

illtakeit · 16/03/2023 08:33

For the people saying they no longer teach the entire highway code, yes they still do.

lieselotte · 16/03/2023 08:36

mintbiscuit · 15/03/2023 22:50

This. And you’re taking wing mirrors off?

Show quote history

Oh do bog off.

People who've been driving for years take wing mirrors off! I haven't but I have reversed into bollards in car parks a couple of times (with cars that didn't have a parking camera or sensor). Clearly I am a complete menace to society and shouldn't be on the road.

lieselotte · 16/03/2023 08:37

illtakeit · 16/03/2023 08:33

For the people saying they no longer teach the entire highway code, yes they still do.

Yes I thought that comment was a bit weird. You have to know it all for the theory test.

lieselotte · 16/03/2023 08:41

TerrysNeapolitan · 15/03/2023 23:01

If you have had had 50 lessons with another instructor and this has happened with the new one I would say that your competency in driving is very low. this is an excessive amount of lessons to be then involved in such an incident. unpopular post I am sure but I've never heard of someone having so many lessons.

I had 30 in the days when passing a test was much easier than it is now. DS had about 30 but they were 90 minutes, so probably was about 50 hours all told. His lessons were disrupted by covid, so he kept having to stop and start.

You are also assuming that everyone has access to a parent's car to practice inbetween. Obviously if you get loads of practice in a parent's car (or indeed your own) you don't need as many lessons. But the amount of time you've spent "learning" will probably be close to 50 hours for those people too.

People learn at different rates and how many lessons you need and how many test attempts you need has no bearing on your ability to drive 5, 10, 20 years on.

I passed first time, but it's not a moral victory, mix of luck and having a test/exam brain.

Emotionalsupportviper · 16/03/2023 08:48

TerrysNeapolitan · 15/03/2023 23:11

All I know I have been driving for 35 years and never taken a wing mirror off. Jeez.

Show quote history

You sound like my Nanna's "boyfriend". He had never had a single accident, but was always telling us about all of the ones he witnessed in his rearview mirror as he was driving blithely along without any awareness of other road users.

They gave me a lift once - I would never again get in a car with him behind the wheel! He hit a dog - a labrador - it was massive, and he was completely unaware, while I was shouting "You've hit a dog, you've hit a dog!" "Nonsense."

But I'm sure you are the Mary Poppins of drivers - practically perfect in every way.

rainbowstardrops · 16/03/2023 08:55

Ignore the arseholes on here* @Yupbabs*. It's easy to kick people when they're down from behind a keyboard. Idiots.

For what it's worth, there are clearly fantastic instructors and dodgy as fuck instructors.

My friend's son is a similar age to you and he's had hours of lessons! Not because he's crap at driving but because the instructor barely even lets him drive! We sat open mouthed when she said he didn't even pull away for the first few lessons. Then after about 10 lessons, he'd only been allowed to drive to the end of the road. The instructor then got out and drove back to his house. She asked him why and he said because the instructor said he hadn't learnt to turn left or right yet Confused So do your job and teach him!!!

It's costing my friend an absolute fortune. We've told her to change instructors because he's clearly fleecing them.

Take a breather and then do your homework and find an instructor for nervous people. Good luck Flowers

America12 · 16/03/2023 09:03

B0g · 15/03/2023 15:30

Just seems like a huge amount, and really expensive.

Some people take longer than others , strangely.

America12 · 16/03/2023 09:04

Yupbabs · 15/03/2023 15:30

@DawntilDusk4 he didn’t get out and check. He just looked at the car in the rear view mirror and told me to drive on.
and I looked on the website and they are self employed driving instructors, they don’t work for the driving school

He should have got out and left his details on the other car. He sounds very dodgy.

SinnerBoy · 16/03/2023 09:08

Changeitupnelly · Today 07:41

I suspect you’re also in the industry.

No, I just have several driving instructor chums and also old mates with two brothers who teach motorbike riding! Its amazing what you pick up, doing lessons and talking to professionals....

😂