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

[Yupbabs]

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.

Refuse to pay.
If he's driving he just have insurance.
And if he's using as his business he must have business insurance.
Cheeky fucker.
Just say no.
If it goes to court (it won't!) he'll have to admit to driving without correct insurance which he won't want to do!

Wow, the majority of people on this site really are the dregs of society. I hope everyone commenting with their sparkling driving experience fails their next MOT 😂

OP you made a mistake, mistakes happen. That’s the whole point of learning to drive, no one gets it straight away. He sounds like a con artist, either seen an opportunity to make a quick buck or clearly had no proper insurance. Do some proper research on instructors in your area. Driving schools aren’t really that great, you want a good independent with excellent reviews.

I have been driving 4 years now. Took me nearly 70 hours and I failed first time because of anxiety. I passed second time and in that space of time I haven’t had any accidents, points etc so don’t feel awful that it takes a while.

Firstly I've knocked off a wing mirror in a driving lesson I wasn't charged. Do not pay a penny.
Secondly don't let a small minded comment put you off driving. I took 10 test before I finally passed. The freedom I now have was definitely worth it.
Thirdly I would get a different instructor he doesn't sound very good at his Job. At that point of time with his hands on the wheel he was in control. Also as a learner any accidents and driver will full license has to take responsibility. <3

I mean - 50 hours of lessons and hitting parked cars - I’d stop driving if I were you tbh!

also - the whole “can’t see the bonnet etc”
absolute nonsense

I’m just 5 ft and have had numerous different cars of all shapes and sizes and have always been able to see the bonnet etc

I even have a 7.5t lorry and manage that just fine as well

Well ain't you the best?! It takes some people more to learn than others. Some have difficulties with spatial awareness, or co-ordination or whatever. Definitely people with ADHD typically take longer than others. And in other cases there may not be an objective reason. Its no up to you to tell op to stop learning

I had an accident in my driving instructors car. Never asked for a penny and claimed it on insurance!

Wow, I think people have been a little harsh here!

Im glad this is mostly sorted for you now OP. I wanted to say don’t give up on driving forever because of one bad instructor. It took me 4 tests, and 3 instructors to finally pass my test. I was successful after deciding to take an automatic test. I get a lot of stick for not being able to drive ‘properly’, but I found I was more confident and safer driving automatic.

I also had an incredible instructor - he specialised in anxious and disabled learners. He was able to reassure me when I was anxious!

Driver didn't even leave details, he wants extra money off you.

Glad you've resolved it but DON'T waste time arguing with the silly people here who want an argument on the Internet. You've done nothing wrong.

Also, definitely go for automatic if you try to learn again. Much easier!

Hi OP, so sorry you've had to go through the stress of that experience and then the stress of MNers who think they are fully qualified to tell you what they think about the number of lessons you've had etc.🙄

Everyone is different and learns differently. You need to find the right instructor for you. I'm also 5'1 and I drive a Yaris. It's good for my height but yes, occasionally I need to lean forward a bit. Your instructor should have checked everything out like this before you set off. Definitely don't give up trying. Once you pass, a whole new world will open up for you and an independence that only driving can give you. I have been driving for some 35 years, and yes, after around 25 years or so took the back of a wing mirror off! It can happen. Please persevere. With the right instructor, you will pass. Ask for local and personal recommendations. Good luck.

I’ve been driving 30 years, touch wood no points or anything so far. I’ve been looking at all the incredulous comments about OP having 50 lessons - honestly I cannot even remember how many I had back in the day but 50 would be a severe underestimate I’m quite sure. It just took ages for driving to click, no idea why. Then one day, with a great instructor’s help, it DID click OP. Don’t give up!

I had an accident in my instructors car on my driving test. Someone reversed off their drive and went too fast. It wrote the car off. I didn’t have to pay a penny it was covered by insurance so h think he’s chancing his arm.

I'm glad you got it sorted and that you're not being held liable (because you never were!).
Please don't give up, try again with a new instructor & in an automatic car.
I know you joked about getting a booster seat but I have plenty of friends who are on the short side who use a cushion or two to boost them up - give that a go too!

If he's a genuine ADI then he will have insurance which covers these things. My dad was a driving instructor and had specific insurance.

ODFOD, I passed my test first time and still managed to take my own wing mirror off a few months later and nearly everyone I know has a similar story. New drivers make mistakes sometimes.

OP, totally recommend an automatic. I really struggled with a manual and it made a huge difference- not having to try and co-ordinate my feet and hands to change gears freed up so much space in my brain for actually learning the roads and how the car moves.

I think if she can’t set the seat up properly to be able to see the car bonnet and she hitting parked cars after 50 hours of lessons then maybe we’d all be safer if she didn’t drive 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

@Yupbabs - some really awful people here making you feel awful also. I know you’ve solved the problem at hand. I would only say don’t give up driving, I did that after an accident and it took me three years to get behind the wheel again. Like some have said, try Facebook pages and let instructors know you are a very nervous learner, need cushions etc.

one point I will say is that when I was learning my instructor would always check my mirrors and position and tell me if he thinks I need to adjust.

get back into it when you are ready and ignore all the negative people commenting on how many lessons you’ve taken and what your standard of driving should be!

No, he should be insured and if not, you could actually get him into big trouble.

You don't think he was joking do you?

he sounds dodgy and like ye doesn’t want to go through his insurance. If that’s the case then he should be putting money aside to cover these smaller repairs. Not you.

however, You’re only 20.

a driving instructor is a teacher and has a position of power, no matter how you wish to look at it. Add in the power dynamics of older male/younger female I can understand why you did as you were told. It’s what we’re taught to do and can be hard to assert yourself in these situations.

I want to say don’t give up driving. Give yourself some breathing space and find a different instructor. Even a female one who you might be more comfortable talking about issues like seat position, adjusting steering wheel height (I bet the dodgy bloke didn’t go through this with you right?) even mirror position and if it’s worth getting those small round magnifying mirror for the passenger side mirror too so you have a good view of the road. I had a male instructor and he went over all this step by step at the start of the first few lessons until it became second nature.

at 20 although you’re through puberty there’s still some brain development going on so you might not be ready just yet and if you have any health issues (dyspraxia, dyslexia etc) it can make picking up driving a little harder.

I wasn’t ready to learn in my 20s for a few reasons but in my 30s I went at it and nailed it. you don’t have to master everything before you’re 30. Some things are worth putting off until you’re a little bit older.

Op I had a bump on a driving lesson, I didn't have to pay for anything ! It all went through the instructors insurance. They're covered for this kind of thing

OP so relieved to hear you’re considering taking more lessons. Please don’t be like my mother who was totally dependent on my father (who was actually always a bit of a reckless driver!) It really limited her career and leisure options. I’ve had 20 odd years of driving experience though didn’t get behind the wheel for about 8 of those. But more recently, I managed to scrape a parked car so it can happen to anyone especially with a huge bus coming towards them in the rain and dark! I have found driving an automatic life-changing though so go for it.

If a driving instructor is allowing her to drive without checking she's in a suitable position to drive safely they're the problem. Most cars have adjustable seats, including height adjustment. If his doesn't, he should have made her aware of that.

It's her first lesson after a long break. Accidents happen. She already feels like shit so continuing to berate her isn't helping. She's a young mom just trying to do what's best for her family. This tosspot of an instructor has screwed her over.

Definitely automatic is the way to go. I tried manual lessons but it wasn't for me. Switched to automatic and everything really clicked instantly, passed first time. We only have automatic cars now.

I had loads of hours of lessons and 3 failed tests before I passed. All these people criticising you for the amount of lesson hours you’ve had need to take their opinions elsewhere. Some people need more time babies they have issues with prioperception - it takes them longer to learn the right spacial awareness for driving - and others have it naturallyZ just like some people can pick up a new language easily and others will never say more than a few word without intensive lessons. We are all different, doesn’t mean we can learn, just means it takes us longer.

As for the driving instructor - he’s definitely pulling a fast one!

I am shorter than you and sometimes I have been in cars that have such a low driving position, it's really hard for me to judge where the nose is, especially to start with.
Little hatchback type cars are usually fine- corsa, punto that sort of thing. The absolute best was a mini countryman, brilliant visability. Low sporty jobs are a total nightmare.

How ridiculous. If he doesn't want people with no driving skills driving his car he needs a different job!
The risk of damage would be very high.
That is what insurance is for.
It's like a nurse at hospital making you pay for bleeding on the floor.