Many of our blog posts focus on the challenges that learners face – whether it’s waiting for a test or getting in the right level of training before taking their test. However, it’s just as important to highlight what driving instructors have to contend with, too.
For instance, according to the driving-instructor insurance specialist Everywhen, instructors are facing huge bills for damage caused by low-speed incidents by learners during lessons. Damage can range from clipped wing mirrors to dented bumpers. Back in the day, such incidents were a quick fix, easily sorted by popping your car into a local garage.
The big ouch
Alas, that’s not the case anymore. For instance, modern cars can feature Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, with technology such as proximity sensors and cameras located in wing mirrors and bumpers. While this is important safety tech, it also means if, say, a bumper is damaged, it may no longer be a fast job. Instead, it could require additional work to ensure the sensors are still working correctly, including inspection, realignment or recalibration afterwards.
And the bill according to Everywhen? A typical claim following a low-speed incident ranges from £1,500 to £3,000. That reflects a much wider trend, with Thatcham Research recently reporting that the average cost of repairing a vehicle following a collision increased by 50% between 2019 and 2024.
Time taken
Instructors also need to consider how long the repair itself will take. With £36–£40 now the most common hourly lesson price, even an instructor losing 30 hours of lessons a week could see £2,160–£2,400 in gross lesson revenue disappear over a fortnight. That’s no small change…
Then there’s the risk that learners could hop over to a competitor instead of waiting for their current instructor’s car to be fixed. That represents a significant loss in income.
“An accident can mean more than just a repair bill for instructors. It can lead to cancelled lessons, loss of income and disruption for learners.”
• Symon Weedon, Head of Sales and Business Development, Everywhen
Your fault?
Learners’ actions behind the wheel are also adding to instructors’ financial woes. As we’ve highlighted over the past few years, driving-test waiting times remain stubbornly high.
With long test waits adding to the pressure on learners, nervous students are another challenge instructors have to manage – for instance, in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s latest survey of driving instructors, heightened student anxiety and test pressure featured in 25% of the 3,240 comments analysed about the challenges facing instructors.
Everywhen claims’ data also shows that low-speed incidents are particularly common around roundabouts and in residential areas – the stalwarts of training for learners.
Right approach
Ultimately, the passenger seat isn’t just a place for giving directions – imagine it instead as a workplace carrying thousands of pounds of risk for your instructor.
So next time you get behind the wheel, spare a thought for them. There’s rather more riding on the lesson than your test result…
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Main image by ChatGPT