Learner driver supervision

mookev

Interested in your thoughts. My grandson is 17 later this month. I was a driving instructor 15 years ago, so I'm happy to sit with him outside of the paid professional lessons he will be having. He has his own car which will be insured for him. My fully comprehensive insurance for my car is for social domestic and pleasure only and I am insured for third party only cover driving any car not owned by me. Am I legally covered to collect him and drive him to safe locations to practice and if neccessary, take over and drive him home? I assume his own insurance covers him for any occurrences whilst he is driving? Thanks 

DB1904

Yes, you're covered to do that.  

pramsay13

Do you mean collect him in your car and let him drive your car? If so you would need to check that his insurance covers it. 

Username03725

As your insurance explicitly states that you have 3rd party cover to drive other vehicles you can do what you’re suggesting. His car needs to be insured as well, but it is.

mookev

Just to confirm I would be supervising him in his own car which is insured by him.

MX5huggy

Adding you as a named driver on his policy might save him some money. And some grief if you do have an accident. 

Jenni_D

mookev said:

Am I legally covered to collect him and drive him to safe locations to practice and if neccessary, take over and drive him home? I assume his own insurance covers him for any occurrences whilst he is driving?

Where will the car usually be located? Or do you mean you'd drive/walk/whatever to his house, then drive him in his car to somewhere quiet for him to get some practice, and then you'd drive back to his house? (And then you'd return home by whatever means).

400ixl

If he is getting his own comprehensive insurance policy then often putting the parents / grand parents on as named drivers can reduce this premium (it spreads the risk). This way you will be covered at a higher level than 3rd party when driving his car.

mookev

Just checked with LV and they advise 3rd party cover provided is for emergency use only and to be a named driver on his policy.

Sandtree

Check that you have Driving Other Cars, not all policies do. 

Assuming you do then yes you can drive his car on a TPO basis. I am guessing your question is really based on your concern that its effectively your prior occupation and as such could it in any way be considered not SD&P? Assuming no monies are being paid to you for doing this then this would fit in SD&P... a few beers/a gift isnt "payment". To be honest I'd be surprised if anyone would pick up the link between your prior occupation and what you were doing at the time.

As others have said, it is worth exploring adding you to his policy as a ND as not only does that give you full cover on his car whilst driving it but potentially could reduce his premiums (doing it mid term may attract an admin fee though which may more than offset the reduction)

Car_54

Sandtree said:

Check that you have Driving Other Cars, not all policies do. 

Assuming you do then yes you can drive his car on a TPO basis. I am guessing your question is really based on your concern that its effectively your prior occupation and as such could it in any way be considered not SD&P? Assuming no monies are being paid to you for doing this then this would fit in SD&P... a few beers/a gift isnt "payment". To be honest I'd be surprised if anyone would pick up the link between your prior occupation and what you were doing at the time.

The law actually prohibits instruction for money "or money's worth", which covers beer or gifts! [Road Traffic Act 1988 section 123 (1), (3) and (8)]