Cancelled learner driver insurance policy - please help

jackboots

Hi, I took out insurance for my son as a learner driver. When he went to take his practical test he failed his eye test and his licence was revoked. ( it should never have happened as he has the correct visual acuity but the instructor asked him to read number plate in the dark and rain and failed him!)
Anyway, we heard within days that his licence was revoked. We straight away disputed that it shouldn't have been and had an eye test done which proved he could see to the level needed and sent a letter and eye examination to the DVLA.
We (wrongly) assumed his licence would be reinstated right away, but didn't realise how incredibly slow the DVLA are in handling these matters. 
So, we are waiting to have his license reinstated and didn't even cross my mind to cancel his insurance policy. Then, we had notice from the insurance that his policy had been cancelled due to the DVLA check coming back saying that he had no entitlement to drive.
I didn't think anything much about it at the time.
Until now. Finally, 5 months later the DVLA processed everything, sent my son back to the test centre for another eye test, where he passed. He has now had his license reissued. (proving it should never have been revoked in the first place)
Nightmare over I thought, lets get him insured and learning to drive again.
Then filling in insurance quotes I realise that they all asked the question 'has your insurance ever been cancelled" Now in a situation where I cannot get him any insurance!
Please help, I am distraught with worry that my son cannot now learn to drive or have to pay massive costs for insurance due to no fault of his own. This is a nightmare and I do not know where to turn.

DullGreyGuy

Before answering any questions online etc I'd phone a couple of insurers and ask their opinion. Not all cancellations are equal and there are some where its arguable if the PH or Ins actually cancelled it or not (eg if you switch car to a brand new Ferrari which the insurer won't cover... technically you had the choice to keep your Fiesta and the insurance or switch cars and end the insurance). I suspect they'll say you dont need to declare it. 

Assuming that is the outcome, get quotes online without declaring it and then BEFORE buying, telephone your preferred provider and confirm with them it doesn't have to be declared to them. If they say it does then its up to you if you stick with them or move to the next one on the list.

jackboots

Thanks, I will do that, although everything I have read says it doesn't matter what the reason is, he will be registered on the MID as a having a cancelled policy and it will flag up on check by the insurers. 

Mildly_Miffed

You say YOU took out a policy, and that the insurers have been dealing with you?

Are you the policyholder?
If so, it's you who's had the cancelled policy, not him.

If not, the insurer really shouldn't be talking to you.

As for the eyesight - the driving test requirement is to read the 79 x 50mm characters on a standard high-contrast retroreflective plate from just 20 metres. Hardly onerous. There's no requirement for it to be dry, clear conditions - just that the weather conditions are not SO bad that the driving cannot be done safely. I presume the road was streetlight, if it was at night?

If your son failed that test, then the examiner was simply following the rules.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules

"The practical driving test eyesight test

At the start of your practical driving test you have to correctly read a number plate on a parked vehicle.

If you cannot, you’ll fail your driving test and the test will not continue. DVLA will be told and your licence will be revoked.

When you reapply for your driving licence, DVLA will ask you to have an eyesight test with DVSA. This will be at a driving test centre. If you’re successful, you’ll still have to pass the DVSA standard eyesight test at your next practical driving test."

jackboots

@Mildly_Miffed. Thank you for your observations. I took out the policy for my son, so he is the policyholder but the insurance company has permission for me to deal with the case on his behalf.

And you are not quite correct on the eyesight test, it is required be in good daylight.

In good daylight you should be able to read a vehicle number plate with letters 79,4 mm (3,1 inches) high at a minimum distance of 20 meters (about 67 feet).

It even stated on his letter revoking his licence, and I quote:
'We have received information from the DVSA that you cannot read standard size number plate in good daylight from a distance of 20 metres and you do not have visual acuity of at least .5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen scale. This means your current licence will be revoked."

We immediately wrote a letter stating that at 7.00 am when he took his test it was still dark and raining heavily. I sent evidence of that - weather and sunrise records for the date it was taken. We also had an eye examination and sent that in which proved he did indeed have the visual acuity required.

Mildly_Miffed

The only logical way of squaring that circle would be that either driving tests cannot be conducted outside of "good daylight", or that driving tests at those times shouldn't bother with an eyesight test.

Which would you prefer?

Car_54

OP, are you sure it was a 7.00 am test?

When I was an instructor, the first tests of the day were always at 8.10 am.

Instructors and pupils generally like to have a lesson starting an hour before the test, i.e. 6.00 am for a test at 7.00. That probably means the instructor and pupil getting up about 5.00. I may be wrong, but it doesn''t sound like a good idea.

jackboots

@Car_54 They must have changed, the precise time of the test was 7.13am on 25th October.

jimjames

jackboots said:

@Car_54 They must have changed, the precise time of the test was 7.13am on 25th October.

Overtime allowing additional tests to be conducted to try to reduce the backlog. Friend is an examiner and the whole team are constantly asked for extra hours at start and end of the day for more tests.

Car_54

jackboots said:

@Car_54 They must have changed, the precise time of the test was 7.13am on 25th October.

Thanks for that. Probably because of the post-Covid backlog. Or Brexit!

They used to allow 57 minutes between testa, so that would be consistent with an 8.10 "normal" start.

jackboots

jackboots said:

@Car_54 They must have changed, the precise time of the test was 7.13am on 25th October.

Thanks for that. Probably because of the post-Covid backlog. Or Brexit!

They used to allow 57 minutes between testa, so that would be consistent with an 8.10 "normal" start.

yes, I agree, let's blame Brexit!  But yeah, backlog due to Covid. Wish they hadn't changed tbh, very probably wouldn't be in this mess now if they hadn't. Interestingly, I came across there being discussions to change the way they test visual acuity. Very dated relying on reading a number plate on the day, and apparently we are the only country to do it that way. Surely would make sense for everyone to just have to have an eye exam from the opticians beforehand?