Employers Liability Insurance for Driving Instructors

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Driving instructors often face a relatively high level of risk in their jobs. Teaching people to drive poses a considerable amount of dangers, especially when these inexperienced drivers are using public roads. Young drivers are especially prone to causing an accident, as they usually lack confidence in their driving ability and may act impulsively.

Therefore, if you are a driving instructor or are the owner a driving school business with more than one employee, it is imperative that you are protected and covered with employers liability insurance. Not only is employers liability insurance a legal requirement, it is also an essential tool that provides financial compensation to employees if they suffer injury or illness as a result of their work. For driving instructors, the risk of injury is greater than in most other professions.

There are many ways that a driving instructor can become injured at work. An instructor may become injured standing outside of the vehicle at a training centre directing a new pupil on manoeuvres. Or perhaps even more dangerous, a driving instructor could become involved in a car crash on a public road due to a pupil’s lack of knowledge on safe driving practices.

Why have employers liability insurance?

If you are the owner of a driving school business and there are more people than just you instructing pupils for the business, then you will need employers liability insurance to cover anyone working for you. Most driving instructors are self-employed but this does not necessarily mean that these instructors are responsible for their own employers liability insurance.

There are many different factors that come in to play when deciding if somebody is an ‘employee’. Generally speaking, if you are paying a driving instructors wage, making profit out of what they earn or are giving these driving instructors direction on where, when and how they should work then you can consider yourself as the employer of these instructors. Any employees need to be protected by employers liability insurance.

Employers liability insurance is not just an annoying legal requirement; it could potentially save your business. Car crashes often result in at least minor injuries to those involved, but can also result in more serious injuries. If a driving instructor is working for you and suffers a serious injury at work, then a subsequent claim for compensation could total a financial sum great enough to put you out of business.

Employers liability insurance is value for money

It is not necessarily expensive to purchase employers liability insurance. Many premiums will take into account previous claims and just as with driving insurance, many companies offer discounts if no claim has been made for several years. In any case, the cost of an employers liability insurance premium will be a fraction of what it would cost if a claim were to be made against you or if you were fined for not having relevant employers liability insurance (up to £2500 per day of not having employers liability insurance).

For driving school business, it may be possible to tailor an employers liability insurance into other insurance products such as public liability and commercial vehicle insurance. This will help save you further money.

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