Driving school fleet insurance for dual control tuition cars
Several tuition cars on one policy, covering instructors and the learners they teach. Fill in one short form to be put in touch with specialist brokers who arrange driving school and driving instructor fleet cover for UK schools.
- Learners covered during lessons
- Dual control cars declared
- Instructors and trainee instructors
Driving school fleet insurance in brief
Driving school fleet insurance is one motor policy that covers a driving school's tuition cars, the instructors who teach in them and the learner drivers they supervise, instead of each instructor insuring a car separately. The cover is built around lessons: the insurer knows a learner will be driving and that the car has dual controls fitted. Instructors' private use of the car is usually set out on the same policy.
Schools with several cars and a changing group of instructors often look at how driver rules work on any driver fleet insurance, as tuition cars tend to be shared more than most.
Who it is for
Which driving schools use a fleet policy?
Fleet cover suits any school with more than one tuition car, whether the cars sit with instructors at home or are collected from a base each morning.
Who drives a tuition car
Who is covered to drive a dual control car?
A tuition car has more types of driver than almost any other business vehicle. Each one is insured on different terms, so the policy needs to say clearly who may drive and when.
- Approved driving instructors: Fully qualified instructors on the official register, the usual named drivers on a tuition fleet.
- Trainee instructors: Instructors who hold a trainee licence to give paid lessons while they qualify. Not every insurer accepts them.
- Learner drivers in lessons: Pupils holding a provisional licence, covered only while an instructor is supervising in the car.
- Pupils on test day: Learners using the tuition car for their practical test. Many policies include this, but it is worth checking.
- Instructors' private use: Personal and commuting use for the instructor, sometimes with a partner added as a named driver.
- Family practising in the car: A parent supervising a pupil in the tuition car is a separate question, and many policies do not allow it.
Learners are usually covered for the time they are in a lesson and not for driving the car on their own. Instructors who also teach riders can find more on motorcycle fleet insurance for training bikes.
Dual controls and the car
What makes dual control car insurance different?
The dual controls are what let an instructor take over. Insurers want to know they are fitted properly and what happens if they are damaged.
Fitting and declaring dual controls
The dual control pedals need to be declared, and many insurers ask that they are fitted by a recognised fitter.
- Cover for the controls if the car is damaged
- Moving controls to a new car may need notice
- Clutch only or full controls are worth stating
When a tuition car is off the road
A car in for repair means lessons cancelled, so the courtesy car terms matter more than for most fleets.
- A dual control courtesy car is not always offered
- Some policies offer a replacement tuition car
- Loss of lesson income is usually separate
Roof signs, branding and equipment
Roof boxes, magnetic signs and school branding are part of how the car looks on the road.
- Roof signs may need to be declared
- Wraps and signwriting count as changes
- Extra mirrors and cameras can be listed
School, instructor or franchise
Should a driving instructor fleet sit with the school or the instructor?
Many schools start with each instructor insuring their own car and move to one policy once they run several cars. Schools making that change will find the same questions on small fleet insurance for a few vehicles.
| Set-up | Policies | Arranged by | Driver rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Each instructor insures their own car | Separate | The instructor | Each policy has its own rules |
| School insures all cars on one fleet | One schedule | The school | One set of rules for every car |
| Franchise car with cover included | Usually one schedule | The franchisor | Set out in the franchise terms |
Instructors joining a franchise are often asked to show their own claims record, which can affect the terms offered for their car.
Pricing
What affects the price of driving school fleet insurance?
A tuition fleet is priced around the instructors and the type of teaching, as well as the cars. Some insurers also ask whether the school teaches pupils retaking their test after a ban, which raises questions close to those on fleet insurance for convicted drivers.
- The tuition carsMake, model, value and whether they are manual, automatic or electric.
- The instructorsQualified or trainee, years teaching, licence record and past claims.
- Pupils and their stageWhether lessons are for beginners only or include pupils close to test.
- Private useHow much each instructor drives the car outside lessons, and who else may drive.
- Where the cars are keptA school base, instructors' driveways or on the street overnight.
- The school's claims recordClaims across the school's cars in recent years, including lesson incidents.
- Dual controls and signsFitted equipment, roof signs and branding declared to the insurer.
- Courtesy car termsWhether a replacement dual control car is part of the policy.
How it works
One quote form, specialist fleet brokers
Insure Fleet is an information site, not an insurer or a broker. We link you to MyMoneyComparison.com, a comparison service that gives businesses a gateway to brokers who arrange fleet insurance every day.
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Describe the driving school fleet
The form asks about the vehicles, the work they do and who drives, so you can be matched with a specialist fleet broker.
Compare and decide
A broker contacts you with options, subject to insurers' acceptance criteria. There is no obligation to buy.
Before you buy
Questions worth asking about any driving school policy
Tuition car policies differ in ways that only show up when something goes wrong in a lesson. Each of these is a fair question for the broker before a tuition car policy starts.
- Are trainee instructors accepted?Some insurers only cover fully qualified instructors.
- Is test day use included?Pupils taking their test in the car need to be covered for it.
- Is a dual control courtesy car offered?A standard courtesy car cannot be used for lessons.
- Who can use the car in the evenings?Partners and family may need to be named for private use.
- Are the dual controls covered if damaged?Repairing or refitting them can delay a return to lessons.
- Is there a pupil excess?Some policies apply a separate excess for claims during lessons.
- How are new instructors added?The insurer may want their details before they teach.
- Are lesson cancellations covered?Lost income while a car is off the road is usually a separate cover.
FAQs
Driving school fleet insurance questions
What is driving school fleet insurance?
Driving school fleet insurance is one motor policy that covers a school's tuition cars, its instructors and the learner drivers they supervise. It sets out who may drive each car, when learners are covered and how dual controls are treated, all on one schedule.
Are learner drivers covered on a driving school policy?
Yes, while they are in a lesson with an instructor supervising from the passenger seat. Learners are not usually covered to drive the tuition car at other times, including practice with family or friends.
Can trainee instructors teach in a fleet car?
Many insurers accept trainee instructors who hold a trainee licence, subject to their acceptance criteria. Some ask for more detail about the trainee's supervision, and a few only accept fully qualified instructors.
Is dual control car insurance different from normal car insurance?
Yes. A standard car policy does not usually allow paid lessons, even with dual controls fitted. Tuition cover tells the insurer a learner will drive and that the car is used for teaching, which changes how it is rated.
Can an instructor use the tuition car privately?
Usually, yes. Most driving school policies include social, domestic and pleasure use for the instructor, and some allow a partner as a named driver. The terms vary, so it is worth checking who may drive outside lessons.
Does the policy cover pupils taking their driving test?
Many tuition policies cover pupils using the car for their practical test, provided the instructor has agreed. It is worth checking the certificate, as test day use is set out differently by each insurer.
Can a school with only two or three cars get fleet cover?
Often, depending on the insurer. Some fleet schemes for driving schools start with a small number of cars, while others prefer instructors on individual tuition policies until the school grows.
Does Insure Fleet sell insurance?
No. Insure Fleet is an information site and an affiliate of MyMoneyComparison.com, a comparison service that gives businesses a gateway to specialist brokers. When you start a quote you continue to MyMoneyComparison.com, and we may be paid a small commission if you are matched with and speak to a broker.
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