Do I need to compensate for damaging the training vehicle during driving practice?
2 Answers
No compensation is required for damaging the training vehicle during driving practice. Here are the relevant details: 1. According to the "Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law": If a student violates road traffic safety regulations or causes a traffic accident during driving practice, the instructor shall be held responsible. Driving school students operate the vehicle under the guidance of an instructor in a designated practice area. Due to their lack of driving experience, it is difficult for them to foresee the social consequences of their actions, making it hard to determine whether the student was subjectively at fault. As the instructor, if they fail to promptly correct the student's incorrect operation during the incident, they are at fault and should bear the corresponding responsibility. 2. According to Article 121 of the "General Principles of the Civil Law": The legal person or other organization shall bear civil liability. The instructor at the driving school is performing their duties, so the compensation liability for the student's damage should ultimately be borne by the driving school. However, if the student's violation or the traffic accident is a result of intentional misconduct or gross negligence by the student, and the instructor has already exercised appropriate attention or taken necessary measures to prevent the violation or accident but still failed to avoid it, then the driving school's liability may be exempted or reduced.
As an experienced driver who often accompanies friends to driving schools, I believe the key lies in the handling procedures of the driving school. Most reputable driving schools have specialized insurance for their training vehicles, so minor collisions are typically covered by insurance without the students having to pay out of pocket. I remember one time when I was accompanying a practice session, a training car next to us hit a tree, and the instructor simply contacted the insurance company to resolve it. However, it's important to carefully review the terms when signing the training agreement. Some driving schools may stipulate that in particularly severe cases, students might have to share part of the loss, such as in cases of obvious violations like practicing while drunk. In reality, as long as you practice normally under the instructor's guidance, there's no need to worry too much about accidents. Just continue practicing as usual.
