Who is responsible for compensating when a student damages the exam vehicle during a test?
3 Answers
When students are learning to drive or taking exams at a driving school, the driving school and the testing site have the obligation to ensure the personal safety of the students during their learning and testing. In the event of such an accident, the driving school or testing site not only bears full responsibility but should also apologize to the student. Relevant information is as follows: Complaint: If the driving school or testing site demands the student to take responsibility, the student can file a complaint with the transportation authority, the Traffic Transport Administration Bureau, at the complaint hotline 12328. Alternatively, they can complain to the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Public Security Bureau. Relevant regulations: According to the "Road Traffic Safety Law Implementation Regulations," if a driving school student is driving on the road during the learning period, it should be done under the guidance of an accompanying instructor. If the student commits any road traffic safety violations or causes a traffic accident during the learning process, the instructor is responsible. However, during the driver's license exam, if the exam vehicle has no issues and there is no instructor accompanying the vehicle, the student should bear corresponding responsibility after an accident occurs.
As an experienced driver, I often see collisions during driving lessons. In such cases, the driving school is generally responsible for covering the costs because they insure the test vehicles. If a student makes a mistake and causes a collision, the insurance company will cover the repair expenses. Students don’t have to pay out of pocket unless it’s intentional damage or a serious violation like drunk driving. The law requires driving schools to ensure student safety and vehicle integrity, so instructors supervise during tests. My advice to students is not to stress too much—just relax and drive. Driving schools handle such incidents routinely, and repair costs are deducted from insurance. Even if significant damage occurs, the school won’t hassle the student; they have established procedures and contingency plans. Ultimately, this isn’t the time for students to worry about liability—focusing on improving driving skills is what truly matters.
I remember being terrified the first time I got behind the wheel, afraid I'd crash the car and have to pay fines. In reality, driving schools are well-prepared—exam vehicles are all insured, so if a student makes a mistake and causes a collision, the liability falls on the school. The instructor assured us that as long as we followed normal procedures, there'd be no issues, and repairs would be covered by the insurance. Several of my classmates had minor scrapes, which the school handled immediately without charging us a penny. Of course, if it were malicious behavior like intentionally ramming into a wall, there might be consequences. Practicing braking and turning more often can help reduce accidents. This is quite common; driving schools are in this business and will back up their students, so there's no need to worry too much about it affecting your license test or incurring extra costs.
