New Member + insurance question

[Nano]

Hi, to everyone. I registered a few weeks ago, but didn't have much to say :o then. I think it's time for an introduction.

I do not own a BMW, but my infatuation with cars and driving pushed me to look for a driving school. Seeing some pictures on another forum, and then learning about the spirit and history of the club, the choice was no brainer for me. Hope to attend to as many events this summer as time will allow :D.

I have a question about insurance coverage during driving school events. Should the insurace company be notified that I will be tracking at a driving school? Can my insurer deny me coverage and pull away/or forbid my participation under some non-exclusion "High-Risk" clause? How do insurance companies view high-perfomance driving schools? As anyone had problems?

A friend of mine recently had insurance coverage pulled away because he participated in solo2 events. And he has a perfect insurance record. I know solo2 is a timed event, but it still got me worried.

Sorry if it's a silly question

PS: Some might know me from MR.com, nickname "Tex" . ;)

[Andrei]

The liability insurance situation is clear. You are covered.
Collision on the other hand could be different. Look closely at your contract. It often has an exclusion clause for "racing". This is fine. We are not racing.
You can ask your insurance company for specific information. The problem is that then they might reconsider the conditions of your coverage.

What usually happens in cases of driving school accidents is that the insurance company does cover you in that case but drops you shortly after. So you don't face financial ruin if you total your car but you do have to find a new insurance company and probably under less favorable financial terms. I.E. not the end of the world.

In terms of risk it is mostly you who controls it. As one PCA guy said: "It is only an accident if a meteorite hits your car, everything else is driver error". In a driving school setting car to car collision are almost unheard of. Especially in beginner/intermediate groups. The in-car instructors do control the students reasonably well.

If you start doing many events then you can possibly look into specialised insurers.
www.laurelde.com (http://www.laurelde.com) could possibly help you out. $1000 US per year for 20 track days (approximately, details vary). The deductible is high but it is meant for catastrophic crashes and not reattaching bumpers after going on the grass.

Keep your car in good mechanical shape, keep your head cool and insurance will be something you only talk about.

[Nano]

Thanks

I understand, makes sense

BTW, tottaly unrelated. Is a fire extinguisher a good thing to have?

[Andrei]

BTW, tottaly unrelated. Is a fire extinguisher a good thing to have?

Some clubs actually require one. For example most PСA (Porsche) chapters require one. The enforcement is lax, though. I drove 4 events with NER PCA and they never bothered me.

If you have one it should be mounted metal-to-metal. No plastic clips.

As for how usefull it is then I can't say. It depends on the car. For an older Porsche it may be usefull. This is why PCA wants them. But on a modern car I highly doubt you will ever need one. Only highly modified cars should have them in my opinion.

[Emre]

I do not own a BMW, but my infatuation with cars and driving pushed me to look for a driving school. Seeing some pictures on another forum, and then learning about the spirit and history of the club, the choice was no brainer for me. Hope to attend to as many events this summer as time will allow :D.Welcome aboard! We're very happy you found us. I'm sure you've checked our homepage and noted that we have 4 track weekends planned this summer...and we're working on adding a 5th event. It should be a very exciting season. If it's your very first time tracking your car, you might want to consider registering for the "Summer Drift" event at Mecaglisse before moving up to Tremblant and Calabogie.


I have a question about insurance coverage during driving school events. Should the insurace company be notified that I will be tracking at a driving school? Can my insurer deny me coverage and pull away/or forbid my participation under some non-exclusion "High-Risk" clause? How do insurance companies view high-perfomance driving schools? As anyone had problems?

A friend of mine recently had insurance coverage pulled away because he participated in solo2 events. And he has a perfect insurance record. I know solo2 is a timed event, but it still got me worried.Any kind of "competitive" event, including autocross, will be considered "racing" by your insurance company...so all bets are off!

However, our events are specifially designed as "driving schools." There is absolutely NO timing and scoring. You have an in-car instructor with you at all times. You have classroom theory sessions. You even have "homework" (there's a driving manual you are expected to read beofre the event)! These events are driving schools that "just happen" to take place on racetracks.

In theory, you should be covered by your liability insurance...but maybe not your comprehensive insurance (since the car is being driven "off-road"). In our club, we have NEVER had a student wreck their car...so this hasn't been a major issue for us. However, if you DO damage your car at an event, there's a good chance insurance will cover you for the damages provided you are very careful to make it clear that this was a "driving school" and avoid using buzzwords like "tracking," "racing," "lapping" etc.

I would go through your policy very carefully to see exactly what is and isn't covered. I wouldn't bother calling the company and talking to someone: unless it's in writing, whatever the agent tells you is meaningless anyway. All you'll be doing is raising some red flags. Some people have been dropped just for asking about this sort of thing...mostly because they came up with something like "I want to go lapping at Ste Eustache and I wonder if I'll be covered if I spin into the wall at 100 mph." Just ask for a copy of your contracr and see exactly what is and isn't covered.


PS: Some might know me from MR.com, nickname "Tex" . ;)Sure do. I'm itching to see that 350Z brake kit!

Emre