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Au pair and car? What do you have to keep in mind?
Read on for more information about “Au Pair and Car”!
If the au pair needs a car in order to stay with you, you should make sure early on that your au pair has a driver’s license. Have the au pair show you the license. In some countries, the use of a foreign driver’s license is limited to a certain period of time and your au pair will need an international license.
Ask at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for more information. Your au pair might also have to pass a driving test before they are allowed to drive a car in your country.
It doesn’t help you if the au pair has a license but very little driving experience. This is exactly what happens in many cases. Many au pairs have a license, but little to no experience driving a car.
This is why we recommend accompanying your au pair the first couple of times they drive. You not only get an idea of the au pair’s driving skills, but you can also help the au pair get used to the roads in your area while you are in the car. This will make it easier for your au pair, and also establishes a trusting relationship between you and the au pair. If you think that the au pair needs to practice more, you could contact a driving school in your area and book a couple of driving lessons for the au pair.
You should talk to the au pair about driving shortly after their arrival. Can the au pair use the car for private purposes? Be specific when and how often your car can be used in the au pair’s free time. Do you want the au pair to drive your children?
There are host families that don’t want this and only allow the au pair to use the car to run errands, go shopping or to drive to the language school. Talk to your au pair about this and be very clear about what you want and what you don’t want so there won’t be any misunderstandings.
If your au pair uses the car during his or her free time, think about gas money and how you want to deal with this. Many host families give their au pair a certain amount of gas money per month and the au pair has to pay for anything beyond that.
You could also have the au pair write down the distance driven and then you could calculate how much gas money the au pair owes you. Keep in mind that the host family has to pay for the au pair’s transportation to the language school.
This is what you need to know : since the au pair uses your car to do work for you, you have to pay for damage in the event of an accident. Check with your car insurance to find out to what extent each party is responsible in case of an accident, and who has to pay how much.
Ask about a comprehensive coverage car insurance and find out if it is worth taking out this type of policy. Make sure the au pair and your car have proper insurance BEFORE the first drive.
