March 29, 2024

Driving schools have become a mainstay of life as laws regarding both driving and classroom experience have become more stringent in recent decades. Designed to protect young drivers from accidents and the most common mistakes made on the road, these laws have prompted many parents to consider intensive driving courses when giving their son or daughter their best shot at meeting state requirements, passing their road test, and staying safe on the country’s busy highways and local roads. There are some key things to look for, as well as some things to keep in mind, when looking for these professional driving schools, however, and parents might want to start making a checklist of these items before they enroll their child in any particular driving school.

Ensure the Right Combination of Theory and Practical

Drivers are required to have a certain number of driving experience hours logged onto a special form before they can apply to take their practical driving test and become eligible for a drivers license. At the same time, students are required to learn in-depth information about driving which spans from how to handle inclement weather to the best ways to remain safe in aggressive driving environments. For this reason, it is important to look for a driving school which clearly states how much time they will dedicate to both teaching their students about the road as well as going out with them on the highways and letting them test these skills hands-on.

It is also important to understand just how many driving hours, or theory hours, a student will log when they participate in an intensive driving course. Some of these institutions might actually do all of the work themselves, ensuring that a student has all of the necessary driving time and classroom time needed after completion. Others will do a percentage of this work and hand off the rest of the driving experience and education to the parent or guardian. Before committing to driving lessons, understand the relationship of experience between the school and the parent.

Check Into the Instructor’s Experience in the Driver Education Field

There is simply no substitute for experience when it comes to choosing a driving instructor. Any school worth its time and fees will employ only the most seasoned veterans of the road, and they will ensure that these professionals are effective at communicating their skills to novice and young drivers. That is a key part of any school, and choosing one without a proven track record of success and experience in education is a serious folly that can result in the student failing their road test or not meeting state requirements.

It is also important to look into the training and certification obtained by any instructor. There are often thorough requirements mandated by state departments of transportation for these professionals, and they should be willing to freely discuss their state qualifications as well as their experience in actually teaching new drivers how to handle their newfound privilege of operating a motor vehicle. If there is no such proof that an instructor is certified and experienced, it is time to look elsewhere when preparing a new driver for the road.

Research and Tough Questions are the Key to Selecting the Right School

Just like finding the best school or college, the best driving school should be chosen through the use of extensive research, lots of question-and-answer sessions, and careful attention to detail. Make sure that any institution is state certified or licensed, make sure that the instructor has a wealth of experiencing teaching young drivers about the road, and understand which requirements for young drivers will be met or exceeded at the conclusion of the course.