6 Things to Consider when Choosing a Driving School
Anyone can learn how to drive. Learning how to drive well? That’s a whole different ball game. Getting into a good driving school can help with both. How do you find a good driving school, though? You don’t just want to find a driving school that helps you pass the driving test. Instead, you want instructors that care about helping you become a responsible and confident driver. Here’s a rundown of all the things that you need to check before picking a driving school.
How to Find a Good Driving School
Driving schools are often categorized as essential services. This means there is a slew of schools out there for you to choose from. How can you find the right one then? Maybe you could ask your friends to recommend you a good school. If that doesn’t work, we suggest you start your search online. You can look up driving schools in your area and check out their customer reviews, testimonials, and ratings. This method can help separate the good driving schools from average ones.
Once you have a list of good driving schools, dig deeper. Here’s everything you’ll want to check for:
- What Are Their Qualifications?
Not all driving instructors are qualified to give driving lessons. A person can be a great driver but a poor instructor. The first thing you should ask to see is the instructor’s driving license. Besides this, the instructor should have a “Working with Children Check.” This is basically an assessment that indicates if a person poses an unacceptable level of risk to children. Most people that take up driving lessons tend to be minors, and this check ensures their safety.
Checking for these qualifications also helps you make sure that you are working with an instructor that wants to offer the best possible service. They’ll be happy to offer any reassurances you need and respect your need to find the best teacher.
- Do They Use Dual Controls?
New drivers often end up pressing down on the accelerator when they intend to brake. This can put their lives and those of any other drivers or pedestrians at risk. Dual controls offer a simple remedy to this. Even if you fumble with the brakes, your instructor will have their own set of controls they can use to hit the brakes. This can potentially save lives and make sure everyone stays safe.
Dual controls are mandatory and a legal requirement laid out by the state authority. Unfortunately, there are many driving instructors who forgo this rule and teach people how to drive without them. So, if you are trying to find a good driving instructor, checking for dual controls can help narrow your search.
- How Much Experience Do They Have?
Working with a driving instructor who has got at least a few years of experience under their belt is infinitely better. As we said earlier, a lot of people can drive well, but not everyone can teach you how to drive. You can ask a driving instructor the following questions here to determine their level of skill:
- How long have they been driving?
- How long have they worked as an instructor?
- What type of students do they usually get?
- How can they help you achieve your goal and be a better driver?
An experienced driving instructor will also be able to build your confidence in your driving skills and be a better driver in the long term.
- Are They Flexible?
Flexibility matters on two accounts when you’re trying to find a good driving school. Firstly, you need a driving school that allows you to experiment with different types of driving environments. They should be able to teach you to how to drive in a controlled environment, as well as on the road.
Secondly, it’s also helpful to find a driving school that is flexible with bookings and allows you to postpone lessons without any extra charges involved. This can help you save money and avoid paying for lessons that you are unable to take.
- What Is Their Approach?
A good driving instructor adheres to course guidelines and adopts a structured approach. Every driver is unique, and the instructor should be able to customize their lessons to match their strengths and weaknesses. We also recommend looking for a driver that offers the following:
- Keys2Drive: Keys2Drive is a free foundation course that intends to prepare you for learning how to drive. It is one hour long. Finding a good instructor who can take you through this course will make sure you are working with the right person from the beginning.
- Beyond Test Routes: This is a driving program designed by the Australian Driver Trainers Association. It takes on a holistic approach toward imparting driving lessons that help you go beyond the basics needed to pass a driving test. It can help you become a better driver and be prepared for driving on the road on a daily basis.
- Reporting Systems: A good driving school has a comprehensive reporting system that allows them to track the progress of each driver. This system must be updated after every lesson, and the driver and their parent/guardian can get real-time feedback on how they are doing in their lessons.
- Defensive Driving: Learning how to drive in a defensive manner to avoid accidents and ensuring the safety of everyone else on the road is necessary. A good driving instructor will be able to impart these skills to you and help you learn how to be aware of road hazards at all times.
- What Type of Lessons Do they Offer?
This can have a significant impact on your driving skills. If a lesson is too short, then you won’t be able to learn much. If it is too long, then you might get tired and not retain half of the things you learned. It’s important to find a balance here. We recommend opting for driving schools that provide 1 hour or 2-hour-long lessons. This length is optimal for revisiting what you learned last time, picking up new skills, and taking the time to practice them, so you have better recall.
Start Your Search for a Driving School and Instructor
You now know what you need to look for when you are trying to find a good driving school and instructor. If you are ready to begin your search, here is a list of resources that can help you out:
- Find My Driving School: This is a great online site that helps you find driving schools in your locality and work with experienced instructors. Visit https://www.findmydrivingschool.com.au/ to learn more.
- Find My Instructor: This is another useful site that offers a comparison service and helps you find a good driving instructor based on your location and budget. Visit https://www.findmyinstructor.com.au/ for more information.
- Yellow Pages: You can also look in the yellow pages and find business listings for driving schools. This method is a little more complicated since you’ll have to look up each driving school to gather more information about them. You can visit https://www.yellowpages.com.au/ for more information.
- Driving Lessons 4 U: Like the other two resources mentioned above, you can also use Driving Lessons 4 U to find and compare driving schools and instructors. Head over to https://www.drivinglessons4you.com.au/ for more information.
In a Nutshell
Learning how to drive is a write of passage and is one of the most fundamental skills. It will serve you throughout life. It’s not always easy, but if you have a good driving instructor on your side, then the start can be a lot less scary. Get in touch with us today if you are trying to find a good driving school or instructor!