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I have a 15 yr old son who is ready to take the class in order to get his
driving permit. He wants to take it online. I am wondering if it is as
good or better than taking it in a classroom with a teacher. Does anyone
have experience with either? I saw some postings in the advice archives
that thougt the online class was fine. Just wondered if they showed
movies or did more extensive instruction in the class room.
Thanks for any insight that you may have.
Martha
Any current recommendations for driver's education
program? The archived ones are a bit sketchy and dated.
Which programs are kids doing these days? Any info' on
Driversity (which seems to have a lot of different
branches)? Thanks in advance.
Dad of a soon-to-be driving teen
For the Driver's Education requirement, my two sons used the online program at www.oneclickdriversed.com (408-281-1284), which costs $69.95. For Driver's Education, we used DWB Driver's Training (925-945-1670), which was $60 for every two-hours, or $180 for the required six-hours.
The online Driver's Education, as I recall, consists of 19 lessons. At the end of each lesson, there is a test which must be passed before moving on to the next section. Our older daughter took the in-class program at Safestway, and it appeared to be both a much more boring and less effective approach. YMMV.
The DWB drivers training program was more flexible than Safestway. They did not book up as much in advance. The cost was less. I never felt that one was less safe than the other. My sons used DWB. My daughter used Safestway. I recommend DWB.
Good luck.
Does anyone know of a driving instructor who has experience working with someone like me? I drove as a stupid, fearless teenager (without formal training) then moved abroad and never got a license. That was more than twenty years ago. I never used to mind being car free, but now I am a single mother and my life demands greater mobility. Is it too late for me? I cannot afford to pay much, but realize the right person may be worth it. Thanks, anon.
I am in my mid-twenties, but have never gotten a driver's liscense. I can study the manual myself to pass the written test, but I am nervous about actually practicing driving. None of me friends are stepping up to volunteer to teach me to drive, and I am not that sure I would want to learn that way anyhow. I looked on the website to see if there were any recent recommendations about driving school, but the most recent seemed to be 2003.
Has anyone had a recent experience with Berkeley Driving School? Or Bay Area Driving School in Hayward? Are there any other driving schools that are especially good, or maybe ones that I should avoid?
Also, any tips for first time driver or things you might want me to know (besides the basic stuff that I *hopefully* will learn in driving school and while reading the manual) as I will soon be on the streets driving next to you??
Thanks! Soon-to-be-Driver
I have a 17 year old son who is interested in driving. I understand they are now required to have some drivers ed., but the class offered at Albany High has no behind the wheel training. There are so many listed in the phone book, and I have heard that some of it can be done online, anyone had recent experiences on line or with official schools, good or bad? I checked the archive, and other than one post, the rest were a few years old. I am hoping for some recent reviews. Jeanne
For your information, the process went like this:
Take an online drivers course (or the one at school) and pass it. The certificate from this course along with a birth certificate and proof of registration in a behind the wheel course is taken to the DMV where you fill out a form (of course) to apply for the permit. Your son takes a test - 46 questions, can only miss 8 to pass. (we picked up a driver's handbook for studying first) After he has the permit you call the behind the wheel course back and they come out for the first lesson. There are 3 2-hour lessons behind the wheel with lots of practice with you in between. They need 50 hours behind the wheel (including the course and 10 night time hours) to be able to go back to DMV for their driving test. If they pass the behind the wheel test they get a provisional permit (restrictions apply) and you pray a lot!
Re: the behind the wheel course - again, I had my daughter call some of the yellow page ads and ask the questions we had decided were important to ask. I then followed up on the ones she thought were good. We chose Driving without Borders. I don't know if they are out in your area - we are in Pleasant Hill - but my daughter's teacher, Nelli, is amazing. She is sensitive and encouraging and really knows her stuff as well as kids. We have been very happy.
On another note, if you have AAA car insurance, they have a software course the kids can take that will lower your insurance rate. Other insurance companies may have a similar program, it is worth checking out because the additional cost is high!
Hope this helps-Good Luck! sindy
It's time for my 15 year old son to take Driver's Ed, and it's not offered at his school. I was hoping to have him do it over his spring break. Can anyone recommend a good place to do this? Also, I know that you can take this course online, but I am skeptical that it would be as effective as taking the course in person (I still remember the effect seeing the movie ''Red Asphalt'' had on me 30 years ago!) Does anyone have any input on how the online courses are? Thanks a lot! KC
The classes these days can be REALLY bad. Neither instructors nor kids are very motivated. They are really geared toward passing the written test (not really enlightening anyone). My son's instructor basically read the DMV booklet to the kids. No one was happy. Plus, the number of classroom hours is pretty intense.
There was a show on NPR one day (while I was driving to Davis with my daughter!), the premise of which was that the MORE hours that you as a parent can spend in the car with your teenager DRIVING, the better.
With my older son we left the ''motivation'' for driving up to him, i.e. we would willingly go driving with him but he had to ask, find the time, etc. As a consequence, he didn't get his license until the day before he turned 18 and left for college. I would say he was a good enough driver to pass the DMV driving test but wasn't a very experienced driver at that point. With my younger daughter I realized that learning to drive is like teaching your children anything else (swimming, riding a bike, mathematics). In our society, it's an important skill to have and it's our job as parents to make sure that they are taught well. We required our daughter to spend a LOT of time (we logged the hours required by the DMV, day and night time) driving with us so that we could instruct her. (I should admit that ''we'' is the ''royal we''; my husband did most of the teaching.) She is a very good driver as a consequence.
good luck. Sally
I've had a driver's license since I was 17 and have a very good driving record. However I've driven all of 3 times since moving to California 14 years ago(I also drive very occasionally when visiting family on the East Coast). I've finally faced up to the fact that I don't drive because I am totally out of practice and scared to death of being in/causing an accident. Can anyone recommend a driving instructor for adults who know how to drive but are out of practice and need help getting used to driving again? I don't like being so dependent on public transportation/ friends and relatives driving me around. It's time for me to get over my fear and get on with life. Thanks.
Recommendations received:
My 15 year old daughter completed the written, at
home course as prep for her learner's permit. It worked fine.
Contact: Private Educational Network 461 Park Ave., Ste 2, San Jose; 95110;
408-280-1122; www.penschool.net
Mary
My 18-year-old finally got his permit, and I wanted to sign him up for driving lessons to save myself the trauma ;-). We had a very good experience with the Berkeley Driving School. I signed him up for four 1-hour lessons. It was very easy doing this over the phone; I spoke with the owner, who was very helpful and friendly. I was able to schedule the first lesson for just a few days later. The instructor was a nice young man who came to our house in a dual-brake training car, and took my son out driving. He taught him all the basics. After the lessons, I rode around in the car with my son driving and almost everything I told him, he said "Yeah, the driving teacher told me about that." I really wish I had done this with my first teenage driver - it seems these lessons really sink in better when they are not coming from the parent. I highly recommend doing this. Their website is http://www.berkeleydrivingschool.com
This posting is regarding Driving Schools-Education & Training for Teens and the Berkeley Driving School. I read the last postings from other parents regarding the Berkeley Driving Schools and did see that they were from last year. Apparently, the BDS has improved its services. My experience with them went very smoothly and we obtained everything we needed for my teen to obtain his license. He told me that the Driver Education class on Bancroft was informative, he had to study hard because the tests were not multiple choice, the teacher was helpful, and he felt he learned alot from the class to be a safe driver. With the Driver Training appointments, on the first lesson, the instructor was a bit late, but the next two appt he was on time. My son said the instructor was patient, corrected his mistakes productively and clearly, and just had an overall good learning experience. The lady in the office handling the phones was proffesional, nice, and assisted me with all my many questions, and was communicative. I'd recommend the BDS as a efficient school to help teens to get their permit and license. F. N.
Seriously, I really think that many of us adults could use a referesher--I'm just unwilling to pay the $95 for something I feel I can already do. In your case, you have the perfect excuse! I know he was able to articulate many of the techniques required in driving (how to merge comes to mind). I would suggest you contact Bay Area Driving School and ask specifically for Henry Ramirez (my older son did not learn as much from his teacher.) Sally
We hired SteveMoran of a CHP Driving School to teach our daughter to drive and I believe it was worth every extra penny.
The first lesson was along Grizzly Peak. The second lesson coursed through SF Chinatown and North Beach during a rainy rush hour at dusk and after dark. ''If you don't know where it's broke, you can't fix it,'' Steve said about his choice of route. The third lesson involved a trip across the Bay and over Mt. Tam, to Muir Woods; along very windy roads, as my daughter, according to Steve's analysis, was not looking out ahead far enough.
Steve had several well articulated routines and techniques to teach good driving habits, including a beeper to signal how often the student should be checking mirrors. He himself had plenty of extra mirrors with which to monitor what was going on, and he exhibited superb concentration on the matter at hand. He kept the lessons interesting and exciting to an adventuresome teen, and offered tips about safety, the appropriate uses of defensiveness and assertiveness behind the wheel, and what might disqualify the applicant on the licensing exam.
By the end of the course my daughter had a healthy respect for the power and potential dangers of the car. My husband or I went along for every lesson at our daughter's request. This made us better coaches though sometimes I found the experience nervewracking along the way. She passed her driving test and, except for the matter of a few parking tickets, is a good driver.
Mimi
We gave our daughter a Highway Survival Course for her 16th birthday at from the driving school at Sears Point Raceway. It is an all day course on the raceway in special skid cars taught by professional race drivers on how to handle extreme highway conditions. She thought it was a weird present but she finally went during the summer, (after having her licence for 6 months) and loved it. It cost around $300. Even after all this-following the rules, taking the survival course and almost one year of driving-she had a small accident, rearending a woman leaving the parking lot in Longs. That is a nasty corner and it could happen to anyone, but this one accident came back with a $3000 estimate from the other driver and this was a 5 mile an hour accident. All in all I would do exactly the same thing again. She is a good driver and she still loves driving.
The Highway Survival Course is through the Russell Racing School at Sears Point Raceway. The phone number is 800-733-939-7600. They have a website for the school which lists all their courses including the Highway Survival Course that is http://www.russelldriving.com or they have a special clickthrough to just the Highway Survival Course at http://www.driversafer.com.
80% of the attendees are teens and 20% are adults. They focus on 3 areas. They start out with a ground school on vehicle dynamics. 1) Skid Control- in wet conditions. They have special skid cars which simulate these conditions. A professional driver rides with them. 2)Accident Avoidence-they have a lane change simulator. The student has to drive around cones. 3)Panic Stops- they teach them aggresive stops with and without anti-lock breaks.
It is 5 hours on one day. They run them 1 weekend a month. You can buy gift certificates for the course and take it any month. There are 12 people in each course. It costs $385.
I think it is great for both girls and boys. It instills a sense of control over the vehicle and conditions their reactions without encountering them for the first time on the road. Laura
Last updated: Dec 9, 2006
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