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If you want to take driving lessons, or you’re looking for a driving instructor for your teen, here are five things to consider when shopping around.
Thinking of taking driving lessons or enrolling your child in driver’s ed? Driving school often costs several hundred dollars, and the quality of instruction varies widely, so it’s essential to do your research. Below, we’ll explain the costs and benefits of taking a driver’s ed course, plus five key things to look for in a driving school.
Yes, driving school is worth the cost, for a few reasons. First, you’ll likely be a better, safer driver with professional instruction than if a family member or friend teaches you. Second, driving school instructors have special vehicles with dual controls, including an extra brake, for safer lessons. Third, as a licensed driver who has completed a driving school course, you can take advantage of certain perks.
Many provinces offer incentives to drivers who complete certified driving school courses. Ontario and Alberta, for example, offer sizable auto insurance discounts, ranging from 10% to 20%. Insurance for new drivers can cost $4,000 to $6,000 per year, so you could save $400 to $1,200 annually. This discount alone makes driving school a good financial investment, one that can pay for the cost of driving lessons several times over.
Driving school graduates often get other perks, too. In Ontario, driving school students can get their G2 license just eight months after passing their written test, compared to 12 months for non-students. In British Columbia, students who complete the Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) course earn two grade 11 high-school credits.
To learn more about the benefits of driving school in your province, check with your local transportation authority. Between insurance discounts, accelerated licensing time and other benefits, driving school can pay financial dividends for years to come.
Driving school courses typically cost $600 to $1,400. While the specifics vary by province, most government-certified courses include both in-car lessons and classroom-based theory.
While the price may sound steep, there are a few ways you can offset or manage this cost.
Collectively, you could even come out ahead, financially speaking, with all of the savings above—it’s a little-known financial hack.
When it comes to picking a driving school, there are five key things to keep in mind:
In order for you to take advantage of the perks of completing driving school, the school must have the right certifications. If you enroll in a driving school that isn’t licensed by your province’s ministry of transportation, you won’t be able to get insurance discounts, accelerated test times or high-school credits, as applicable.
Most provinces and the Northwest Territories have a website where you can check if a driving school is licensed, registered, certified, recognized, etc. (the terminology varies).
In New Brunswick, contact the Department of Justice and Public Safety. In Nunavut and Yukon, contact your local municipal government.
Some provinces also list driving schools that have had their licenses revoked, so check for that, too. Hundreds of driving schools are shut down across Canada each year for improper licensing.
As with any service, it pays to check online reviews, media coverage and references. Positive reviews are key, but consistent reviews across platforms may be even more important. If a driving school has mostly five-star reviews on Google but two-star ratings on Yelp!, take those Google reviews with a grain of salt—even if there are hundreds of them. Many companies incentivize reviews, which is why a small business might have hundreds to thousands of reviews.
For media coverage, see if the driving school is quoted in news stories about safe driving tips—that’s a good sign. Conversely, if the school has received bad press for some reason, you may want to look elsewhere. Lastly, you could check with the Better Business Bureau to find well-rated schools.
Driving school can instill life-saving driving habits—or just teach you how to pass your test. When speaking with different schools, ask them whether they teach advanced defensive driving techniques. A good driving school should be able to teach things like evasive manoeuvres, safe positioning, s-turns and recovery, not just the basics, like how to parallel park.
With a digitally enabled driving school, you can schedule lessons through a website or an app, and you can do your classes online, often at your own pace. In most provinces, it’s no longer a requirement to sit in a physical classroom for the theory portion of driver’s ed.
Most students spend 10 to 20 hours in the car under the supervision of their driving instructor. Online lesson scheduling has made it much easier for students to book and reschedule lessons, or simply check when their next lesson is. My company, driver’s ed startup Kruzee, takes it a step further—on our platform, students can find local instructors, check out reviews and book lessons. (Kruzee is currently available in Ontario, and we plan to expand to other provinces.)
Finally, you’ll want to learn a bit about who your (or your child’s) driving instructor will be before the first lesson. You’ll be spending 10 to 20 hours together, so you’ll want to find someone who’s a good fit.
Typically, driving school students are randomly assigned an instructor. It’s hard to find reviews of specific instructors online—on Google, for example, reviews are typically about driving schools. On Kruzee, you can read instructor reviews from past students. If there isn’t a solution like Kruzee in your area, ask your driving school to tell you a bit about the instructor.
Not just anybody can teach driving. Typically, instructors must complete a college course, undergo a background check and vehicle safety check, and pass a variety of road tests. Confirm that your driving instructor has an up-to-date driving instructor license, driving instructor insurance and a vehicle outfitted with a second set of brakes, which is critical for your safety.
Choosing the right driving school is an important decision that can have long-lasting effects on your safety, finances and driving skills. With insurance discounts, accelerated licensing times and other benefits, driving school can be a net-positive investment, rather than just an expense.
Remember to always prioritize safety and choose a driving school that focuses on instilling life-saving driving habits and advanced defensive driving techniques.
This is an unpaid article that contains useful and relevant information. It was written by a content partner based on its expertise and edited by MoneySense.
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