Hamblin's Auto Center

How to Locate a Good Driving School for Your Teen

With automotive collisions as the #1 cause of teens fatalities here in Riverside, CA and nationwide, all of us at Hamblin's Auto Center know that a solid foundation in basic driving skills is crucial to your teenager's success while behind the wheel. To assist parents as they look for a first-class driving school for their young drivers, here’s a quick checklist to get you started in your search:

Ask your friends and neighbors about a good driving school. Seek recommendations and ask why people selected a particular driving school. It's not as important as finding a good college for your kid for the time comes, but it's still a big decision that can affect their lives forever.

First, perform your due diligence and visit several schools, if possible. Ask to see their classrooms and experience an actual class if you can. Make sure that the classrooms are clean, organized and set up for instruction. Make sure that there is a desk for every student and with an unobstructed view, so that your teenager will have every opportunity to learn.

Ensure that classroom as well as behind-the-wheel sessions are completely integrated into the school's curriculum. Classroom time must be dedicated of a structured lesson plan that encompasses subjects such as coverage of risk prevention and the basics of defensive driving practices.

Behind-the-wheel sessions should relate directly to the lesson plans, in order to underline and exhibit the practical use of the concepts and theories that are taught. Beginners also seem to learn best with two in-car lessons conducted weekly. Driving environments to truly test your teenager need to include a wide range of different residential streets, busy city traffic, open rural roads, crowded highways and limited-access freeways.

Once you have found a driving school that might be right for you and your teenage driver, carefully check their references and reviews. Check with the Better Business Bureau for any complaints against any driving school and request references of former students to solicit their feelings about the school.

Finding a good driving school that can enable your teenager to be a safe and reliable driver in every scenario is a win for you, your teenager and the rest of your community. Good driving skills are something your child can use their entire lives, setting them up for success while operating a vehicle on the roads and highways of this country.

Sources: AAA, Parents and NHTSA