How To Find The Best Driving School For You

Drivers ed class is a big rite of passage during your teen years - one that you have to undertake before you can zoom off in that hot ride you've been eyeing. (If you're over 18 years old, it's still a good idea to take one.. even though you aren't required to by law.) Now that it's become much less common for high schools to offer drivers ed classes to students, you're probably one of the many teens who need to look for a driving school.

Finding a driving school that's reasonably priced and close to home is important - after all, who wants to shell out mucho bucks on top of round-trip gas fare? But remember that you're also making a big investment towards your future and safety. With most states requiring 24-30 hours of classroom education, plus around 6 for supervised behind-the-wheel training, you'll want the most for your time and money. So here's a simple four-step guide we've put together to help you (and/or your parents) find the best drivers ed classes in your area:

Step One: List Your Options

To start off, you'll need to know what schools are close by. Here's how to find out: scan the yellow pages, look online, and ask friends for recommendations. Once you've found a few places of interest, it's time to pare down the list.

Step Two: Weed 'Em Out

It's important to call any driving schools you may be interested in to make sure they're accredited by your state's DMV (sometimes you can even find this out online). If they are, ask or check their websites to see what their prices and lesson packages are like - this should also give you some idea of how their customer service is. Pretty much like what you hear? Go ahead and schedule a tour. It is definitely worth the effort of checking out each place - you'll be spending a bit of time there, so make sure it's somewhere you like and feel at ease in.

Step Three: Size 'Em Up

Once there, survey the school: do you feel at ease there? Do they seem organized, helpful? The best school will have decent sized classes, up-to-date classrooms & student cars, and driving simulators for realistic, safe practice. The instructors should be knowledgeable and give each student plenty of one-on-one time. Ask about the class curriculum; it should teach useful driving skills like defensive driving and car maintenance, not just basics out of the DMV manual. If a school doesn't measure up, keep it moving until you've found a winner.

Step Four: Getting the Finances Straight

Now you may have found the perfect school, but what if tuition is a little too high? Try asking if they can offer you a "new driver" discount or an installment plan to break up the cost. Many driving schools are happy to do this, so there's no harm in asking. Keeping customers happy is a good school's first priority, so they shouldn't worry about bending just a little!

That's it! It's a pretty simple process - although flipping through the yellow pages and picking a driving school at random is much faster, it really is worth the effort of finding the best one. Drivers ed class is where you'll gain the skills and knowledge that will help you for the rest of your driving years, and what you learn there could even save your life one day. Not to mention that sitting though drivers ed at the wrong school can be awful; wouldn't you rather be at one that makes the experience more fun, interesting, and useful?

About the Author

Want a little help earning your drivers license? Go to http://www.driversed-game.com, where you can play some virtual drivers ed games and learn all our tips to acing the drivers test.

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