Everyone knows that in order to become a licensed driver, you have to take a driving class. Whether that class is done in person or online is entirely up to you, and there are so many options regarding both that are available for you in your area.
Some may be excited to start their driving course, but others may be a little skeptical about starting it. Maybe you started learning at an early age and don’t think you need it, or maybe you just don’t see the point in taking a driving class.
Whatever the case may be, I’m here to give you a few examples of why taking a driving class is so important to becoming a new driver, and try to help you understand why it’s a lesson that’s required prior to receiving your driver’s license.
What Is A Driving Class?
A driving class is, very simply, a class that teaches you how to drive. It covers the rules of the road, courteous driving practices, the meanings of road signs, and how to interact with other drivers and the different weather conditions.
It’s essentially all the information you could possibly want or need about driving, all wrapped up in a class that helps prepare you for driving before you actually start. They also handle your vehicle, and some even provide behind-the-wheel training once you’ve finished the main part of the course.
What Does Driving Class Teach?
When attending a driving class – both on- or offline – you’ll be taught a myriad of different things that you may not learn right away in a real-world driving experience. Sure, your parents can teach you the basics, but with a certified course or instructor, you’ll learn literally everything there is to know about driving, even down to the mechanics of operating your vehicle.
Safety First
Possibly the most important thing you’ll learn in driving class is the importance of road safety. They’ll teach you how to properly adjust your mirrors for optimum sight and navigation, as well as how to properly check your blind spots.
You’ll learn the importance of signaling, how to drive defensively (note that does not say aggressively), and how to anticipate circumstances and other drivers so you can be as safe as possible while out on the road.
Learning these things will help you feel more confident when you’re on the road, both in your abilities as a driver, your understanding of your vehicle, and the safety guidelines put in place, so you have less anxiety about driving.
Rules Of The Road
When you grow up watching your parents or other adults drive, you tend to pick up little quirks. Some of them are helpful, like realizing that you have to stop at a stop sign or yield when merging into traffic, but others can actually be quite harmful if carried into your own driving habits.
For instance, though many people have a tendency to push the gas pedal to make it through a light that’s yellow before it turns red, when the yellow light is actually an indicator to slow down in anticipation of a stop.
This may seem like it’s not a big deal, but when you begin to drive on your own, you’ll realize that not all drivers are very patient, and sometimes drivers will turn ahead of the green arrow light if they thing oncoming traffic is about to stop. If they do this while you’re simultaneously trying to go through that yellow light, a collision is likely to occur, and you will both be found at fault.
To avoid this, driving class teaches you everything you need to know about the rules of the road – what different signs mean, why you have to stop at stop signs, the importance of signaling, what to do and not to do, and why speed limits are put into place.
When you understand the reasoning behind all of this, you are much more likely to be conscious of it while driving, and you’ll effectively make the road a safer place for both yourself, and other drivers.
Proper Handling In Weather Conditions
While the majority of your behind-the-wheel driving practice may take place when the skies are sunny and no bad weather is in sight, this will not always be the case in your real-world driving life.
While driving class can’t always give you first-hand experience with this, they do teach you everything you need to know about driving through different weather conditions such as snow, rain, ice, and sleet, which will help you be prepared for anything that can happen while driving in the middle of these conditions.
The more you understand about what these weather conditions mean for drivers and what can happen, and the more prepared you feel when encountering them, the less anxious you’ll be when they hit. This will allow you to relax a little more and concentrate on yourself and other drivers.
Behind-The-Wheel Experience
Sure, your parents can teach you the basics of operating a vehicle. Sometimes this is even helpful when going into a driving class, because you’ll be less nervous about beginning your driver training.
Some courses even offer a parent-taught driver’s education course, where your parent can become certified to teach you by taking a short course on driver training, education, and best practices.
These courses are especially helpful for some, because you’ll get to learn firsthand driving from someone you trust, in a vehicle you’re comfortable with. This option is not always available, however, but many driving classes are taught by instructors who are certified to not only teach in class, but behind the wheel as well.
This gives you an opportunity to get real-world driving practice in while you’re taking the course, and often times the instructor will anticipate scenarios in which certain action is required from the driver, so you get a feel for the situation before it actually happens.
Finding the Best Driving Schools
The best driving schools will include the topics I’ve mentioned in their respective programs – that’s for sure. But what about the other factors that you need to consider in finding the best driving schools?
Before I provide my two cents on this, go check out each of the schools below. This might save you the trouble as I have already looked into these schools and I can guarantee that these are some of the best that you’ll find.
Click on the link to visit the schools and if you still can’t decide, you can check this to get the complete list of my online driver’s ed reviews.
So, what to look for in driving classes?
First on the list is the course content and quality. Since most driving schools have been established many years ago, you’ll find several outdated programs out there which do not include the most recent changes to driving laws in your state. This is crucial because laws get amended, repealed, and new laws are being passed. If this is not included in the program, the driver may get into trouble, or this may be the reason for not passing their written exam.
Check the course itself, too. Most driving schools that are confident with their services include a demo or course trial so you can check the course before signing up. If this is not available, at least check if the school offers a money-back guarantee and make sure to read its terms. At least with this, you can get a refund if you’re not satisfied with the course.
With regards to pricing, check this against the features that your teen will enjoy, and don’t just settle with the cheapest option. Most cheap courses are priced less because they offer fewer benefits. Paying a bit more for better alternatives that have interactive features will help your teen retain information and enjoy the course overall.