Online driver’s ed has quickly become the most popular way for new drivers to fulfill state requirements in order to obtain a driver’s license. For parents and adults, taking an online driver’s ed course seems like a foreign and strange way to learn how to drive. For teens and younger adults, however, online learning is nothing new, and it’s only natural to see if taking an online driver’s ed is a good way to go.
As a former driving instructor, you might think that I’m against online driver’s ed, but the opposite is actually true. I think taking online driver’s ed is a much better way to learn the rules of the road than sitting in a boring classroom. So, let’s explore this a little further.
Want The FAST Answer? This Is The Online Driver’s Ed Course I Recommend Most
Online Driver’s Ed Vs. Classroom Driver’s Ed
Most parents took their driver’s ed course in a classroom, so knowing how to take online driver’s ed, or the process involved with taking driver’s ed online is a bit of a mystery. On of the most frequent questions I get from parents includes, is online driver’s ed legit? Rest assured, online driver’s ed is totally legit in most states and has been around for about 20 years now.
Before we can really dive into how to take online driver’s ed, you need to decide if taking driver’s ed online is even the best option for you. Every student has their own learning style and while I believe MOST driver’s ed students do better with online driver’s ed, some students really do need the structure that a classroom provides. With that said, here are some advantages of taking an online driver’s ed course.
Interactive: Taking online driver’s ed is far more interactive than a classroom. For example, one of the things driver’s ed students must memorize are the colors of road signs and their meanings. In a classroom environment, driver’s ed teachers might use flashcards or have students get into groups and make posters explaining the different meanings. But taking an online driver’s ed course will teach you this information by way of games and interactive features. For most students, the online option is a faster way to learn and memorize the information.
Increased retention rates: Due to the interactive features and multiple content delivery formats (written text, images, graphics, animations, games, etc.), retention rates are generally much higher for students who complete their driver’s ed requirements online. When teaching students how to parallel park in a classroom, for example, instructors might use model cars or even toys to show the steps to parallel park. With an online course, however, you can get really amazing graphics and animations to show this type of thing. Here’s an example of a 3D animation from Aceable that shows students how to parallel park. Be sure to use your mouse cursor or phone to look around while Ace the robot shows his techniques!
Click Here To Learn More About Aceable
Study on your own schedule: Convenience is an obvious benefit to taking online driver’s ed. Students aren’t forced to get a ride to a physical driving school or sit in a classroom when they are tired. Driver’s ed students can simply study when they want, from where they want, and for as long as they want. Most modern online driver’s ed classes can be taken from just about any device including smartphones and tablets. This type of flexibility enables students to be responsible for their own independent study. I’ve found that most driver’s ed students are pretty self-motivated to obtain their driver’s license, so motivation is rarely an issue.
Get insurance discounts and other perks: Most online driver’s ed programs now offer additional benefits such as insurance discounts, safe driving apps for your phone, roadside assistance for your first year of driving, and other features that many local driving schools and public school driving programs don’t offer.
All in all, as someone who has been involved with the driver’s education industry for a long time, I think these online driver’s ed programs are terrific and the best option for most students.
How To Take Online Driver’s Ed With The Best Course Provider
There are several different course providers for online driver’s ed, so it can be a bit tough deciding which online driver’s ed course to sign up for. Below are my top 3 recommended online driver’s ed courses to help you get your research started. While there are MANY other legitimate online driver’s ed courses available, these are the ones I personally recommend based on my experience:
#1. DriversEd.com Review
DriversEd.com is perhaps the longest-running driver’s ed course online. They began offering online driver’s ed way back in the late ’90s when taking driver’s ed online first became a possibility. What I really like about DriversEd.com is how they’ve kept the course updated with fresh new material as the years have gone on. Many other online driver’s ed programs have become really outdated, but not DriversEd.com One of my favorite features of DriversEd.com is the “make your own choice” feature, where a driving scenario is presented and the student must make a correct choice on the best safe driving maneuver to take. This is a unique feature to DriversEd.com that I haven’t seen anywhere else. DriversEd.com is also the only online driver’s ed course that offers a nationwide behind-the-wheel training fleet. This makes it really easy to get both your online driver’s ed requirements and your behind-the-wheel requirements completed at the same company, often saving money.
Get The Best Price On DriversEd.com Here
#2. Aceable Review
Aceable is probably my favorite online driver’s ed course out of any online driver’s ed course out there right now. The only real reason I listed Aceable second on this list is because they aren’t certified in very many states. You can click here to see if Aceable is certified in your state. If they are, this is the course I recommend most. It is the newest online driver’s ed course to hit the market, meaning they were able to make the best use of modern technology. They even give you the ability to use VR headsets if you have one. If not, the features they offer are still second to none. They offer dedicated apps for each device you might have, so it works great no matter which type of device you’re using. The mascot, Ace, is a fun character that walks you through the entire process of obtaining your driver’s license. I highly recommend you check them out.
Get The Best Price On Aceable Here
#3. Teen Driving Course Review
Teen Driving Course is another one of the very first online driver’s ed courses to hit the market about 20 years ago. Teen Driving Course is a little more outdated than the other two options, but they are approved in the highest number of states, so if either of my above recommended online driver’s ed courses are unavailable for you, check out Teen Driving Course. This is also a cheaper option, so if you’re on a budget, Teen Driving Course guarantees to be the cheapest online driving school. You can also start this course for free without providing any credit card or payment information. Try it out for yourself to see if it’s the right course for you. This is also a great option for those who don’t care about fancy 3D animations and interactive features as it is mostly a text-based program.
Get The Best Price On Teen Driving Course Here
How To Take Online Driver’s Ed & Complete Behind-The-Wheel Requirements
Obviously, taking online driver’s ed is only a way to study the bookwork portion. Before you can take your driving test and obtain your driver’s license, you’ll also need to sign up for behind-the-wheel driving lessons with a driving instructor. If you sign up with DriversEd.com, you can get behind-the-wheel training through them in addition to your online driver’s ed course. However, no matter who you sign up with, any local driving instructor would be happy to help you complete your behind-the-wheel training requirements even though you’re taking an online driver’s ed course. As a former driving instructor, I can tell you that the classroom stuff is not the most exciting part of our job. Most driving instructors much prefer to get out in the real world and actually teach students how to drive.
Final Thoughts On How To Take Online Driver’s Ed
As you can see, learning how to take online driver’s ed isn’t very difficult, because there’s not much to it! Online driver’s ed has been around for quite a while now, so all you really need to do is find a course that is certified in your specific state, sign up, and they will walk you through every part of the process until you obtain your driver’s license!
Best of luck to you as you pass this milestone in your life, and please remember to drive safely!