As an experienced long haul trucker and certified CDL driving instructor, I know a thing or two about driver’s education, so I was anxious to see how this online course stacked up against the traditional classroom teaching models. My big problem with textbooks and classrooms is the lack of interaction. Things get boring real quick and attention spans fade. I had high hopes that the iDriveSafely Teen Drivers Ed course would introduce a new and fresh method of teaching teens how to drive. I’m happy to say, my hopes were mostly fulfilled and I am very happy with this program. It’s not perfect. For example, I wish they had incorporated more videos into the course. Compared to a classroom setting, however, I think this is a much better way to do it. iDriveSafely YouTube Commercial:
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Watch Over My Shoulder As I Sign Up And Take The Course!
I’m doing something a bit different with this review as compared to my online traffic school reviews. I’m going to take you through the course as I went through it, from the signup process to actually going through the course. Hopefully this will give you a good feel for the course before you sign up yourself. Throughout the review, you’ll find a whole bunch of screenshots I took so you know exactly what to expect. I hope this helps and if you do sign up, please come back and leave a comment below to let everyone know how your experience was!
The iDriveSafely Drivers Ed Homepage
Signing Up For The Course
The signup process is pretty straight forward. YouThe signup process is pretty straightforward. You give them your name, address, etc. What I like about it is they also include a separate sign-up area for parents. That means parents will receive any emails iDriveSafely sends out and will also have access to the course to keep track of the progress being made.
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Parent Contact Form During Registration
Choosing A Delivery Option
You don’t have to pay anything yet, but they’ll ask you which delivery method you’d like for when they mail your completion certificate. Regular mail is free, but expedited shipping is a little pricey as seen in the below screenshot of shipping options.
Shipping Options / Prices
Paying For The Course
This part I like! You have the option of paying upfront if you want to, but you can choose to start the course right away and pay later on. I’ve always hated those “risk-free” and “money-back guarantee” options because sometimes, getting your money back isn’t so easy. This is truly risk-free because you don’t even pay them to start the course. You get to see the quality of the course first hand before you pay them a single penny. How can you argue with that!?
The iDriveSafely Pay Later Option
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iDriveSafely In-Course Video Example
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The Course Material
Once you’re all registered, you’ll be greeted with a nice little welcome page and then it’s time to get started! Initially, Once you’re all registered, you’ll be greeted with a nice little welcome page, and then it’s time to get started! Initially, you’ll see a table of contents so you know what the course is going to cover. Here’s a little sneak peek.
iDriveSafely Drivers Ed Table Of Contents
Excellent Parent Guides
One thing that really sets this course apart is the resources provided for parents. They really spent some time putting together a great “manual” of sorts. It’s basically a step-by-step plan that you can follow and it goes hand in hand with the online course. They really did a spectacular job with this. Here is the table of contents of the parent resource guide. I especially like the “Driving Contract” they included at the end. It lays down the ground rules of what is allowed and what is not that both parents and teens can sign, holding each other accountable. Very creative!
Parent Resource Guide
What The Course Is Like
Think of this course as a glorified and interactive textbook. There aren’t quite as many videos in the course as I was hoping for, but they do include some nice animations and there are lots of images spread throughout the course. I can’t promise it will be super fun or wildly entertaining, but the course material is very solid. As a certified CDL driving instructor, I’ve been through several online courses. I’ve even helped to create an online CDL training program for truck driving students. So I know good material when I see it. The material presented in this course is very good. They purposely use repetition throughout the course so that important things are remembered. Since students can go at their own pace, participate in interactive quizzes, and watch some animations, I think students learn more from this course than from a classroom or traditional textbook. A typical page is very short, making each page easy on the eyes, manageable, and less daunting.
Content Page Example
Interactive Quizzes
The quizzes aren’t very difficult, but they do require that you have been paying attention. Each section will have a 10 question quiz. You’ll also have a final exam at the end of the course covering all of the material. These quizzes and tests are “open book” and you’re allowed to use guides that have been provided to you. The point of all the quizzes and the final exam isn’t so much to test to see if you know everything but to reinforce the key points. The more times you are tested on something, the more you’ll remember it. The system they use is actually very effective. Here is an explanation of how the quizzes and tests work, straight from the source.
iDriveSafely Quiz Explanation
Additional Options
While it is my personal opinion that iDriveSafely is the best online driver’s ed course available, you do have additional options. First, check out all of my online driver’s ed reviews here. There are hundreds of online drivers ed courses available and since I’m just one guy, I can’t review them all. However, I picked out all of the most popular courses and went through them.
Just because I didn’t review a course, that doesn’t mean it’s a terrible online drivers ed program. In fact, there very well could be a better course I have never heard of. Feel free to browse around if you’d like, but iDriveSafely is a very good option. I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t want to sign up for their course. See All Of My Online Driver Education Reviews
Is Online Drivers Ed Better Than A Classroom-Based Course?
Most definitely. While it’s true there may be some drivers ed students who do better in classroom-based environments, generally, the online driver’s ed courses are far more popular and far more effective. In a classroom, students are forced to be there whether they are ready to learn or not. In addition, depending on the teacher, students may have a lot of trouble retaining information. Online courses do a great job of solving these problems. Not only can students go through the course at their own pace and on their own schedule, but the online driver’s ed courses today are filled with videos, animations, interactive quizzes, and other features to help students retain information better. Not to mention students can rewind the course and review any material they are having trouble with. That’s why in many states if you take an online driver’s ed course, you do not even need to take a permit test at the driver services facility. If you passed an online driver’s ed course, they know you’re prepared. Online Drivers Ed vs. Classroom Drivers Ed
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iDriveSafely Key Features, Advantages, and Disadvantages
Before we close, here’s a recap of iDriveSafely’s key features, advantages, and disadvantages.
When choosing a course from iDriveSafely, you can expect:
- That you will be able to complete the course anywhere you are, using any device.
- An auto-sync feature that will help in tracking your progress.
- Easily digestible lessons that are straightforward.
- An interactive way of learning that integrates audio, videos, and animations in their course materials.
- Answer quizzes at the end of each lesson to help improve information retention.
- A final practice test that will help you prepare for the DMV written test
- Dedicated customer support available to answer your questions 24/7.
- A free trial option and a money-back guarantee, allowing you to decide if you would like to take the course before paying.
The main advantage of taking courses from iDriveSafely is that it is not only easy to go through and understand, but also provides interactive and engaging content. With them, you can get rid of the boring, traditional in-person lectures that you used to have.
The course is also very affordable. And in terms of availability, their courses are available in almost every state in the US.
However, iDriveSafely is not perfect. There are some disadvantages as well. For example, its mobile application is a bit difficult to manage and is highly susceptible to technical bugs. You might lose your patience if you take the course on your phone (though it wouldn’t be an issue if you use a laptop or computer).
You may also find the next part of their course material a bit dull despite the animations and visuals.
Final Thoughts
Well, that’s about it! I’m not really sure what else I can tell ya! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or ask in the comments section below.
But in the end, yes, I wholeheartedly recommend the iDriveSafely online driver’s ed course. It is by far, the absolute best online driver’s ed course available today.
Good luck and drive safely!!
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