Driving takes a bit of experience to really nail down, and this is something that many teens don’t realize. You may feel confident behind the wheel right away, but there will be times when you’re thrown into situations on the road that are less than comfortable or safe.
For instance, you’re on a road at nighttime, it’s raining, and a large animal, imagine a deer, runs out in front of your car. You hit the brakes hard, it’s your first reaction, and you slide off the road and into a ditch.
While experience won’t always stop the worst from happening, it can teach you just what you need to do in these situations to lessen your accident risk.
Of course, experience is something that is accumulated. You can’t get experience overnight, and you can’t get 5 years, or 10 years, of experience in the course of a few months, so what can you do?
Surely, you want to be safe on the road and you want to be prepared to safely tackle any driving obstacle that comes your way, but you’ll need to do so while still considered “inexperienced” for a number of years. Luckily, there is a solution, and this is in the form of online drivers ed.
Drivers ed teaches you what you need to know to safely maneuver in any driving situation, and as long as you retain this information and remain calm, you can apply it in all circumstances.
What’s even better is that with online drivers ed, you can learn these tips and tricks from the comfort of your own home. You won’t need to go out, sit in a classroom after spending all day in a classroom, or miss work or practice to go through the course of your choice, and you’ll be able to do it all from your own room.
What Will Online Drivers Ed Teach Me?
Online drivers ed will teach you a myriad of important road lessons and strategies. From what to do when encountering road hazards, to how to deal with inclement weather and aggressive driving situations, the goal of online drivers ed is making sure you’re prepared to get behind the wheel.
While it’s true that taking lessons isn’t quite the same as road experience, the lessons you do learn, when applied to your road experience, will help you to have a safer and more beneficial driving experience.
How Does Online Drivers Ed Work?
Online drivers ed works pretty simply, and the lessons you’ll be learning to apply to your experience will be learned when and how you’d like to learn them!
Unlike traditional drivers ed methods, you won’t be expected to go to a classroom or meet with your instructor, and you’ll be able to take your courses in your own bedroom, living room, or office if you’d like! This is an awesome option for those of you who have already busy and full schedules, as you won’t have to work around juggling one more thing.
Depending on the course you choose, you’ll be able to simply use your login information to start your lessons, and log out when you’re finished, and you can stop and start at any time you please. If you have an hour to dedicate one evening, 30 minutes to dedicate another evening, and a whole day to dedicate on the weekend, you can do that, and you won’t have to worry about missing anything or not getting the lessons you need.
Why Not Take the In-Person Class?
Although a typical classroom setup can be more participative, not everyone finds sitting for a specified number of hours interesting.
The classroom set-up is not only less entertaining, but it’s also hard to provide a learning environment that will suit all learning styles simultaneously. Some students absorb information faster than others. Slow learners may find it hard to keep up with the lessons and they are often too shy to admit that.
With online education, they can choose how they want to learn or how many hours they would like to spend studying. They have complete control over their pacing.
It doesn’t help as well that in some states, missing a class may mean having to retake the course from the start.
Online classes are also offered at more affordable prices.
Although classroom instruction may be offered through your high school curriculum, not every school district offers this anymore. This is because most students prefer to attend a private driving school. And this requires spending a big sum of money just to complete the required education for a driver’s license.
Besides, online driver’s ed providers often provide insurance discounts to students who complete their course- this is a great bonus for those who are planning to buy their car.
Finally, while classroom instruction provides a greater chance for interaction with instructors and peers in this setting, teens may no longer be looking forward to that. Social media platforms have changed the way teens behave towards their peers and they are more inclined now to communicate through these social media channels.
Is This Course Right For Me?
We have a number of online drivers ed courses we recommend, but you may want to shop around on your own as well. Some of our recommendations include iDriveSafely.com, Improv Traffic School, and DriversEd.com, but you can search around and see if a particular program better fits your needs.
What you’ll need to watch out for is scam drivers ed programs, and we have a couple of ways you can protect yourself:
- Look for testimonials and reviews – Testimonials and reviews are important when you’re looking for any service, and online drivers ed is no exception. Take a peek around the web and make sure the drivers ed you want has testimonials you can use to see what your experience may be like. These firsthand accounts are great windows into your potential experience, and can let you know just what to expect.
- Watch out for phony reviews – In some rare instances, scam drivers ed programs may craft false reviews in an attempt to make them look legitimate, but these are easier to spot than you think. A simple rule to follow is if the reviews don’t read right or sound natural, they may not be telling the truth.
- Check out the online reputation – Doing a little additional digging can show you the company’s online reputation. The recommended drivers ed programs all have great online reputations, and you can use these to determine what a good online reputation may look like. If you have another online drivers ed in mind, try to find negative reviews and complaints, and see how they measure up with the positive reviews.
Drivers Ed Prepares You For Real Experience
While nothing beats experience in driving, online drivers ed gives you the tips you need to stay safe while amassing it, and that’s just what you want while you’re out on the road and things get unpredictable!
When you keep in mind what you’ve learned in your drivers ed courses, you’ll be practicing the right way, and developing the skills you need to develop to build great positive experience in driving. With positive experience, you’ll be able to handle anything the road tosses your way.
When you find the right online drivers ed program for you, you’ll find that the experience is both a positive and a fun one, and it will leave you unable to wait to get your real road practice underway!