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how to choose the right driving schoolChoosing the right driving school can often make the difference between a novice driver receiving proper, professional instruction and getting sub-standard mediocre lessons that can sometimes put them off driving altogether.  Especially if you’re looking for a driving instructor who will provide all of the learner driver’s lessons, picking the right instructor is paramount.  To help parents and teenagers alike, we have compiled the following list of issues you should be aware of when choosing driving lessons Adelaide.

Word Of Mouth Recommendations

Finding the right driving instructor is rather like finding a good and reliable builder or a fantastic doctor – you probably want to tell everyone about them.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to getting a great driving instructor is to ask around family, friends and colleagues for recommendations.  If you’re 16 and thinking of going for your Driver’s Licence, you’ll probably find that many of your friends or their siblings have already found instructors they think are suitable.  Likewise if you’re a parent of a teenager, you’ll probably find that many parents you know are also looking or have already found a great driving school.  Of course, what suits one learner driver will not always be suitable for everyone.  Before you begin your search, you’ll probably want to consider the novice driver’s learning style and requirements (for example, do they thrive with lots of encouragement, or need extra help with boosting their confidence?).

Cost Of Driving Lessons

The cost of driving lessons is obviously top of mind when most people search for a good driving school.  Just keep in mind that cheaper does not always equate to better when it comes to one-on-one driving lessons. Find out:

  • If the fees are all-inclusive, or if there will be extra charges (for example, if the driving school offers night driving, will there be additional costs?).
  • If the driving school has policies about cancellations or fees for re-scheduling lessons.

Choosing The Right Instructor

There are really two different issues when choosing a suitable driving instructor:  his or her personality and teaching style, and their professional qualifications.

Finding out about an individual instructor’s teaching style can be tricky, but is made easier with word of mouth recommendations.  When making a booking you can also usually ask about the driving instructor to find out details such as length of experience, professional qualifications and any extra qualifications such as first aid certificates and safe driving certifications.  As a guide, to be eligible to become a driving instructor in South Australia they must have:

  • A valid Driver’s Licence, held for four years continuously – with no cancellations or suspensions
  • No drug or alcohol offences
  • Passed police and traffic checks, and a medical exam

Ideally all driving instructors should be professional, courteous, genuinely interested in the welfare of their students and helping them get their Driver’s Licence.  There will always be the cheaper, less scrupulous type of driving schools that base their fees on volume and quantity of students, rather than quality.  With a little research and planning, however, you can find the right driving school that will make learning to drive a pleasure and an experience to remember long after you get your licence.

Safe Driving

Kim