5 Tips to Find the Best Behind-the-Wheel School for Your Teen
Do you have a teen who will soon be old enough to start driving? If so, then you'll want to consider enrolling him or her in a driving school; in fact, depending on the state in which you live, your teen may be required to pass an accredited driving class in order to obtain his or her license before the age of 18. Of course, you don't want to enroll your child in just any driving class. We've got some tips to find the best behind-the-wheel school for your teen.
Check With Your Insurance Company
Believe it or not, some insurance companies will offer car insurance discounts if you send your teen through one of their recommended driving programs. This discount could be applied to your current policy or entitle you to a discount on your teen's coverage when he or she begins driving. Either way, this can be a great way to save some money--especially when you take into consideration that teen drivers can be expensive to insure due to their higher accident risk.
Ask Other Parents for Recommendations
There's a good chance that you have friends who are also parents and who have already sent their children through a driving school. If they live near you, why not ask them for some recommendation of places to check out (or even places to avoid)? Other parents can provide you with some valuable insight and help get you on the right track. You may even consider checking with your teen's high school, as they may have some driving schools that they can recommend as well.
Research School and Instructor Accreditation
No matter what state you live in, the fact remains that you'll need to send your child to a behind-the-wheel school that's fully accredited. This way, you can rest assured that the school's program follows state requirements and guidelines, and that your child will receive the best possible driving education. In some states, your child may not even be able to receive his or her driver's license before the age of 18 without first completing a driving class from an accredited institution.
When exploring a school's accreditation, make sure you ask for information on both the program's accreditation and the instructor's. Both should have proof of accreditation. If not, then you may want to look elsewhere.
Make Sure Equipment is Up-to-Date
When it comes to the behind-the-wheel portion of your teen's driving instruction, of course you'll want to make sure that your child will be adequately prepared for real-world driving situations. It's important to make sure that the vehicles provided by the school for student practice are up-to-date and safe. For added safety, practice vehicles should also have at least a brake pedal on the passenger/instructor side of the car so that the instructor can stop the car if absolutely necessary (to avoid an accident, for example) during a lesson.
Ask for Information on the School's Curriculum
Last but not least, when you visit a behind-the-wheel school (which you should always do before you enroll your teen), it's always a good idea to ask for a copy of their written curriculum. Any reputable school should be able to provide this for you. While reviewing a school's curriculum, be sure that there's going to be a balance of classroom instruction and real-world driving practice.
These are just a few things to look for when you're searching for the perfect driving school for your teen.