Few skills generate as much excitement as learning how to drive. Nowadays, driving brings a new level of freedom but also a new level of responsibility. That’s why choosing a quality driving instructor is essential.
This article will walk you through this process giving you tips that will help you decide the best driving instructor possible. Read on:
1. Choosing between friends, family, and professional instructors
Our first tip has to do with an important choice, who will teach you? In most jurisdictions, any person over 21 years old with a valid driver’s license could teach you. There is nothing wrong if a friend or family member is willing to teach you. However, hiring a quality driving instructor has its advantages:
- You can learn in an appropriate vehicle with dual controls, which is a big plus if safety is one of your concerns.
- An accredited instructor is someone supposed to be a professional, with enough patience and instructional experience to make you feel comfortable. Family and friends usually are more impatient.
- Depending on the driving instructor quality you can learn additional skills like defensive driving.
The related cost of hiring a quality driving instructor is always a factor to consider. Nevertheless, you have to balance the added benefits versus such cost. This article will assume you opted for hiring a professional instructor.
2. Vehicle types and dual-control safety
Many respectable academies and quality driving instructors will offer you the option of choosing the type of transmission you want to learn, manual or automatic. Most of these professional services also use dual-control vehicles with all kind of safety devices. Our tip is giving priority to companies or quality driving instructors that offer these options even if they cost a little more.
3. Ask for a recommendation
Before hiring a quality driving instructor is always a good idea to ask family, friends, and work colleagues for recommendations. The word of mouth is still one of the best forms for finding top quality services such as quality driving instructors.
4. Check certifications
No matter what, always check driving instructor quality by means of official certifications. In some countries instructors also have different qualifications or “levels”. Always prefer higher level instructors over rookies. Keep in mind your safety is in the hands of the instructor, so don’t underestimate this tip.
5. Evaluate reviews and testimonials
Ask the instructor for his or her social media channel(s). Check commentaries of other students, reviews, and opinions. Think of social media as a way to find honest testimonials about the driving instructor quality, how good and how professional are the sessions, what other people think about the course, etc.
6. Check instructor’s availability
You might have found the perfect instructor, but if he or she isn’t available for the next few months, then you won’t be able to learn anything. Always check the instructor’s availability and book all sessions beforehand if possible.
7. Evaluate the instructor’s pedagogical skills
This may sound difficult to achieve, but talking with your instructor could give you a clear perception of pedagogical skills. Depending on the way she or he expresses, the tone of voice, the body language, you can have an impression of the pedagogical skills.
8. Structured milestones and general study plan
One of our top tips for choosing a quality driving instructor is asking about the study plan. Quality driving instructors always have a defined study plan with clear milestones and objectives. You can have an idea of driving instructor quality by asking about the reporting system. At the end of each lesson, the instructor should give you a summary of what goals were achieved toward getting your license and what aspect still needs to be corrected.
9. Flexible pick up and drop off points
We live in a busy world. Always prefer quality driving instructors with flexible pick up and drop off points. That will make your life easier on those days when you need to modify your original plan of action. However, avoid hiring instructors that use part of your lesson for completing the previous student lesson with the excuse of driving the student home. Lessons should be private don’t accept that kind of situations because you would be taking an unnecessary risk.
10. Flexible schedule changes
Similar than the previous point, you can have an idea about driving instructor quality by its flexibility regarding schedule changes. Driving lessons schedule should not be written in stone. An occasional change is something that could be necessary (sooner or later) due to work or college unforeseen events.
11. Defensive driving lessons
Our last tip is related to additional skills that you can learn from a quality driving instructor such as defensive driving. Defensive driving techniques can help you to avoid collisions and keep you and passengers safe. It’s well worth taking these additional lessons since defensive driving skills will help you for life. Some key benefits of defensive driving are:
- Identify potential dangers in the road, and act in consequence avoiding them.
- Use safe driving techniques during bad weather or unfavorable road conditions.
- Significantly reduce driving risks.
- In some countries taking the defensive driving course give you reductions for your car insurance.
- Defensive driving lessons teach students to be responsible drivers.