It's time to choose a driving school.
Whether you're a teenager or an adult just learning to drive, you may have some questions to pose or some lessons learned to share. Where do you start? What's a good way to cost compare? Will it affect your car insurance? And what makes a quality driving school?
AAA Mid-Atlantic's Lon Anderson , director of public and government affairs, and John Townsend , manager of public and government affairs, were online Thursday, June 2, at 3 p.m. ET to find provide the answers to these questions and more.
Local Driving Schools :
Maryland Area / D.C. Area / Virginia Area
The transcript follows.
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Lon Anderson: Welcome everyone to this forum on driver education and new drivers. I'm Lon Anderson and joining me is John Townsend and we are both from AAA Mid-Atlantic's Public&Government Affairs office. We've spent many years working with the local state legislatures to try and strengthen the laws governing new teen drivers. This year, we experienced quite a bit of success in Maryland. With that said, we are happy to jump into the questions and again, thank you so much for joining us.
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Chevy Chase, Md.: I am a thirty year old woman who never learned to drive. I would like to take lessons, but am unclear as to which Maryland requirements apply to me. What classroom requirements are there to get my license?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Chevy Chase: Great question. Your requirements are basically the same as those of a new teen driver. Driver education and certification of 40 hours of practice are required for all new drivers. Currently, the law is 40 hours of practice and 4 months for holding the learner's permit. After September 30, 2005 you will be required to hold the learner's permit for 6 months and have 60 hours of practice behind the wheel. Good luck and drive safe.
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Chevy Chase, Md.: As an adult just learning to drive, is there anything special I should look for in a driving school?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Chevy Chase: Great question because over the years there have been a lot of bad driver education schools/programs out there. AAA recommends that you choose a school with adequate classroom space and certified instructors. All instructors should be licensed and well-trained in current methods of teaching and rules of driving. Lessons should span 6 to 8 weeks and classroom and in-car sessions should occur at the same time. Local MVA or DMV often have lists of schools with records of complaint and a quick check with the Better Business Bureau might be helpful. After all of that, you should be okay. Good luck!
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Maryland : As far as I'm aware, AAA doesn't offer driving instruction to adults. Why is that?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Maryland: AAA Mid-Atlantic currently offers two types of programs. We have instruction for seniors -- Mature Operator Program, which helps seniors stay mobile and continue to be excellent drivers. The program teaches skills that help seniors compensate for the physiological changes that can cause driving skills to deteriorate. The second program we offer is a defensive program for all ages that teaches accident avoidance techniques and how to handle a car under emergency circumstances. This class is taught at race tracks and the driving instructors are typically police or former police. The defensive driving course is open to drivers of all ages.
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Upper Marlboro, Md.: Have the laws been changed to teens not having any drivers for 4-6 months. What have the passed or trying to pass regarding passengers and cellphone usage.
I have a 16-year-old son and I am really afraid for him to drive. I think I would feel a little more comfortable if he was not allow to have passengers.
Sometimes kids will still try to sneak and pick other riders up, even if you told them not to.
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Upper Marlboro: You've done your homework. The new laws which take effect in Maryland on October 1, 2005 include: a restriction on new teen drivers from having any passengers, other than family members, during the first five months of the provisional period. And use of cellular phones is restricted for all drivers under age 18, except in emergency situations.
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Olney, Md.: Last year we enrolled our son in driving classes with idrivesmart.com . What was interesting was that every instructor was an active duty police officer. I can assure you that the kids in the class paid attention and at least my son thought that they were excellent instructors. I felt very confident that he got a good grounding in both the classroom and driving portions of the training. I certainly felt better about having him learn to drive with a policeman in the car next to him when it came time for him to go on the road.
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Olney: We've heard a lot of good things about those programs. Kids do pay attention when police or former police are teaching and that's why we often employ them as well. It's a good program and I'm sure your son is a better driver for it. Congrats!
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Derwood, Md.: I remember AAA used to offer driver education training for new drivers. When I go to the AAA site no courses for new drivers were offered. Will AAA offer this type of training again in the future?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Derwood: AAA Mid-Atlantic probably will not be offering new teen driving courses in the future. We offered them for several years but found the competition to be fierce. We wanted to only use top instructors and new cars which made our courses more expensive than most others. For those reasons, we have decided to focus on education for seniors and to offer defensive driving programs for all ages.
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Washington, D.C.: I am so glad I found this chat! I'm 21 and just recently decided to overcome my fear of driving. My biggest problem at the moment is that I don't have a car to learn in. Are there any good driving schools in D.C. and do they allow their students to use the school's car for the driving test? Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear DC: As long as you have a learner's permit you will be able to use a driving school's cars. In selecting your driving school, you will want to pay careful attention to the quality and kind of vehicles used by the driving school. Most schools will also allow you to use their cars for the test, although they may charge an additional fee. We cannot recommend any specific schools but look to some of our previous answers for tips on finding a good school. Thanks so much for writing and please be a safe driver once you overcome your fear.
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Manassas, Va.: Is it safe to assume that if a school is listed on the Virginia DMV approved school that it is a good school? +
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Manassas: Our expert says NO, absolutely not. Many are licensed and probably, therefore, listed but that is no indication of the quality of instruction. You still have to do the homework discussed in previous answers. Good question!
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Silver Spring, Md.: While driving schools should teach you to obey the law, shouldn't they also provide general guidelines about following the flow of traffic even if speed limits are being exceeded?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Silver Spring: You raise a really interesting issue. There are essentially two speed limits on roads like the capital beltway. It is posted for the most part at 55 but the speed enforced is more like 65 or higher. A driving school must teach respect for the law but must also me mindful of safety. Going significantly slower than the speed of traffic can be dangerous. We certainly do not want to encourage anyone to break the law, but would tell you if you want to drive 55, make sure you do it in the right lane not the left or you will be putting yourself in a great deal of danger. Thanks so much for your question.
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Rockville, Md.: The defensive driver and performance drive schools are helpful to improve the safety of adolescent or young drivers? Where can one find information about these kinds of courses?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Rockville: You can check the AAA Mid-Atlantic Web site at aaamidatlantic.com for a listing of our classes in your area. The MVA also posts a list of approved training programs on their web site. Good luck!
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Fairfax, Va.: I bought a package of driving classes for our nanny (she has a license from a country in Latin America, but only a learner's permit in VA). I selected a school with Spanish-speaking instructors, to eliminate the language barrier.
Unfortunately, the nanny's driving doesn't seem to have improved at all after 5 (1.5 hour) classes. She still changes lanes without looking, has trouble staying in her lane, and accelerates going into turns and approaching stop lights!
Should I have ridden along on a class to see how the driver instructor was doing? I feel like I just tossed $250 bucks out the window.
Needless to say, she is not driving our kids anywhere at this time.
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Fairfax: It probably would have been a good idea for you to ride along to be able to reinforce what your Nanny learned in school, during outside practice sessions. If you weren't riding with her and giving her practice sessions between the classes, then she was getting no reinforcement and it is probably no surprise that he driving has not improved. Maryland, for example, as of October 1, will require at least 60 hours of behind the wheel practice in addition to the driver education and 100 hours of practice would be an even better idea. Driving is a very demanding and complex skill set. Literally it takes thousands of hours of practice to become a good driver. AAA research shows it takes 5 years of driving to become as good as the average driver. Glad you are looking out for your kids, good luck with your Nanny.
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Olney, Md.: I don't think driving schools prepare a student for dealing with an accident. Shouldn't proper procedures like what info to exchange, whether or not to move a car and how to deal with police and insurance agents be taught?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Olney: Great question. Typically, this information is not taught but since over 40% of teen drivers, by the time they turn 18, have been involved in a crash it probably should be. That said, most insurance companies and many police departments have brochures on what to do in case of a crash.
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Colesville, Md.: What attributes of a driving school should I look for when deciding which one my 15-year-old son should attend?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Colesville: When investigating a school, you want to look at the classroom facilities, the appearance and model of the cars they use, the year of the cars. In Maryland, schools are not supposed to use cars over 6 years old or 80,000 miles. Quality of the instructors is important, they must all be certified by the state of Maryland but a good school has instructors with other advanced certifications. Also, check the Better Business Bureau. You can also contact the AAA Driving school to get a copy of a brochure on "How to Choose a Driving School." Don't choose a driving school by price alone.
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Wheaton, Md.: Would getting a passing grade from a driving school affect insurance rates of a licensed driver?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Wheaton: No, not in Maryland since drivers education is required for new drivers. It would be best to check with your insurance company if you need to know about other states.
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Potomac, Md.: Is the AAA driving school still open in Wheaton? I heard a rumor they closed.
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Potomac: The driving school is still quite open in Wheaton. We just discontinued new driver education in 2004. We still offer several programs. Please check our web site. Thanks for the question.
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driving schools?: I guess my question goes to why this is a necessity? I personally learned to drive (granted in rural Pennsylvania) from my parents -- does this Md. state law prohibit parents from teaching their children, and is there a similar law in Virginia?? -- I don't have any children at this time, but I would like to be the one who teaches them to drive.
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Driving Schools: You can't home school in Maryland unless one of the parents is a certified driving instructor. Maryland does require all new drivers to take a course from a certified instructor. Please remember that whether or not your teen is in a certified driving school, the parent is still the first and foremost instructor of driving for their teen. In fact, Maryland just extended the mandatory training period for parents/guardian from 40 to 60 hours including 10 at night. Parents are the primary driving instructors regardless of driver education. Good question.
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Silver Spring, Md.: From my limited experience it seems that being a driving school instructor is a thankless job with early burnout and lots of turnover.
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Silver Spring: It is a thankless job, but an important job. And AAA like many schools is always looking for good instructors. A lot of our instructors have been with us for several years so we have not experienced a high burnout rate but we offer better pay and benefits than many other schools. That said, there is no doubt that teaching young kids to drive well and safely can be a very tough job but very rewarding when you remember you may be saving their lives.
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Bethesda, Md.: Hi
When, if ever, do you anticipate the driving age might be raised in Maryland or other local areas? And is there anything we mere citizens can do to encourage such a move?
Thanks.
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Bethesda: Actually, the driving age in Maryland will be going up by two months as of October 1 because of the two month extension that the learner's permit must be held. Interestingly, we have done polling and found that area drivers support raising the driving age to 17 by about a three to one margin. There is a trend here...
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Learn to Ride Motorcycles: I would like to learn to ride a motorcycle. Does AAA offer these types of courses?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Learn to Ride: AAA does not offer motorcycle classes, however Maryland does offer courses through the Prince George's Community College which anybody in the Washington area can take.
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Fairfax, Va.: I just got a speeding ticket in Fairfax for going 18 mph over the speed limit. This is my first ticket. Can I go to my court date and request traffic school to make this ticket completely disappear? If the court allows me to take traffic school, will my insurance company still find out about the ticket and raise my rates?
Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Dear Fairfax: Your insurance company will only find out about the ticket if points are assessed to your license. Most times, you can get a reduction in points by taking a sanctioned driver improvement program, such as one offered monthly by AAA in Chantilly. Good luck and lighten up on the pedal.
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Lon Anderson and John Townsend: Hey everyone. John and I and our driving school guru, Kurt Gray, very much appreciated all of your questions. We look forward to doing this again sometime soon. Drive safely and do everything you can to keep your teens alive on the road!
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