Driving schools are put to the test

PHOTO COURTESY OF DRIVE FOR LIFE

At Drive For Life, students are run through a simulated course that often ends in a virtual crash; the goal is to allow them to learn from their mistakes.

Jil McIntosh

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

There are a lot of driving schools out there, from large, name-brand ones to those advertising on flyers in bus shelters. But quality varies considerably, the experts warn, so do your homework before deciding.

And even if you've been driving for decades, don't rest on your laurels. All drivers can benefit from advanced training, skid school and winter driving classes.

Information on how to enter Ontario's Graduated Licensing System – which requires two stages to earn full driving privileges – can be found on the Ministry of Transportation's (MTO) website, or by visiting a licensing office.

It's not mandatory that you learn at a school, but it's highly recommended; well-meaning parents or friends often pass along bad habits.

Many people choose by price, but be very cautious, warns Tom Blyth. Instructors at his school, ExExaminers, were all MTO driver examiners, and they've seen the results of cut-rate training. "You can trust the big companies, like Young Drivers of Canada, CAA, or us," he says. "They charge the most money, but they deliver the best goods. If a price is too good to be true, then it is. If it's not at least $700, then red flags should go up."

A $199 course doesn't even cover the school's costs, he warns, and hidden fees will quickly make up the difference.

Blyth says a reputable school will have an MTO licence, a business licence, a clean and spacious classroom, teachers who all have valid instructor's licences from the MTO, and a car that carries a city- or region-issued plate identifying it as a driving-school vehicle. A student should be able to stay with the same instructor throughout the course.

An MTO-approved course requires 25 hours of classroom time and 10 hours behind the wheel.

Schools aren't required to provide you with a car in which to take your test, so ask if it's included in the price, and make sure you'll be able to drive the same car on which you learned.

Warning signs can include classrooms in private homes or classes held in the car; instructors who talk on cellphones, eat in the car or who don't display their licence and picture; extra charges for gas or insurance; insufficient highway driving (a minimum of 10 times on and off is necessary, Blyth says); and other people in the car during the lesson.

The MTO's website has a list of schools that offer ministry-approved courses, along with those that have had their approval status revoked.

If you're a new Canadian, check with MTO. Canada has reciprocal agreements on licensing standards with several countries, and you may not need to take a road test.

But a licence is just the beginning. You also need to learn car control. Several schools offer courses on bad-weather driving, collision avoidance and advanced driving – one even lets you "crash."

Drive For Life uses computer simulators to train both novices and experienced drivers.

"People learn from their mistakes," says co-founder Paul Chadder. "We're not setting people up to crash, but we create the situations that could cause a collision. We replay it, show them what they did wrong and show them how to do it right.

"We put them in complex intersections, highway driving, different weather conditions, tire blowouts, people running red lights. We also deal with distractions like cellphones, texting and friends in the car."

The program has been used to train police and the U.S. military. Chadder says it isn't a replacement for in-car training, but goes to the next level.

"Schools teach from the feet up; we teach from the head down," he says. "The initial decision on how to control a situation determines how to safely get out of it, not necessarily how good you are at handling the car. If a tire blows and you make the wrong decision by hitting the brakes, I don't care how good you are, the car will get beyond you."

Two insurance companies offer discounts for drivers who've completed the course; there's also a $75 "Adverse Weather Tune-up" with simulated slippery roads, black ice and blowing snow.

Even a refresher course on the rules of the road can be handy, and the Drivewise program offers it free. OPP or other police forces deliver the 45-minute seminar, which is aimed primarily at older drivers.

"It's very important, when you reach an age where you're under more scrutiny from the medical practitioners and the ministry, that you take a much more cautious and preventative approach to driving," says James Pasternak, director of communications for Drivewise. "We go through some of the key strategies that lead to a safer trip behind the wheel."

Driver training isn't quick or cheap, but it makes a difference. Spend the extra to keep your car – and you – in one piece.

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