Whether you want to learn driving or further develop your skills to maintain proper and safe driving, there's no alternative to driving schools. Yes, there are countless online tutorials available now. But nothing can beat the experience of practical lessons by professionals.
Finding a suitable driving school is where the issue starts. There are so many driving schools in Australia, especially in QLD.
This is where we come in. In this comprehensive guide, we will go through all the DOs and DON'Ts when choosing a driving school.
Why Does a Good Driving School Matter?
People can argue that you can learn to drive yourself or from your family. Sure, that's possible, but not everyone can do it.
Besides, you need an optimal driving environment. A driving school can guarantee that. Here are some other reasons why you should choose a good driving school:
Handling Different Circumstances
Rain and snow makes the road slippery. Due to minimal road friction, 1 out of 3 drivers become nervous while driving.
This nervousness can easily lead to accidents. A driving school will prepare you for such likely or unlikely situations. This is something you can't teach yourself at home.
Latest Rules and Regulations
All the top driving schools are knowledgeable about the latest rules and regulations. They will teach you all the new rules and regulations through lessons.
If you have all the updated information about traffic rules, your chances of getting fined are near zero. Sometimes, the latest rules aren’t even available online, so driving schools are your best bet.
Professionals
A driving school is the only place to get licensed professionals for your needs. These instructors also use high-quality equipment and gear.
Gears include fast dual control systems, customised aerodynamic roof signs, and flexible interior mirrors to make the lessons flawless.
Most instructors also use additional break and acceleration padels to enhance your safety while driving.
Things You Should Consider While Choosing Your Driving School
Choosing the right driving school is more crucial than you think. At the hands of a wrong driving school, you'll have a high risk of getting into accidents or making errors while driving. Mistakes and accidents are not acceptable since your very life is at stake.
It's not only about you, though. Your driving skills can also affect the lives of pedestrians. In 2022, there were around 1,194 road crash accident deaths, and it’s increasing every year.
So, here are all the factors you should check before enrolling into a driving school.
Certifications and License
Driving school accreditation is the first and most important thing you should look out for. Since it's a matter of your safety, the driving school you're eyeing for should have authorisation.
To begin with, driving schools must have registered training courses. As for instructor qualification, they should have an official driver's licence. Moving on, they should have a good history. The instructor should have a good traffic record history, at least for the past 5 years.
If you don't want to go through all of this, you can ask the instructor for their Industry Authority Card given by TMR. That should be more than enough proof for you to trust them.
As for students below the age of 18, the instructor should have a blue card. The blue card acts as a certificate for working with children. The safety of all children matters the most, and the QLD authorities acknowledge this.
Safety
Once you're certain that your desired driving school has all the licences, certificates, and authorisation, you should check whether they're serious about your safety. The first thing you must check is the instructor's vehicle health.
The vehicle should not be more than 6 years old. Anything older can be problematic. You can also check the safety rating of the vehicle from ANCAP. Search for the vehicle model on their website, and they'll show you the rating. Of course, higher is better.
Speaking of old vehicles, you should ask them how frequently their vehicles undergo maintenance. Tons of driving schools skip vehicle maintenance to save costs. A well-maintained vehicle will be easier to drive.
Please also check their safety records. If they are hesitant to show it, that's a red flag. Driving schools should have a perfect safety record, at least on their end. If their safety records show shady information, avoiding that school is best.
Last but not least, your training vehicle should have dual mode. Such vehicles have pedals on the passenger side as well. This way, your instructor can stop the car if something goes sideways. This is necessary for both beginners and skilled drivers alike.
Lessons
Assuming you've checked both licence-authorisation and safety records, it's time to move on to the next factor: lesson packages. To begin with, driving schools should have both automatic and manual lessons. It's better to know both than mastering one.
As for the duration, the most popular class length is between 1 to 2 hours. Any less than this, and you'll have a hard time learning. Any more than this, and you'll feel too tired. There should be a balance.
Flexible scheduling is a plus point since not everyone has much free time. Busy people can customise lessons to fit their schedules. Spending more on personalised instruction than missing classes is better.
Remember! A good driving school will also provide online theory classes. It is great for students who live far away.
Handling Students
New students, especially the young ones, will most likely feel nervous attending their first driving classes. This is why an understanding and compassionate instructor is essential.
You need to look for instructors that have patience. Beginners can make small mistakes here and there. The instructor should handle these matters professionally.
Instructors should always arrange mock driving tests for students. Practising before the actual test helps the students to calm down.
And, of course, there should be both male and female instructors. If the students are uncomfortable with a particular gender, they can switch instructors.
Reviews
We are living in the era of the Internet. Almost everything is on the Internet right now. Before you pick a driving school, it'd be a wise decision to check their reviews online. A quick Google search would show user reviews.
Check if their students are satisfied with their lessons. You can also check the pass rates. You can also check social media pages for user reviews. A good rule of thumb is to focus on the negative reviews because they matter more.
Since we're on the topic of the Internet, it's best to look for driving schools that have online payment and booking systems. Not everyone has the time to visit the school themselves. Having an online presence means you can sit back at home and do everything.
You can also do a cost comparison, but we wouldn't recommend it. Each school has its own pricing. Since it's a matter of your safety, don't cheap out. Make sure all the above factors are checked.
Additional Things to Consider While Choosing a Driving School
Here are the rest of the factors you need to consider when picking a driving school for yourself or your family:
- You should always stick with one instructor. Changing instructors hampers progress.
- Check whether they charge for cancelling classes because issues can arise at times.
- Check whether they charge for rescheduling classes.
- They should provide a logbook to keep track of your progression.
- Changing vehicles too often can also hamper progression. Stick to one vehicle.
- Your instructor should be knowledgeable enough to answer out-of-book questions.
- Remember that the AU government doesn't control the prices of the lessons.
- Make sure they also provide defensive driving courses.
Final Words
Now that you know everything about driving schools, get into the one that checks all the marks. Remember, choosing the best driving school will turn you into a successful and confident driver. A driver who is prepared to tackle all scenarios on the road.
Affordable Driving School checks all the boxes, from licensed instructors to vehicle safety to generously positive reviews.
We offer all the premium lessons without breaking the bank. We also have manual and automatic lessons with flexible scheduling and the option to choose from male and female instructors.