There are dozens of driving instructors and driver’s ed schools throughout the Sacramento, California area. I have such mixed feelings for the parents of teenagers who will soon begin driving. On the one hand, having so many options for driving schools is a blessing. Competition is healthy, and multiple driving schools will push others to provide competitive rates and quality training. On the other hand, it’s very overwhelming to have to sort through those schools and determine which one is the best place
It makes sense that you care so much about where your child attends driver’s education courses. One day soon, your teenager will likely obtain their driver’s license and will be able to drive around without repercussions and supervision. When that day comes, everybody would be better off if your child was well-prepared.
The Biggest Issues Plaguing Sacramento Driving Schools
Finding high-quality driving lessons in Sacramento shouldn’t be so difficult, but sadly, there are some widespread issues that are difficult to get around. Most of the complaints about driving schools in Sacramento revolve around these two main issues:
Lack of available drive time – Staffing a driving school is actually a very difficult thing to do. Not only is there a lack of truly qualified driving instructors, but there is also seasonality that goes along with running a driver’s ed company. A huge part of their business, for example, occurs during the months that students are on summer break. Even during the school year, the majority of driving students all want to have their drive time done at the same time (right after school lets out). This means, driving instructors in Sacramento tend to get booked up months in advance, making it really difficult to actually get the driving hours in. This, of course, gets really frustrating for students and parents.
Poor quality driving instructors – Finding the best driving instructor in Sacramento is made more challenging since everyone has their own personality traits. Some driving students prefer an instructor with lots of patience and can handle a nervous student. Others would rather have a “to the point” driving instructor that doesn’t sugar coat and just teaches what needs to be taught in the most straightforward way. Some students might enjoy a driving instructor that uses humor, while others may prefer a more serious driving instructor. So while qualifications are very important, and we’ll get into that a bit more later in this article, you’ll also want to look at the personalities of the instructors you will be driving with to make sure everyone meshes. Even better? Try to find a place that will send you driving with multiple instructors so you get taught things in different ways and from different perspectives.
By far, those are the largest two issues when it comes to finding the best driving lessons in Sacramento. The trick is to find a driving school that can be flexible with your schedule as well as provides driving instructors that have years of safe experience.
Look Into A Driving Instructors Qualifications
To compare driving schools, you should start by investigating their qualifications and certifications. You want to find driving instructors who are no longer in training and have obtained multiple certifications demonstrating their expertise as a professional driving instructor. These instructors tend to be located at the best schools throughout Sacramento, so finding them is a great place to start.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles makes it easy to look up professional driving instructors. They have a database that lists every driving instructor that is in good standing with the state. If they are not in good standing with the state of California, you will be wasting your time and money working with that driving instructor.
That’s because of the state’s licensing requirements, which mandate six hours be spent with a certified driving instructor before you’re allowed to sit for the provisional licensing examination. If your teenager spends six hours with someone who does not have certification with the state, they may become a better driver, and they may learn a thing or two, but they won’t be any closer to receiving their driver’s license.
I recommend always following up with an instructor once you have identified potential candidates for your teenager. Take the time to talk with them and get to know them, and get a feel for their personality. There’s a pretty good chance that they spend time on the phone with at least one nervous parent a day, so don’t be embarrassed. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last.
The best driving instructors understand that it’s natural for parents to want the best for their child, and that being nervous about letting go is a big part of that. Great driving instructors should be more than willing to take time to answer your questions and put your mind at ease.
If you ask for proof of their licensing certification with the state, they should be happy to provide you with this. If they are reluctant to do so, this could be a huge red flag. There’s no need for instructors to keep their certification requirements a secret. I’d even go out on a limb to say that they should at least be readily accessible, if not displayed for a potential student or parent to see.
Who I Recommend: Have The Best Driving Instructors Delivered To Your Door
As a former driving instructor, I do have my own opinion about who has the best behind-the-wheel driving instructors. enrolling at DriversEd.com is a very safe bet and they have become one of the largest driving schools in California because of their high quality instructors. If you’ve lived in Sacramento for any length of time, there’s no doubt you’ve seen their little Mini Cooper vehicles driving around.
In addition to their behind-the-wheel training, they also offer what is perhaps the best online driver’s ed program so students can complete their classroom training online.
The DriversEd.com program has been approved for use by over 30 states, allowing the company to have trained over 11 million drivers to date. The courses, which students can take when and where they’d like, are engaging and interactive. The programs feature animations, games, and videos, all designed to help make learning more fun. The more fun a teenager has while learning, the more likely they are to return to the information in the future.
The student’s online portal can even help them with their on-road driving as well. For example, the course comes equipped with a driving performance app, which allows students to evaluate their last trip behind the wheel while being mindful of unsafe driving techniques. Additionally, students can book drive times with top-notch driving instructors from the app.
The driving instructors hired by DriversEd.com are all licensed in their respective states. They also are all members of the Driving School Association of the Americas, a trade organization that promotes safe driving habits. The driving instructors are respectful, courteous, and professional. They are full well aware of how intimidating it can be to go driving for the first time, especially with someone who you’ve never met before.
Driving instructors for the program do not merely teach for the test, but they instruct with the goal of helping student drivers learn and grow. In the long run, this will make them more successful as drivers. The safe driving habits they learn now should last them for years to come. In fact, a study from Florida’s government found that the course helped reduce traffic violations and DUIs correctly.
But, the company also boasts a 100% passing rate, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. This is not a scam either, as the company also boasts an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau. The company, in my opinion, is by far the top place to take driving lessons in Sacramento.