ASK Veteran Crash Investigator & Driver Safety Instructor Mike Pehl:
I am torn between signing my homeschooled teen up for the local driver ed program or having them learn with me at home. As a seasoned Driver Ed Instructor what is your opinion?
Good Question. Much of the answer depends on two things, the school and your teen.
To find a suitable school I suggest you ask these questions-
Do they have a parent teen orientation?
Do they focus on defensive driving techniques?
What are their student crash rate statistics?
Whenever I start teaching a batch of new kids, I always require my parents to come to an orientation to learn about our program and to explain what they need to do to make sure their teen becomes the best driver they can be. I also talk to my students about the different types of information they’re going to be learning. Some of it is “facts & figures” that they need to know to pass the test. Some of it is what they need to understand to be a good defensive driver.
Passing the test is important. Knowing all the rules is important. Combining all of that with the common sense and a respectful attitude toward guiding a “3,000 pound missile” down a road at 35-70 miles an hour is what I really concentrate on with my students.
As for your teen you’ll want to ask these questions –
Are they a quick learner?
Are they okay with 3 hour class sessions?
Can they study/learn in noisy and crowded situations?
In my experience most, if not all, commercial driver ed classes are done in a classroom setting with several students. The classes are very fast paced and are split into 10 three hour sessions.
I believe these commercial courses aren’t always the best scenario for homeschool students who have another choice. If your teen needs more time to digest information or needs a more flexible schedule to complete all the assignments then a course like our In-Home DriveSafeRideSafe curriculum may be better suited for them.
My course allows students to learn at their own pace and each chapter uses a Quiz as a way to review how well the student understands the material. If need be, the student can go back to certain chapters in order to better comprehend the information.
I know we can’t control how other people behave on the roads, but I can ensure that our students are trained and prepared to prevent crashes while on the road. DriveSafeRideSafe is committed to meeting our exceeding regulatory requirements because we believe it demonstrated the ultimate respect for our students and their parents.
To learn more about our Parent Taught Driver Ed course options click here.
