We understand that driving lesson rates are an important consideration in making a school choice. Feedback we’ve received from clients who took lessons with other schools, along with a belief that we usually get what we pay for, indicates that selecting a school based solely on rates often does not achieve the desired results.
Two important considerations when choosing a school are instructor qualifications, and lesson length.
Instructor Qualifications – While all schools are required to have state licensed instructors, some apparently do not. Verify their credentials and ask what additional training their instructors have in proven defensive driving practices. The state certification process places a heavy focus on traffic laws and while laws are designed to improve driving safety, they fall far short and are not the same as safe driving practices. Does your instructor know, and can they explain the difference?
Lesson Length – Our experience from conducting thousands of hours of training has taught us that lessons short in duration (less than 1.5 hours in length) do not allow for an optimal learning experience for the student and can result in a longer learning curve. Time to reinforce the driving skills taught through guided practical exercise improves lesson retention and usually reduces the learning curve.
In summary, any school will do if the desired outcome is to operate a vehicle, however if interested in learning proven defensive driving skills to prepare you or a loved one for the hazards of driving in the worst state in the nation for traffic collisions, then make certain you find a school that can deliver on that strategy.
At SunCoast Traffic School we care about your safety, and take a personal interest in the safety of each student we work with by placing a heavy focus on defensive driving practices to avoid collision traps and the mistakes of other drivers. Our lead instructor has developed, implemented, and managed the delivery of training with some of the largest and safest vehicle fleets in the U.S. and has the training, experience, and credentials many in the traffic/driving school industry lack to be effective. Our story and qualifications may be reviewed “HERE”.
Please give us a call to discuss how we can help you, or a family member, survive Florida’s dangerous roadways.
- Effective 04/01/2023 Lessons for new and existing clients will increase $5 to $90 for a 1.5 hour lesson and $120 for a 2 hour lesson.
- An Additional Fee of $5 applies to all credit or debit cards.
- We do not offer 1 Hr. lessons.
- Students outside of our pick up area can meet us at an agreed upon locations.
- We encourage students to schedule 2 Hours for the 1st lesson to allow time for:
- observing an instructor demonstrated “Commentary Drive” on the first lesson,
- transporting the student to a safe location to begin their driving,
- an introduction or review of vehicle controls and dynamics,
- evaluation of the students skill level to determine lesson direction,
- and discuss defensive driving practices.
- Students wishing to improve their road test skills prior to taking the skills exam, will first need to demonstrate they can drive safely/defensively, regardless of of their perceived skill level or number of lessons taken with other schools. A 2 hour minimum lesson is required for any single “evaluation” of a student’s skill level prior to preparing them for the DHSMV driving skills/road test exam.
- Our experience finds that a 1.5 hour lesson provides the minimum time necessary for an effective student learning experience, thus we do not offer 1 hour lessons. Our experience with our clients shows that one hour lessons are not of sufficient length to both learn and reinforce needed skills and may actually increase the number and cost of lessons in the long run.
- “Commentary Drive” lessons are available for students who have not yet taken their permit test, to help them prepare for the written exam. The instructor will drive and explain road signs and traffic rules and situations to the student. The student will not be driving without a permit.
- Use of a SCTS vehicle for the road test may be available at standard lesson rates to students who have received lessons from us, and who the instructor believes have demonstrated necessary defensive driving skills and are ready to take and pass the exam. We do not rent our vehicles out to non-students for taking the driving test.