Discover the Best Driving Classes Near Me
Driving is an integral part of everyday life for a majority of American adults. It provides flexibility, convenience, and freedom in transportation and is essential for travel to work and often on-the-job in most parts of the United States. Most U.S. teens first learn to drive with mentorship from parents, guardians, or another trusted adult. Driver’s education classes help nervous driving students learn to confidently navigate the challenges of safely operating a vehicle at high speeds and are required by many states before a license can be secured. While learning to drive and maintain a vehicle is a practical concern for most Americans, many become passionate enough about cars and other vehicles to make driving a hobby or even a career.
Why You Should Learn Driving
Learning to drive is crucial for gaining independence in transportation and creates access to many opportunities. Driving opens doors to jobs, education, shopping, and recreation, providing the freedom to travel wherever and whenever you like. If you’re learning to drive for practical reasons, considering an auto repair class can boost your confidence and help you save money by equipping you to maintain your vehicle on your own.
Many make lifelong hobbies or even careers based on their driving skills and automobile interests. Whether you’d like to drive for Uber, pursue a trucking career, establish your own auto repair shop, or venture into professional racing, jobs and career tracks are abundant for those passionate about driving and the automotive industry.
5 Ways to Learn Driving
Learning to drive and maintain a vehicle can be daunting. Luckily, many different resources are available to support you through the process.
- Driving is a skill that nearly always requires in-person classes at some point in the learning journey. Most states require a driver’s education course before a license can be obtained.
- Some driver’s education and defensive driving courses are now offered in live online classes and can be a convenient way to learn skills, laws, and other facts you need to know to drive a vehicle safely.
- Self-paced classes are an option especially suitable for focusing on a single skill or vehicle make and model. YouTube videos and paid on-demand courses can help you learn the ins and outs of your specific car, how to parallel park, or what to do when that mystery light appears on your dashboard.
- Partnering with a mentor in some capacity is a necessary step in learning to drive. Ask a parent, teacher, friend, or professional driving instructor to accompany you on your practice drives and share their tips and advice.
- If you’re interested in learning driving and auto maintenance for your career, apprenticeships and on-the-job training will be an essential part of your learning journey. While you can learn many skills through classes and instruction, experience is a necessary part of job training for drivers and mechanics.
In-Person Driving Classes
Driving and vehicle maintenance lend themselves exceptionally well to learning in an in-person classroom setting. Many states even require driver’s education classes to acquire a license. Or, if you’ve been driving for years and your violation points are getting high, you can reduce them and your insurance rates with a quick and easy defensive driving class.
Some in-person driving classes serve as essential career training, such as forklift certification, automotive maintenance, or motorcycle repair. But maintenance classes aren’t just for people planning to work in the field. Knowing how to change your own oil and other car repair skills can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year.
If you’re looking for an NYSDMV-licensed driving school in Brooklyn, check out Blue Steel Auto School in the Crown Heights neighborhood. Their highly qualified instructors are enthusiastic about transforming lives through auto-centered education ranging from foundational driver’s ed to motorcycle training.
Blue Steel’s 6 Hour Point Reduction Defensive Driving Course will pay for itself in no time with how much you’ll save on your insurance in this Defensive Driver’s Discount, Inc. course. The insurance reduction is well deserved: a 2007 study shows classes like this can reduce the risk of traffic accidents by as much as 22%.
This defensive driving course is usually offered by Blue Steel on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month. Ages 16 and up are welcome, and all you need to bring is a valid NYS Learner’s Permit and a notepad. When you report that you’ve taken this class to your insurance, you will receive a reduction in your liability and collision premium base rates of at least 10%.
Ferrari Driving School has provided New York City with premium education services since 1968. Their bilingual NYS-certified instructors lead classes featuring the Ferrari 5 Level Program, designed to help driving students ace their road test and prepare them for a lifetime of safe driving. The largest driving school in the NYC metropolitan area, they partner with many government agencies, businesses, and organizations to provide fleet training and more.
If you’re looking for an OSHA-certified Forklift Training and Certification class, Ferrari will arm you with everything you need to know to operate a Class C forklift in their Long Island City Training Center. They recommend you plan to take Forklift Training and Certification as soon as possible after passing your CDL road test.
With the OSHA certification, you’ll receive from this course, you’ll open a number of doors in your career. Trucking companies look for drivers who can operate a forklift to load their own trucks, and your employment will be secure in warehouses as a forklift driver. You’ll also appreciate the confidence you’ll gain by knowing the best practices for operating your forklift safely and with the most efficiency.
From their home in Rancho Cucamonga, east of LA, Master Automotive Training is committed to providing the highest quality education to anyone desiring to be a top-notch auto technician. With up-to-date equipment and personalized instruction, their classes offer cutting-edge education for all interested in auto repair and maintenance.
Master Automotive Training’s Automotive Diagnostics Program is a comprehensive course that will arm you to join the best diagnostic techs of the field. You will learn all you need to know to diagnose and repair electrical and emissions issues in a vehicle. With ample time for hands-on practice of your new skills, you’ll also learn how to operate all the tools of the trade in no time. At the end of the course, your instructor will lead a test prep session to prepare you to take ASE A6 and A8 tests.
If you’re a woman who would like to learn how to perform your own essential car maintenance and repairs with confidence, Master Automotive Training’s Empowering Women In Automotive is an interactive workshop featuring a supportive environment for students just like you. You’ll learn how to monitor your oil levels and tire pressure, handle roadside emergencies like dead batteries and flat tires, the step-by-step process of checking your brakes, and many more helpful skills in maintaining your vehicle.
Motorcyclists in San Francisco are likely already familiar with Moto Guild, a one-of-a-kind motorcycle shop featuring hands-on maintenance and repair workshops and reservable workstations with all the tools you need to work on your own bike. Whether you need to change your oil, swap your engine, or replace a chain, you can learn to do it and perform the repair yourself at Moto Guild.
The Treasure Island shop’s class schedule features a variety of motorcycle maintenance topics for all skill levels. Beginners will likely start with Introduction to Motorcycle Maintenance, where you’ll get to know Moto Guild’s space, how to do a thorough pre-ride check, and basic bike maintenance. All you need to bring is your motorcycle and service manual, if you have it. All motorcycle makes are welcome except Harley Davidson.
Chicago’s Gearhead Workspace, located in Bridgeport on West 35th Street, provides space for anyone to work on their vehicle, whether they’re an expert mechanic or a beginner just learning how to check their oil. Whatever your skill level, Gearhead Workspace has classes, tutorials, and professional mechanics on staff to help you take care of your vehicle.
If you’re sick of paying big bucks for your oil changes, you can learn to handle them yourself in Gearhead Workspace’s Learn to Change Your Car’s Oil class. You will watch a professional mechanic demonstrate how quick and easy changing your oil can be. After a chat about good car maintenance habits, you’ll be ready to change your own oil the next time you bring your vehicle to Gearhead Workspace. Wear comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and closed-toe shoes to this workshop.
Houston’s Comedy Guys Defensive Driving follows the tradition of hiring comedians to teach driver’s education programs that began in the late 1980s to increase student engagement and improve their retention. Since its founding as Metroplex Defensive Driving in the early 1990s, Comedy Guys continues to be Houston’s go-to for driver’s education and defensive driving classes.
Comedy Guys offers Defensive Driving classes in more Texas classrooms than any other driving school in the state. While other schools are switching to exclusively online courses, Comedy Guys continues to offer their engaging instruction in-person in a wide variety of locations and times. You can attend this intimate class at McIntyre’s Downtown on 901 Commerce Street, or you can check their website for more options to suit your schedule.
Helms Driving School has provided top-notch driver education to the Charlotte community since 1995. Their driver training programs are known for their quality hands-on training and instructors’ passion for providing a comfortable space for every driving student to thoroughly digest all they need to keep themselves and other drivers safe on the road.
A program designed with the most nervous driving students in mind, Teenage Driver’s Education Course (Weekday) will teach you all you need to know to safely follow the rules of the roads in a safe and nurturing environment. If you don’t have a vehicle, a Helms instructor will even pick you up and drop you off. You’ll attend class at Helms’ location in the Chantilly Shopping Center on Briar Creek Road.
Virtual Driving Classes
You may be wondering if you can learn driving skills or car maintenance through live online classes rather than limiting yourself to in-person options. In-person classes are likely to be necessary, however, if you need to be in a garage for hands-on work or if you are early in your driving journey and need practice behind the wheel. However, you can easily learn the rules of the road and safety tips in a virtual format.
Online driving classes offer the additional perks of allowing you to skip the commute and attend your course from your home or location of choice. As with an in-person class, you’ll have opportunities to ask questions and get direct real-time feedback and advice from a live human instructor. You are more likely to need to provide your own materials for an online driving course, which can be a deterrent, especially if you don’t own a car. While you’ll occasionally find the right virtual driving class to suit your needs, it is a skill that lends itself to learning in an in-person class.
If you’re living in NYC, Wagner College Lifelong Learning’s online driving class, Driver Education, is a convenient way to receive 24 hours of lecture from an NYS-certified instructor. When you finish the course and submit a log of 24 hours of parent-supervised practice driving, you can receive the NYS DMV MV-284 certificate, provided your log is scored at 65% or above.
If you would like to take an online Defensive Driving class to reduce your New York State Driver Violation Points and increase the affordability of your insurance, Ferrari Driving School’s course is just what you need. The six-hour class features videos and lectures by experienced instructors who know how to bring a little fun into the discussion of traffic safety, driver attitude and behavior, and defensive driving techniques.
Private Group Driving Classes
Would you like to schedule a private driving class for a group of close teenage friends? Or does your automotive repair business team need a private car maintenance workshop to brush up on a particular skill? CourseHorse is your connection to live online group classes on virtually any topic.
If you can’t find a private driving or car maintenance class currently listed on their website, don’t despair. You can reach out to CourseHorse through their convenient contact form or by scheduling a phone call to inquire about their options for coordinating the private driving class your group needs.
CourseHorse will send you confirmation within 24 hours of finalizing your course details without ever charging you a booking fee. But for $150, they can customize your course curriculum to include questions, topics, or even games tailored for your team.
With CourseHorse, you can book your private group driving class even if you aren’t sure how many will attend yet. You can change your number of participants with no penalties until a week before the course begins.
Depending on your location and other factors, CourseHorse may be able to arrange an in-person private driving class for your team. Live online classes boast most of the same benefits as in-person classes, however, and a few extra perks as well. CourseHorse recommends Zoom for your teleconferencing software, but they can also accommodate other platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Webex.
What Will I Need to Learn Driving?
What you need to learn to drive will depend on where you are in your learning journey. For virtually any step of the way, you’ll need notetaking materials and access to a vehicle. Unless you are in a stage of your driving education when you are exclusively learning in the classroom, you will also need a learner’s permit or driver’s license.
Car maintenance courses will require their own specialized tools, of course, and many classes will have specific books and other curriculum materials. In most cases, instructors will provide these and any required equipment. Some will even provide a driving simulator or a vehicle during class time.
Is it Difficult to Learn Driving?
Learning to drive can be challenging at first, as it involves safely operating a machine weighing 2,500 pounds or more. However, most people find that after they round the first learning curve and gain some confidence behind the wheel, driving becomes nearly as easy as riding a bike. The basics of car care, such as checking your tire pressure and oil levels, are easily understood tasks, but more advanced maintenance, like changing a tire or diagnosing engine problems, will take some time and practice to learn. But with dedication and hard work, you can master even the most complex skills of driving and maintaining a vehicle.
