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With this unprecedented scenario we've all been dealing with, we've been basically closed since early March. But now due to many inquiries and the want of a number of families that we were working with back in the early spring already, we're going to get back to doing driving lessons the week of May 25th. We are taking the well being of ourselves and our students very seriously by limiting one instructor to work solely out of one vehicle, not switching around between vehicles, and we are wiping down all the controls in our vehicles both before and after every lesson with disinfectant wipes and will be wearing masks for the foreseeable future. We look forward to working with all of you on the important task of preparing your teens to attain their driving privilege and more importantly, advancing their skills as real life drivers!

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In our work with teen drivers in more than 16 years now, we're almost always faced with one consistent reality.  New drivers pick up the physical part of driving much faster than the mental part!  And just as often, their parents aren't focusing enough on that side of the "equation" when they're out riding with their son or daughter while they have their permits.  Understandably, most parents first concern is that their child won't run their vehicle into a tree, or the oncoming car, or the pedestrian at the corner.  We understand this initial fear!  But with almost 100% of the students we've ever worked with, the teen driver gets significantly more accomplished at the physical side of driving, ie, vehicle control, than they get at the mental side or decision making part of driving.  This is mostly about one general idea, Right of Way rules!  Your teen can have better physical control of the vehicle than you do, but if they're making the wrong right-of-way decisions, it's only a matter of time till you get one of those terrible phone calls that you don't want from your child, or worse yet from someone else about your child being in a traffic accident!  So we suggest being very cognoscente of that when you're with them.  As you approach a left turn, stop sign, yield sign, etc., ask them before they're right in the middle of it "who's turn is it"?  Get them to think about this so that if they give you the wrong answer, you're there to correct them and talk through it.  This is what we predominately focus on in our behind-the-wheel training with the idea of making sound mental decisions in the driving task.

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So recent events have compelled us to "get on our soapbox".  We have recently started lessons with two teens who have both gone through another local driving school who they were able to also have administer their road test and issue these kids a PA Junior Driver's License.  Why you ask then have their parents reached out to us and engaged us to do further behind-the-wheel driving lessons with their teens?  In both cases, the parents realized that their "newly minted" licensed drivers were missing some key skills that concerned them as parents about their teens being successful everyday drivers!  We have heard this general call a fair amount from some parents in the last year or so.  Unfortunately we feel some parents are being misguided often by their own teenagers in attacking Behind-The-Wheel education.  We have had an ongoing problem here in Southeastern PA regarding how long it seems to get an appointment to take a road test through the local DMV facilities.  A couple years back, the state solicited many of the driving schools throughout the state with the idea of having one such school in each county in the state act as a third-party testing center.  The idea was to create more avenues for prospective drivers in the state to have the opportunity to get a road test scheduled in less than the typical 5-6 weeks or sometimes more that it seems to always take to get a date set to take a road test at the state facilities.  In some manner, the intended point of this is good.  But we as an organization never even entertained the idea for a number of reasons, a couple of which we'll note!  #1, we don't want to ever be the people who teach your son or daughter to drive, and then be the same people who make the determination as to whether they have the proper skill set to become a properly licensed driver.  We think that has the potential to reek of impropriety!  #2, this service, unlike when you take a test at the state facility isn't free!  The competitor in our county who administers these road test charges anywhere from $110-$130 for the "privilege!  So what happens if they fail you?  Then you sign up to do another test run with them for another $100+!  That can certainly appear to be a bit "fixed".  Now mind you, we're not accusing anyone of any wrong doing from our knowledge, but we have had a number of frustrated parents reach out to us after going through this program and speaking about what appeared to them to be unreal reasons that their teen failed a road test at this private facility, and more recently parents who have as we earlier mentioned engage us to do further lessons with their children because they didn't get the proper real-life, situational experience that allows the parents to feel confident about their kids driving in some real-life situations!  Let us share something with all of you parents.  Most of your teens are going to want to go take a road test where they perceive that #1, they can easily pass and #2 that they can get it set-up as quickly as possible.  So we ask all the families we speak with, "what are you aiming to get out of driver's education for your child"?  If you're only concern is just getting your kid through their road test as quickly and simply as possible without really concentrating on real-life skills, then we aren't the driving school for you!  If you're looking for a partner in the idea of developing sound physical and mental skills as a driver while properly preparing them for their road test at the DMV, then we're simply the best driver's ed program in Bucks County!  Let us share what makes us a bit different.

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Here we are on the last "unofficial" weekend of summer which means by sometime early next week all the local schools in our neighborhoods will be back in session.  This brings on a added level of concern for all of us as drivers.  Both young elementary school age children, as well as high school age kids aren't always as watchful as they should be about their surroundings while walking to school or getting on or off the bus.  Please make sure you are watching as a driver for the unexpected in a child running from behind a parked vehicle or bus or from the curb in front of you driving.  And remember to obey the directions of those sweet little ladies who serve as crossing guards.  They are the rule of law in their domain and they take their roles very seriously!  And by all means, pay attention to stopped school buses with their Stop Arms down.  It's the law to stop at least 10 feet short!

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