Teen Driver’s Ed Course

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How do I schedule my student drives?

Call or text to schedule:
Phone: 360-892-6988
Text: 360-207-1614
Remember: You need to finish the first 3 classes and have your permit before scheduling drives.

Fill out the DOL Pre-Application with the DOL (Free). Be prepared to log in when you come to Driving 101 to take your Knowledge Exam.

​If you have any of the following WA documents make sure to say YES you have a WA Driving Record: DOL #, ID Card, Permit, License, or have had a ticket in WA state. When you log in use the exact name birthday and address that is shown on your Washington state ID.

If you have never done anything with the DOL say no you do not have a driving record.

Pre-Application Instructions Available in Multiple Languages

• Arabic
• Chinese Simplified
• Chinese Traditional
• English
• Japanese
• Korean
• Punjabi
• Russian
• Serbo-Croatian
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Ukrainian
• Vietnamese

Why is Driver’s Education Important

Your child only learns how to drive once in their life and will use that skill every day for the rest of their life. Students learn how a vehicle operates, how to drive on a freeway, avigate busy urban streets, and safely drive night or day in all kinds of weather. Learning to drive teaches safety on the road and reduces the risk of accidents. Our communities are safer for
us knowing traffic laws. Driver education can benefit people of all ages but is essential for inexperienced drivers.

When Is the Best Time to Learn How to Drive?
According to Anne Marie Hayes, a certified driving instructor and author of 3 Keys to Keeping  Your Teen Alive: Lessons for Surviving the First Year of Driving, 16 years old is the best age to
learn to drive. The human brain does not mature until age 25, and by then, patterns of learning and resulting habits are formed. A recent discussion argues that due to increased maturity and life experience, being 18 years old might be a better place to start. However, Anne Marie Hayes states that through research, 16 or 17 is the better age. According to Forbes Magazine F, teen drivers who received their licenses before age 18 and participated in mandatory driver education, behind-the-wheel training and graduated driver licensing restrictions were better prepared and less likely to crash than 18-year-old drivers who did not undergo the same standardized preparation.

In addition, parents are the biggest influence on teens who are learning to drive through coaching, monitoring, supporting, and helping them practice. Students 18 years and older are often ready to leave home, whether it is to go off to college or move out into their own apartments thus have less available support in their endeavor to obtain their driver’s license.

What does Washington State law say?
Currently, driver’s education is only mandatory for 16- and 17-year-olds in Washington state, but there have been growing concerns over a lack of education for students over 18. Data from the State Traffic Safety Commission has shown more drivers between the ages of 18 and 25 have been involved in fatal accidents than any other age group within the past decade, creating concern from lawmakers over the lack of education for young drivers.

Per Washington State Department of Licensing, some students delay licensure until they are 18 or older, thus skipping the mandatory driver’s education. Those who do not complete driver training have higher crash involvement rates. For example, drivers ages 18-20 who have not had driver training have an 80% higher rate of involvement in injury and fatal crashes compared to those who completed driver training prior to licensure, and drivers ages 21-24 without driver training have a 70% higher rate of involvement in injury and fatal crashes compared to those that completed driver training prior to licensure.

Statistics clearly support the importance of taking driver’s education from certified instructors. While it is an investment of time and money for each new driver, lessons learned for safe navigation of a vehicle last a lifetime, teach students responsibility, and assist them in taking steps towards independence and adulthood.

Waiting until age 18 to get a driver’s license allows students to avoid the cost and time commitment of mandatory driver’s education. They do not realize the risk they are trading to save money. Just because you can skip it does not mean it is safe to do so. Driver’s education creates a safer environment for the entire community.

What is the proposed law in Washington State concerning Drivers Education?

In 2024, Governor Jay Inslee signed SB 5583 into law, which requires the Department of Licensing to expand the requirement of mandatory driver’s education for young drivers aged 18-24. This law is expected to take effect by 2026. To date, driver’s education, both classroom and behind the wheel, is completed by instructors certified by the state of Washington. If this law takes effect, the DOL has stated its intention to advertise and teach driver education through its website. This will be at taxpayers’ expense. In addition to driving up taxes on the public, this will create competition with the driving schools the DOL currently regulates, effectively undercutting the private sector.

Recap
A child’s safety is in danger when they obtain a driver’s license without obtaining driver’s training from a certified instructor. The statistics from Washington State DOL that find accident and death rates climbing in young drivers aged 18-24 is alarming. Certified schools are small businesses that support our communities. It would benefit everyone and keep our taxes from increasing if we worked together for the safe licensing of our students.

Enrollment Criteria and Course Length

• You must be at least 15 years old before you can attend classes.
• You must be enrolled by the third class.
• The course must be a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of nine months.
• 30 hours of Defensive Driving Classroom Instruction.
• You must obtain a Washington State Instructional Permit before scheduling a drive with an instructor.
• Five hours of behind-the-wheel individualized in-the-car includes the one-hour Accident Prevention Drive.
• Four hours on a Defensive Driving Simulation System WAC 308-108-160
• One hour observation of another student driver; unlimited available (one is required by law)

Certificate of Completion Criteria

• The student must successfully complete all the classroom and driving requirements before a Certificate of Completion is issued. Classes 1 – 14 must be passed with a minimum of 70%. The 100-question final in Class 15 and Drive 5 must be passed with a minimum score of 80%. All fees must be paid in full.
• If it is necessary to extend the completion date beyond nine months or you need to make up more than three classes, you will be required to turn in a note with a valid explanation from your parent, doctor, or school to continue Drivers Education; as well as buy back any remaining drives needed at the rate of $70.00 per drive. Driving 101 can extend the contract up to three additional months, totaling one year from the original start date. If your course is entered into the DOL system as Incomplete, there will be a $100.00 processing fee to reverse it and extend your program.

Program Cost & Fee Policies

• Drivers’ Education Program Cost: $650 (Less pre-registration credits or special one-time enrollment offers, if applicable)
• Payment may be made by check, post-dated check, card, or post-dated card payments.
• Payment program forms and class contracts must be signed and returned to Driving 101 by the third day of class.
• There will be a $25 NSF fee charged for all returned checks. If pre-arranged card payments are declined, there will be a $15 charge.
• All fees must be paid in full before you can schedule any drives and/or receive a course completion certificate.
• You may purchase additional drives for $70 an hour.
• There will be a $60 charge to your account if you late cancel, forget your permit or have an expired permit, schedule a drive during a scheduled class, are more than 10 minutes late, or no show for your drive.
• If you miss three scheduled drives or classes, your program will be treated as a failed program. WAC 308-108-150
• If you mark upon, scratch, or otherwise damage Driving 101 furnishings, testing materials/devices(i.e., tablets, exam sheets, etc.), or vehicles, you will be charged to repair or replace them.
• In the event of a car accident deemed the driver’s fault, the driver will be required to pay the $ 1,000 auto insurance deductible.

Return Policy

• If you drop the course by the end of the third class, you may be eligible for a refund, less a $50 non-refundable registration and processing fee.
• If, for any reason, you have a suspended permit, you will be unable to complete this course, and no refund will be given. If charges related to the suspension have been dropped, the offense will be treated the same as a failed program.

Driving 101 Expectations

• Instructors will conduct themselves at the highest of moral and ethical standards. Please contact Driving 101 President Nicole Bisconer directly with any problems or complaints. A complaint about an instructor must be in writing nikki@drvn101.com.
• Write your full legal name on all contracts, student record sheets, and tests.
• Cell phone use during class MUST be approved by that session’s Instructor.
• Cheating is cause for immediate dismissal from the program.
• Disruption of the class WILL NOT be tolerated. The disruptive student(s) will be asked to leave, no grade will be given for that session, and the session must be made up. Any student instructed to leave the class/BTW environment will have to make up all required components at a later scheduled time and could incur additional fees and will not be receiving any refunds. The information you learn in driver’s ed. may one day save your life.
• We have Zero-Tolerance for any discrimination or bullying due to sex, race, religion, etc.

Scheduling Drives

• Washington State requires that you have 55 hours minimum behind the wheel to obtain your license. We instruct for five hours; you must practice for the other 50 hours. 10 of your 50 hours must be at night.
• Students schedule their own drives. If parents would rather schedule drive times, they can call the office at 360-892-6988 Monday – Friday, between the hours of 10 am – 5 pm.
• Driving 101 is currently scheduling one drive per month until all five drives are complete, with the opportunity to be added to a call list to finish drives quicker as they are available. At the end of each drive, your instructor will remind you to practice 10 hours per month.
• Parents are encouraged to ride along, we recommend scheduling in advance. We do have student observations, and occasionally another staff member may be riding along to do training.

Drive Cancellations

• If, for any reason, you must cancel a drive, call the office at 360-892-6988 by 12:00 p.m. the business day before your scheduled drive. If we do not answer, leave a message; the voicemail will tell us the time and date of your call. Any drive not canceled on time will be subject to a late cancel/no-show fee. -Late Cancellation/No permit/expired permit/No show – $60
• If you feel ill, please reschedule by 12:00 p.m. the business day before to avoid a late cancellation fee.
• If canceling late, a Doctor’s note will be required to avoid any fees.
• If you miss three scheduled drives or classes, your program will be treated as a failed program. WAC 308-108-150
• If Driving 101 must cancel drives due to weather (ice, snow, etc.), the office staff will try their best to contact you. We will put that information on our voicemail. Call the office if you are concerned that your drive will be canceled.

Bill 1635- Department of Licensing- Written and Skills Testing

• After completing your driver’s education, you will have the ability to take the driver license exams at Driving 101 for an additional charge. The Knowledge Exam (written) is 40 questions; you must get 32 or more correct to pass. The Skills Exam (drive) has 100 possible points, and you must obtain 80 or more to pass. You can apply for your license once you have completed your driver’s education, passed both the license exams, are at least 16 years old, and have held your permit for at least six months. As part of this program, you could be selected by the DOL for a retest at the DOL’s expense.

Video/Photography

• Driving 101 and our guest speakers will present video/imagery about driving school education. Some of these may be extremely graphic. If the students become uncomfortable at any point, they can step out during these moments.
• Driving 101 may video and audio record any or all parts of classes and driving sessions. Recordings are used for quality and training purposes.
• Students MAY NOT video/audio record any or all portions of classroom content; it is Proprietary.
• Driving 101 may use pictures of our class and/or students on our website, Facebook, or other advertising.
• If you DO NOT want us to use your child’s picture in our promotions, please let us know at the time of form filling process