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How to find a reputable driving school in Ontario

September 14, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Every year, a new group of people turn 16, and many are eager to learn how to drive.

Learning to drive requires practice, a good knowledge of the rules of the road, and safe driving techniques.

Driving schools can teach new drivers how to drive responsibly and safely and navigate the roads and streets with confidence.

If you will be looking for a driving school, make sure you find one that is reputable and government-approved. Government driving schools are licensed and meet certain standards set out by the Ministry of Transportation for in-class and in-vehicle training, general administration, and advertising. This includes 40 hours of instruction.

Not all driving schools offer government-approved courses. When deciding on which driving school to attend, you can check if the school is approved and does not appear on the revoked schools list. Review the course requirements, including classroom and in-vehicle course components, speak with the instructor to learn more about what is offered, and ask friends or family if they recommend the school.

There is a list of approved driving schools on the Government of Ontario website.

In a government-approved driver education course, you will receive at least 20 hours of classroom instruction either digitally or in-person, be in a class with up to 40 students for in-person classes or up to 15 students for virtual classes. You will also receive a copy of the course textbook and the official MTO Drivers’ Handbook – the only official handbook for drivers.

You will receive a minimum of 10 hours of in-vehicle training delivered by a licensed instructor and drive a vehicle that has no more than two students per instructor.

A government-approved beginner driver education course must offer ten hours of flexible instruction time in addition to the 20 hours of classroom instruction and ten hours of in-vehicle lessons. This can be used for additional vehicle and/or classroom instruction, driving simulation instruction, and computer-based instruction.

When you successfully complete a government-approved beginner driver education course, the driving school will certify you online, and your student driver record will be updated through the Ministry of Transportation.

In some cases, you may be required to take a driver improvement course or defensive driving course to avoid losing your driver’s license. Many driving schools offer driver improvement courses and defensive driving courses in addition to government-approved beginner driver education programs.

In addition to government-approved schools, the Province of Ontario website has a list of revoked driving schools who no longer provide approved driver education courses that meet government standards.

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