So you need to choose a driving school for yourself or one of your family members and you wonder – what driving school in Dublin would be right for you?
While most of the driving schools would do their job well, each school, however, might target their specific audience and support their specific set of services which might not work for you individually.
Below are the main checkpoints to consider when selecting the best Driving School Dublin for you.
1. License Types Your Driving School Supports
Check if your school provides training for car drivers, motorcycle drivers, and commercial truck drivers and so on.
Note, that school bus drivers usually require special training depending on your requirements.
2. Target Audience
Check if your driving school provides special courses for first-timers, teen-drivers, seniors and drivers with disabilities.
Teen-drivers usually require special training approach which is different from training for seniors.
If you are a handicapped citizen a car for your driving training might need special equipment as well as instructors skilled in training of that kind of student.
3. Your School’s Total Years in Business
While the longest work history doesn’t necessarily translate to the best training services, years in business could be considered as a valuable indicator that your Driving School knows how to adapt to the turbulent market and can withstand competition well.
4. Driving School Status in RSA
Many locations provide up-to-date information about local driving schools, their ratings, customer feedback etc. In Ireland, for example, you can get a list of Approved Driving Instructors on there RSA website, so you could filter out obvious mismatches right away.
5. Pricing Your Driving School Offers
Compare your driving school’s pricing to the pricing offered by other schools with similar driving training services. To avoid unexpected expenses pay special attention to the fine-print.
Make sure that you understand all hidden fees and charges. Ask for special offers. Many schools offer special packages with discounts which you might find interesting.
6. Languages of Instruction Your School Supports
If you are not the native English speaker getting training in your first language could be crucial for you. Check what languages other than English are supported in that driving school.
7. Requesting Male or Female Instructor
If your family has strong cultural ties with your backcountry it might be important for you to request a male or female instructor for your kid training.
Make sure that the driving school of your choice addresses your needs here.
8. Behind-the-Wheel Training
Check how many hours you will get in behind-the-wheel training with that school. This is a very important checkpoint.
Too few hours might not be enough to pass the test in RSA. Too many hours might look like a “money-oriented” school.
9. Free Pick-up and Drop-off Services
Most driving schools provide free pick-up and drop-off services for their students.
However, these free services normally apply to specific locations only (usually expressed in miles from driving school’s main office/home).
If your pickup/drop-off location is outside of the supported area you still can get pick-up/drop-off services but with some conditions – for example, the time an instructor drives from the school office to your location could be counted towards your driving lesson time.
Make sure that you double checked this rule with your school of interest.
10. Driving School Success Rate
Most driving schools would proudly state that the success rate of their students is %99.99. Take these statements with a punch of salt.
As of today – the success rate statistics are not officially tracked by RSA; hence the most of such optimistic statements are the subject of good faith only.
Get a second opinion – ask your friends, colleagues or associates about your driving school of interest. You can see more about enrolling with a driving school here in these tips.
You can also check online resources, reviews, forums and web communities to get the broader opinion pool.
11. Car Hire for Driving Test in RSA
By law, it is the duty of the candidate to provide a safe, operable car for his test in RSA. Addressing this issue some schools provide discounted or car hire to their students for their test in RSA.
Ask for this option from your school if you cannot provide your own car for the RSA test.
12. Fleet of Driving School Cars
Ask what types of vehicles your driving school will be using for your training.
Old, worn out vehicles decrease morale and won’t help to progress your driving skills in a timely manner. Besides that newer vehicles are usually safer.
However, don’t be overly impressed by new cars proudly advertised by some schools – a new car alone won’t replace the instructor’s experience and his professional skills.
So, use this checkpoint with caution.