Adding Drivers Ed to the Budget

[2TxAgs]

My twins are almost 15 (where did the time go?). I'm just beginning to look
into what is required for getting a drivers license. Rather than paying $400 each for a Drivers Ed program, I'm looking at purchasing a program and teaching them myself.

If you taught your child yourself, please tell me about the program you used - how did you like it? I've checked out two so far: Driver Ed in a Box, which I like becuase it seems to focus on safety vs another program I checked into which seemed to focus on how to pass the test.

Any insight or review of programs would be wonderful.

Thanks,
TxAg

 

[FINFAN]

our private program for DD was $295 4 years ago, at the time it was $200 thru the HS (DD and DS are summer bdays, so that means they would not get a shot at HS drivers Ed until their Senior year, too many kids) and now DS is taking it and it is $345, $250 thru the HS. We did the privat ( DS in it now) I did ask the current place to price match a special that another company was offereing, $40 off...after some struggle they did agree. Main reason I wanted to place that was NOT offering the discount was the schedule. Most around here have classroom for 4-5 weeks , 2 hours a class 4 days a week. DS schedule and homework, no way was that going to work. We went with a place that has Sunday only classroom for 2 hours, but from Sept -Dec. I know kids can get their permit on their own, just be able to pass the test at the DMV and be 15 years of age. It is very basic knowledge to pass the permit test as DS and DD schools had te kids taking them after class #2...so only 4 hours of classroom /book knowledge. It is $20 here to take the permit test, if you fail, you do not get the $20 back...both my kids knew we would cover the 1st try, anything after that was out of their $. They both passed the first time missing only 1 each. Honestly, the behind the wheel is mostly up to the parents. The schools average is 6 hours of BTW driving and 6 hours of BHW observation. DS has just over 8 hours with us and that is since September 20th. You are not supposed to count on their driving log the time they out in with driving with an instructor, so really, our DS will have 56 hours prior to us letting him try for his license. THEN insurance kicks in, after they obtain their license, they do not need to be paying for it while learning to drive. At least not in Illinois. Be sure to check what states you child can drive in while on a permit, they vary. I honestly did not look into teaching myself, and my kids wanted to go thru a "real place". Apparently the private schools have far less homework than the HS does,( they do work non-stop in class at the private, DS has a ton of worksheets and papers so far) and my kids did not want to give up an elective or study hall to take Drivers Ed. Sorry not much help in the doing it on your own part, but you can negotiate. I know our school website usually has offers on it ferom area driving schools, see if they will prive match, offer a discount since you have 2...also, a trick I learned is to book the behind the wheel sessions the same day you book a class if going private..they fill up fast and if you need to work arounda schedule, it can be rough to get them in by the required time which is usually 4 months or so.
Good Luck!
ETA: Start putting $25 or whatever you can aside now for the insurance hike when they do get their license...DD had the good student discount which was very helpful. We'll see on DS. He has to pay the difference if he does not have it...even so, boys are so much higher than girls...our rates will go up about $550 a year for part time on our '96 van by adding DS...not looking forward to it so putting every little bit aside now to help ease that increase.

 

[sherry7]

Check with your insurance company. We got a pretty good discount for my son taking driver's training...I think it lasts until he is 21 years old. The discount (over multiple years) more than paid for the cost of the driver's training.

 

[tar heel]

$800 is a lot, but insurance will be $$$$$. Finfan's $550 a year increase is about half what ours was when we added a teen.

Your question is interesting to me b/c, as far as I know, teaching driver's ed yourself is not an option in North Carolina. There are not any insurance discounts for taking it either since someone under 18 isn't eligible for a license unless they've completed it AND and had a learner's permit for a year. We can, however, take driver's ed after-school or in the summer for free. Some kids do it through AAA b/c an athlete really can't make it work during the school year.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Check the laws in your state. Here in Colorado, if they don't take a course approved by the state, they cannot get their permit at 15; they have to wait until their 15 1/2. No big deal except that you HAVE to hold your permit for a least one year before you get your license. That means no license until you are 16 1/2 - which my son was not willing to do. We found the cheapest one, just did the "book" at home, and got his permit at 15. They don't offer it in our schools anymore

He has to have 50 hours driving with me, and 6 official hours with the course instructor to take the test now at 16. He LOVES driving, and is doing pretty well!

 

[Becky2005]

I know kids can get their permit on their own, just be able to pass the test at the DMV and be 15 years of age. It is very basic knowledge to pass the permit test as DS and DD schools had te kids taking them after class #2...so only 4 hours of classroom /book knowledge. It is $20 here to take the permit test, if you fail, you do not get the $20 back...both my kids knew we would cover the 1st try, anything after that was out of their $

I'm pretty sure in Illinois you *have* to have the 4 hours of Driver's Ed before they will even allow you to take the written test. You can't just go in there, never having taken any classroom & go take it.

Just looked it up (there is more to it than this):

"Permit Phase Drivers Age 15

• Parent/guardian consent required to obtain an instruction permit.
• Must be enrolled in an approved driver education course, and must pass vision and written exams."

My daughter is taking it right now. I basically paid for her to get extra time with the instructor so she doesn't have the 6 hours of observation requirement. That works to our advantage since it was easier to schedule the BTW (although she usually has someone observing her). She just did the highway lesson yesterday & that one was tough. She was with an instructor she had never even met in her life before.

We did go private vs. the school because we didn't realize it was a class, so she wouldn't be able to take it until this upcoming summer & as you need your permit for 9 months before you can even test (she'll be 16 in March but can't test until June as it is), she would be over 17 before she even attempt to get her license.

Also, with the $20 if you get your license before your permit is expired, it sounds like you won't have to pay the license fee.

You do save on insurance until they get their license. I double checked with our insurance agent & you don't need to pay for that until they get their license.

I would check with your state & see what the requirements are. I know I personally could not teach DD driver's ed. We have a hard enough time just taking her out practicing, we don't have a lot of time to do it & she has a hard time with the mini-van vs. smaller car that Driver's Ed uses.

 

[jam217]

I know for State Farm you can only get the discount if they have the classroom instruction. Behind the wheel instruction doesn't get me any sort of savings for my son.

 

[disneymarie]

As a police officer, my kids had the drivers Ed, not anywhere that cost$$$$
But, when they were on permits I could carry them on my insurance,

For the entire first year they were on a permit, they drove with parents.
We saw them grow with assurance and self confidance, develope an ability to anticipate situations of ALARM, and react without freaking. Defensive driving.

I did this with the three older ones, and now 35 to 25 never had an accident.
The youngest is 14 and sane thing. She really shows no desire to drive, but soon will I guess.

There are a lot of programs that for good grades there are discounts too.
di

 

[mrsboz]

The permit age here in MA is 16. You have to be 16 1/2 to get your liscense. The cheapest place around here for drivers ed is $750. In my town it is $1200. It is a rip off.

 

[Poohbear5]

We have twins too (and the insurance is an extra doozy with boys!) and their driver's ed course was $400 each as well.

The boys each paid half of the cost themselves (saved from birthday and Christmas money from grandparents and doing odd jobs for neighbors) and we paid the other half as their big Christmas gift.

Definitely seems to be more effort and ownership on their part when they helped paid for the course too.

 

[Poohbear5]

Our insurance required the driver's ed certificate for the best price, plus they get 10% off for being dean's list students (must show proof twice per year).

They were required to do 20 hours of driving each before getting their license as well. I know alot of parents who fudged on the driving sheet hours, but I saw a huge difference in our kids skill level after getting that driving time in.

 

[ceecee]

I would pay for it and get it done by a professional. It's a drop in the bucket compared to the insurance for two teenage drivers!

 

[sl_underwood]

We used a parent taught program through our AAA office. It was around $150. It also lowered our insurance for her. Her boyfriend used Drivers ed in a box and he liked it alot. I think it was around $250 and I believe that some insurance companies accept this but I dont know which ones. Both were decent programs, lots of book work.

 

[Tinkmom]

I would pay for it and get it done by a professional. It's a drop in the bucket compared to the insurance for two teenage drivers!

Even if your insurance would accept a parent "training" a new driver, I think that has to be one of the worst ideas ever. Some things are definitely best done by a professional and driver's training is one of those.

Of course, lots of on-the-road experience driving with a parent after getting a permit is a great idea. But I think a parent attempting to do the entire driver's ed would be a bad on multiple levels. . . .

 

[stczt]

Ds will be 15 in Feb. he's getting his permit then but not getting his license till he is 17. You have to have the Joshua's Law class to get your license at 16. or wait till 17 if you don't take the class. Also he wont have to be added to ins, till he gets his license. that way I can have time to save, my agent said it will go up about 2000.00

 

[dis-happy]

My friends live in TX and they too have the option of doing driver's ed on their own. I'm pretty sure she used the "In the Box" program, as that sounds familiar; I know it had to be a state approved course. Anyway, it worked great for them! I say, go for it, and good luck!!!

 

[Traveliz]

Even if your insurance would accept a parent "training" a new driver, I think that has to be one of the worst ideas ever. Some things are definitely best done by a professional and driver's training is one of those.

Of course, lots of on-the-road experience driving with a parent after getting a permit is a great idea. But I think a parent attempting to do the entire driver's ed would be a bad on multiple levels. . . .

I have to agree with you! I would never had wanted to do that nor would I have done well at it.

And this is all new to me anyway (and I have two drivers (31, 22) and have never heard of such a thing as teaching driver's ed on your own. I am in Illinois.

Liz

 

[MrsPete]

Your question is interesting to me b/c, as far as I know, teaching driver's ed yourself is not an option in North Carolina.

I'm also in NC, and I've never heard of anyone NOT taking driver's ed through a professional class. It's FREE through our high schools, and we have plenty of private places too. In NC if you DON'T take driver's ed, you cannot get a license 'til you're 18 (which would explain why everyone takes it!). I think NC driver's ed was 30 classroom hours and 8 hours behind the wheel -- my daughter did it less than a year ago; you'd think I'd remember for certain.

We opted to put our daughter into a private class (it was her Christmas present) because the school classes are so full that they're "backed up". The bottom line was that taking the private class meant that she could get her permit when she turned 15. If she'd waited for school driver's ed, she wouldn't have been able to get the permit 'til she was almost 16.

Before you say, "Why not let her wait?", think through this whole thing: If she waits and doesn't get her license until she's almost 17, then eventually she'd be going away to college with only ONE YEAR of with-a-parent driving and only ONE YEAR of on-her-own driving experience under her belt. That doesn't seem like enough experience to send her off on her own.

 

[dis-happy]

For clarification, the program has to be approved by the state of TX and it incremental. It really does teach you how to teach your child to drive. My friend was telling some of things she was doing with her son (her 3rd child to do the course) and I was very impressed, thinking at the same time that there were things she was telling me that I wanted to convery to my ds as well. I believe there were videos and things as well.

Around here (NC) the requirement is the classroom lessons, 6 hours of driving with the instructor, and then a student can get his permit. Most of the real learning is done behind the wheel over the next year with the parent sitting there. I wish we had the option that TX does, as learning the teaching program would make me a better coach during the permit year. Nothing wrong with that IMO. Then again, as a homeschool parent, it doesn't scare me to tackle hard subjects. Programs that are developed for parents to teach are very friendly and logical and easy to teach.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

i don't see why teaching a child to drive should be left for a "professional." That seems kind of silly to me. Unfortunately we don't have a choice here.