Sadly, not every driving school is created equal. There are excellent driving schools out there, but there are also some shady ones, and it can be challenging to identify them apart frequently.

When choosing a driving school in Brampton for you, to make sure that the driving school you choose will provide a quality education. Whether you book lessons with us at Multi Dimensions Driving School or choose another driving school in Brampton, make sure to look for these 4 things:

1. Is the driving school MTO-approved?

Make sure the driving school you choose is included on the MTO's list of approved driving schools as your first priority. Driving schools that have received MTO approval are permitted to offer Beginner Driver Education (BDE) programmes that result in accelerated G2 licensing periods and insurance rate reductions. These advantages cannot be provided by a driving school that is not MTO-approved, and they may not even be legally permitted to teach you to drive at all.

A driving school must satisfy ministry standards for the organization of its curriculum and the certification of its instructors in order to be an MTO-approved course provider. Unfortunately, the MTO's assessment process does not ensure that schools follow the curriculum; rather, it only requires that they demonstrate their adherence to it during the MTO auditing process or when applying for funding. However, because MTO audits are infrequent, just because a school is MTO-approved does not imply that their curriculum is always up-to-date.

If a driving school falls foul of the MTO’s rules, they can end up on the list of revoked driving schools. Make sure to consult this list before enrolling with a driving school in Brampton.

2. Are the driving instructors properly insured and certified?

The Ministry of Transportation must certify both the driving school and each of their instructors . Verify the instructors' driving instructor license before enrolling with a driving school (and that all fees and dues have been paid and are up-to-date). Additionally, driving instructors need to be covered by a specialized insurance policy. Due to the higher risk of instructing brand-new students, this insurance typically costs much more than standard car insurance. Many dishonest driving instructors choose not to pay driving instructor insurance due to the cost. However, if you are in an accident or a police officer stops you, your instructor's lack of adequate insurance could have significant consequences. It is illegal to teach students without proper driving instructor insurance.

3. Does the school have legitimate, quality reviews? 

One of the most important factors that students consider when choosing a driving school in Brampon is typically reviews. The mere fact that a driving school has thousands of reviews does not imply that they are accurate. Yelp typically has reviews that are more accurate than Google. Unreliable driving schools frequently offer free food, better grades on in-class exams, or general bullying as inducements for students to leave reviews. Compare a driving school's Yelp and Google reviews to ensure that they are accurate. There may be a problem if Google shows 4.5 stars with more than 1,000 ratings while Yelp only shows 2-3 stars.

Finally, be sure to inquire if the Brampton driving school publishes and tracks reviews for individual instructors – both the positive and the bad reviews. Since you will be learning from your specific driving instructor, it is important to make sure they have a good reputation.

4. How does the driving school handle scheduling for in-car lessons? 

You want the scheduling procedure for your in-car lessons to go as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately, the majority of driving schools ask you to text your instructor to plan your in-car lessons instead of providing you with their phone number. Ask your driving school if they use an online scheduling system or if they have a staff of scheduling coordinators on staff to make sure they keep their promise to give your in-car lessons.

Conclusion

Driving school is an important step in your journey towards becoming a safer driver. While driving school is something that you (hopefully!) only need to go once, the habits will stick with you for life. We hope that this guide has helped you make a more informed decision, and wish you the best of luck in your new driver journey.

If you’re looking to book driving lessons in Brampton with Multi Dimensions Driving School - Brampton Driving School, click here.