Frequently Asked Questions

Q: ­ When should my son/daughter begin to take driver training?

A: ­ DriveWise recommends beginning our program as soon after your new driver receives his/her "L" so we can begin to teach proper techniques and steering methods. Graduated Licencing is meant to be a "graduated" approach to learning to drive! Try not to do all the driving during the last month before their road test!

Q: ­ Why is DriveWise different than other leading driving schools?

A: ­ It's long story...but here we go!

       1.  CURRICULUM:

DriveWise has a curriculum that is second to none. Our classroom component keeps our students involved and interested in learning skills that will keep them safe on the road. We do this by having our Classroom Performance System in place. Each student will receive an electronic "clicker" and this is how we track the retention level in the classroom. This allows instructors to ask questions after each topic and students can "click" the answer. If the instructor feels the retention level is high they will move on to a new topic. If not, a review may be in order. Certain students who are struggling with the information will be able to answer at ease, without the class knowing who they are. Dominating students won't dominate; and shy students can feel comfortable answering questions! It's the direction MODERN CLASSROOMS are going!

      2.  DRIVING SIMULATORS:

Airline Pilots use simulators in everyday flying, and their crash rate is relatively low compared to that of a new driver. We believe we need to expose new drivers to ALL situations, not just things we can "hopefully" set up for them during the in-car lessons. DriveWise guarantees a deer will pop out at your new driver. Or, DriveWise students WILL learn to drive in the snow--even in JULY! You just can't set these up in every day driving, but be sure your new driver will experience them when they get their actual licence! So, we will prepare our students for these situations! That's our promise to you!

Another amazing thing about our Driving Simulators is just how much more prepared each of our students is BEFORE they get behind the wheel of our DriveWise cars! We can teach some amazing techniques on a simulator to help build confidence, teach general rules of the road, and then move on to much more advanced manoeuvres--ALL IN THE SAFETY OF OUR CLASSROOM. We don't know how we taught driving for thirty-three years without them! The graphics are amazing, and the sensation is very real--just like driving in a car! 

      3.  DRIVEWISE INSTRUCTORS:

Our instructors are the most patient, amazing teachers there are! Every one is highly qualified to teach safe driving with a personal touch that allows students to feel comfortable and confident. And, they make learning to drive FUN! Each instructor is annually recertified to make sure they teach the most up-to-date content.  Having such a large company means our instructors must be doing an AMAZING job!

      4.  CUSTOMER SERVICE:

We have been in the Driver Training industry for over thirty-three years in British Columbia. We know the ins and outs of keeping our customers extremely satisfied and happy and are here to answer any questions LIVE, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. NO ANSWERING MACHINES AND NO CELL PHONES! We have proudly taught over 50,000 students to drive with a 98% satisfaction rate in the past thirty plus years! We are looking forward to another thirty years and will be expanding to more communities in 2008/2009!

Q: ­ How qualified are your instructors?

A: ­ Our instructors are the most qualified in the industry. They have all been through a five week instructor training program, and a Graduated Licencing Program course from ICBC as well. Every instructor is updated each year by the DriveWise re-certification team across Canada. If they are not up to par with us, they can't teach! It's that simple! We have an amazing group of instructors and we are very proud to be working with them!

Q: ­ Can we come and check out your facilities?

A: ­ We take pride in our classrooms and our cars as well as all our team members. If at anytime you wish to take a look at our locations, please let us know and we will be happy to take you on a tour! We feel all professional driving schools should have a professional location to serve customers.  It amazes us how some driving schools do not have an office or classroom to pay for, but still charge prices as high as the professional driving schools.  If you are shopping around, ask specifically to see their office!

Q: ­ Do we have to take a full course or can we just take in-car lessons to prepare for the road test?

A: ­ DriveWise has many different programs to suit individual needs and our "prepare for the road test" packages are second to none! Our instructors are fantastic at preparing students in British Columbia for the extremely difficult ICBC road test! Call today!

Q: ­ Does DriveWise qualify my son/daughter to receive two high school credits and a six month reduction in the "N" phase of their learners licence?

A: ­ ABSOLUTELY! If you complete the Full DriveWise program in 365 days, you will qualify for two high school credits and a six month reduction. You must NOT have any "at fault" crashes or traffic violations (speeding tickets) during your "N" period to fully qualify for the six month reduction in the "N" phase.

Q: ­ What type of vehicles do you use?

A: ­ We have a fleet of Honda Civics. Because of the high cost of gas, we are moving to Honda Civic Hybrids. These are great cars to learn how to drive in and, above all, extremely safe! Each car has a "dual brake" for the instructor! Our company owns the cars, which means we maintain the upkeep and servicing. This is an important part in keeping our cars safe.