As an adult, the privilege of driving can almost be considered a curse. If you can drive, then you can do the grocery shopping, run all errands, and, of course, be stuck in rush hour work traffic for most of your waking life. However, when you turn thirteen you are now officially a teen and the chance to drive looms only a few years away. You beg to move the car in the driveway. You are aware of new car models. You plan your sound system, with little thought to the fact that in all likelihood you will be inheriting the family junker - a boring four door with a few scrapes - reminders of an older sibling. Years zoom by and suddenly you are fifteen with a permit in hand, eagerly begging for driving lessons. Living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you have plenty of driving class choices.
This article shall discuss three driving schools (located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area) in one lump sum, and then offer one exciting alternative school. Academy Driving, Alliance Driving, and Metro Driving all offer similar programs and prices to meet the driving skill requirements of the state of Texas. Generally geared towards ages fifteen to eighteen, the schools offer a 32-hour class phase, followed by a 14- hour car phase.
Two hour classes are probably one hour in a row too many for inattentive teens. Slumped at desks, they watch films showing the horrors of crashing, the dangers of drinking and driving, and driving skill movies. They might as well be watching The French Connection for the skill portion absorbed. Lectures, bookwork, and testing complete the classroom phase. Now eager to show their lead foot inclinations, students and instructors slide behind the wheel. Seven hours of observation and seven hours of actual driving are logged for completion of requirements. The schools do their job as mandated by the state, and in theory your teen should be able to pass the drivers test.
Nonetheless, how much is taken seriously? How thorough is the driving instruction? The new drivers are probably as skilled as any taught by parents throughout history. No one is truly prepared for that heart stopping freeway entrance at sixty miles an hour with trucks daring you to squeeze into a slot. Is the new driver ready to swerve properly for some equipment flying out of the truck ahead of him? These are the questions and situations answered for teens and adults at Texas Driving Experience (TDE). Located at the Texas Motor Speedway facility, in Justin, Texas, TDE is a unique company originally founded with the mission to teach real-life driving skills. This is the school to attend after passing required tests.
An eye opener for teens, and a refresher course for adults burnt out from highway miles, Texas Driving Experience instruction emphasizes non-stop hands-on full press driving skills. Using Mustangs and one-on-one instruction, the instructors have the students rev the car to full tilt and then screech to a halt. Braking skills on dry land and on a hosed down area are taught as true-life scenarios. Driving on a road coarse avoiding cones, the TDE instructors (these are men who currently professionally race cars or have in the past) are constantly discussing all aspects of the road and vehicle. Forget punching radio buttons and using a cell phone, your vehicle demands your attention at all times. This one or two day class keeps you busy, alert, and aware of the power of an automobile. If you value the life of your teen, the Texas Driving Experience is a good investment in his or her driving skills.
Everyone believes he or she is an excellent driver and that everyone else is an idiot. However, the daily traffic report and the sound of sirens tell a different tale. Driving schools churn out new drivers daily, armed with the requisite license. In the Dallas/Fort Worth area, consider enrolling your teen in Academy, Alliance, or Metro for the mandated instruction, and then introducing your child to the real world of safe driving with Texas Driving Experience.
Academy 1 Driving School
1005 W. Harwood
Euless TX 76039
817-354-8799
Alliance Driving School
6420 Denton Hwy
Watauga TX 76148
817-581-4200
Metro Driving School
212 W. Bedford Euless Rd
Bedford TX 76053
817-282-6263
Texas Driving Experience
3535 Lone Star Circle Suite 118
Fort Worth TX 76247
817-430-4343
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