Driving schools around Ontario are required to cover a set of topics by the Ministry of Transportation. While each school may have its own methods and techniques, each must make sure that all students learn the same material.

As you look for a driving school in Brampton, Mississauga, or Toronto, keep in mind some of these key curriculum points as you decide on a driving school in Brampton.One key benefit of using a Ministry-approved driving school is that you may be able to take your G1 road test earlier than with non-approved schools.

Basic Requirements

Ontario sets both the time and content requirement for the curriculum at approved driving schools. Regardless of the particular structure of the lessons, the instruction should be learner-centred. That is, activities encourage active participation, self-directed learning, personal experience to apply, and working at your own pace.

Schools may use a variety of activities including group discussion, role-playing, video, direct instruction, and free and open questioning. To encourage learner-centred education, classes may be no larger than 40 students.

Each school must provide at least 40 hours of instruction. At least 20 of those hours are in-class instruction, while 10 must be in-vehicle. The other 10 hours are flexible time, and each school may use it for additional classroom or in-vehicle time, provide time on simulators, or give instruction on-line. Around Toronto, Malton, and Brampton, the driving school Five Rivers Academy offers a full package including the on-line instruction.

During in-vehicle training, each instructor may have no more than two students in the vehicle, and no student should receive more than 2 hours of in-vehicle instruction per day. No more than 5 hours per day of classroom time is permitted.

Curriculum Basics

The foundation for driver’s education is knowing both the rules of the road and the vehicle which travels on the road. The rules for driving largely revolve around safety both for you and other drivers, and cover issues including speed limits, turn signs, and road markings. In addition, rules regarding emergency vehicles and impaired driving.

Basic instruction in the parts of the car form the other part of the foundation. Learning what all the controls do—turn signals, brakes, light switches—and knowing how to check your vehicle before driving is important to your ability to drive safely.

The Physical Side of Driving

Driving requires a certain degree of physicality. You have to coordinate two hands, two feet, two eyes and ears, and an alertly-moving head to do it safely.

Learning how to track other vehicles and your surroundings visually is an important skill. By tracking, you’ll be able to quickly apply the brakes when needed. Starting a car from park and getting it to road speed is a crucial part of driving’s physicality. Learning how to drive in traffic provides more opportunities for coordinated movement.

Getting out of a slide on ice is one of the more intricate acts drivers undertake, as is driving at high speed and passing on the highway. Varying speed as needed and maintaining speed present changes for coordination. Parallel parking is one of the more difficult physical driving activities. Your driving school in the Brampton area will make sure you have plenty of practice in all these maneuvers

The Psychological Side of Driving

The core of the in-class driving instruction is about the humans who do the driving. Human error causes most accidents, after all, whether from simple carelessness or gross negligence.

One key thing is controlling your own behavior. First, you need to be willing to adjust your driving behavior depending on all the circumstances. For example, when driving in the rain, going slower than the speed limit is advisable, and you should be willing to add time to get to your destination.

You also need to take your emotions into consideration. If you are worrying about some item of personal business, you will not be paying attention. If someone cuts you off, you may become angry, but road rage can lead to bad consequences on the road.

Working to maintain positive driving attitudes and resisting negative influences, including peer pressure, is part of this part of a driving school’s curriculum. Learning to be a responsible driver—and what your obligations are—is also part of it.If you are involved in a collision, you have certain responsibilities. If an emergency vehicle overtakes you, you should pull over. You learn to remember that other people are on the road, and your driving should respect them.

Each car should have a margin of safety around it. Learning how to keep safe spacing is a mental skill as much as a physical one. Finally, responsible drivers also know how to drive with greater fuel efficiency and how to dispose of batteries, fluids, and other car parts.

Sharing the Road and Attention to Task

Sharing the road combines the physical and psychological skills. People need to share the road with other drivers, and remain fully aware of the driving situation always. Avoiding distractions, including conversations while driving, is important, as is communication with other drivers by use of turn signals and proper braking.

Sharing the road also requires attention to the road. Attention can be impaired by many things. Your mood can affect how well you pay attention to driving, as can changing stations on the radio and conversations with friends.

Driving can also be impaired using drugs or alcohol, as well as fatigue, medication, and illness. These things can affect alertness and judgement.

Risk Management

Driving requires the ability to manage risks. Part of managing the risks is remaining alert, keeping vision going 360 degrees around you, and being aware of blind spots.

As you drive with your instructor around Brampton and Toronto, you will practice the skills of active attention—keeping your eyes going around you as you drive. You’ll learn to anticipate foreseeable problems down the road, including observing the traffic light two blocks down turning yellow to seeing children playing in a yard.

Learning how to perceive risk is also an important part of a driving school curriculum. You learn now not to be over-confident in your ability. You also learn about road conditions and the other common risk factors can affect young drivers.

Your driving school will work with you to provide you the best possible driver’s education. Five Rivers Academy, training drivers in Brampton, Toronto, and Mississauga, is here to help you be the next safe driver on the road.

Careful, patient, and thorough training is needed to help non-drivers become good drivers. During that training, the new driver develops habits which will serve them well as they develop the ability to navigate traffic and road conditions safely and smartly.

Selecting a driving school for yourself or your teenager may feel daunting. Keeping several key considerations in mind will make the process easier, however, as you look for driving schools in Brampton, Ontario.

The Formalities

Any driving school should be approved by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO). This approval may allow you to take your G1 road test earlier than with non-approved schools. Attending an approved school may also lower your insurance premiums.

The Ministry of Transportation maintains a list of approved schools, and Five Rivers Academy is one of them. Approved driving schools must offer the following:

  • At least 20 hours of classroom instruction.
  • Each class has no more than 40 students.
  • Every student receives a copy of the official Handbook and course textbook.
  • Attendance policies which ensure attendance at all lessons.
  • At least 10 hours of in-vehicle instruction provided by a qualified instructor.
  • Limits each instructor to two students per vehicle while driving.
  • Keeps in-vehicle instruction to 2 hours per day.
  • At least 10 hours of flexible instruction time, allowing additional in-vehicle, classroom, simulator, or computer-based instruction.

Check the Schools Out

Feel free to stop by and ask questions. The schools want your business and should make all information readily available to you. Find out the following:

  • Class size—classes may not be larger than 40. Ideally, they will contain between 18-24 to provide optimal interaction between the instructor and students.
  • Behind the wheel—if the school has 1 to 1 student to instructor ratio in the car, you may have struck gold.
  • Credentials—ask for the instructor’s credentials. Instructors should have a MTO Provincial Instructor License. Good instructors should be willing to provide progress and evaluation reports during the course.
  • Insurance—examine the training vehicles. They should be properly insurance, and the Instructor License should be on display.
  • Affordability—Price shop for your training investment. Some schools may allow installment plans for payment, and can work with you. Five Rivers Academy offers several levels of instruction, and installment plans may be available.

Other Things to Look For

Many driving schools offer some or all of these features. As you consider which driving school is best for you, consider the following things.

  • Reputation—Ask around; friends, business associates, and acquaintances may have experiences with local schools.
  • Convenience—Finding a place close to home will help traveling to and from lessons, but some schools will do pick-ups/drop-offs, and other factors may make one school a better experience than others.
  • Experience—Check not only the age of the school but the experience of the instructors. A brand-new school may be excellent because of the quality and experience of the instructors.
  • Reviews—Look to see if the school is reviewed online, and read the reviews, both positive and negative. See how the school responded to negative reviews, and look at the age of the reviews. You should certain ask about points raised in negative reviews.
  • The Better Business Bureau—Complaints may have also been filed with the BBB.
  • References—Don’t be afraid to ask the school itself for references from former clients.

Should I Use a Driving School?

Some parents may wonder if they should use a school or teach driving themselves. Many parents, after all, were taught by their own parents, and—assuming you’re a good driver—you know the habits you want to inculcate in your children. You may think you know your way around Brampton and Toronto.

Being able to do something well does not necessarily mean that you can teach it well. Your good habits may be so ingrained that you are not thinking of them consciously. It’s also possible that you may overreact in some way when you’re teaching your own child. Some parents may also have received driver training in school as well as at home. Since schools have largely abandoned this role, the formal training provided by driver training schools is important.

Five Rivers Driving Academy works with parents and teens to ensure a quality experience for everyone. We may be able to pick you up and drop you off in and around Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto.

Adult Driving Instruction

Some people don’t learn to drive until their adult years. Others may want or need further instruction. Five Rivers Driving Academy in Brampton provides adult instruction, separately from the teens, which will fit your needs.

  • Mandated lessons—sometimes people have been ordered by a court to receive driving lessons. Whether stemming from accidents, traffic violations, or other causes, instruction may reduce the points on your license or even help you get your license back.
  • Insurance benefits—some policies provide discounts for driving instruction. We can both give you that instruction and provide the right documentation to the insurance company.
  • Senior citizens—Even the most experienced drivers may be asked to be retested for knowledge or behind-the-wheel skills. We will work with you sensitively and respectfully, and help you remain independent and safe.

Driving schools are important parts of 21st century life, as they ensure that the highways and roads remain safe for all. As you shop around, keep these factors in mind.

Happy Driving!

ive Rivers Driving Academy’s goal is to make sure you fulfill all provincial requirements to get your license. While driving education is not required, you will be able to take your G1 test earlier if you complete a course at an approved Ontario driving school, like Five Rivers.

We are an approved driving school in Brampton. Our full course meets all the requirements of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO).

Ontario requires the following for all driver’s education programs:

  • 40 hours total minimum instructional time.
  • 20 hours in the classroom.
  • No more than 40 students in the classroom
  • 10 hours in-vehicle instruction with no more than 2 students per car.
  • 10 flexible hours—classroom, in-vehicle, simulator, or computer-based instruction
  • 5 hours maximum per day of classroom instruction.
  • A mix of instructional styles, with indirect, interactive, and experiential methods comprising at least 50% of instructional hours.
  • 2 hours per day of in-vehicle instruction.

CLASSROOM AND HOMELINK INSTRUCTION

At Five Rivers Driving Academy in Brampton, we work to keep classes at a small size to ensure maximum learning benefits. Your time in the classroom, coupled with time on HomeLink, will ensure that you have full knowledge of the principles of safe driving.

The course covers a variety of topics essential to safe driving. The order may vary, but those topics include the following.

  • Rules of the Road—Safe driving requires rules which all drivers have responsibility to follow. Drivers should know many of the rules of the road, and be able to observe signs and signals along the way which indicate specific conditions.Knowing when you have the right-of-way and when to yield helps you become a safe driver.
  • Vehicle components and systems—Safe drivers know where everything is in their vehicle, and they know how to use them. Many cars have ‘self-driving’ features, such as cruise control. Knowing when to use it, and when to manage speed personally, is an important skill.
  • Vehicle handling—Heavy machinery, such as a car, can be deadly when handled poorly. Understanding all the principles of vehicle control, tire maintenance, and collision avoidance is crucial to safe driving. Knowing how to get out of a skid requires both knowledge and practice.
  • Driver Behavior—Your emotions can affect your driving—road rage is a common experience. Adjusting your driving to current conditions is also an important skill. Drivers make many decisions during a trip, whether across town or province. These decisions need to be made within a good decision-making framework. If you are mad, or tired, your decisions may not be good.
  • Respect and Responsibility—It’s very rare to be on the road alone—other vehicles will be near. Working with other drivers to maintain road safety is crucial, as is respecting police or emergency vehicle presence. Ensuring proper maintenance for emissions and disposal of batteries, tires, and fluids is part of responsibility. Signaling your intentions shows your respect for others on the road.
  • Sharing the Road—Communicating with other drivers both actively and passively is key to safe driving. Using turn signals and braking appropriate lets people predict your actions. Maintaining proper spacing helps keeps the roads safe. Being aware of the people around you should become second nature as you grow in driving experience.
  • Attention—Balancing your attention between looking forward and the mirrors is a skill needing practice. Knowing when conditions affect your attention is important, whether you’re fatigued or impaired. Managing the different styles of attention will make you a better driver. Obtaining information from the dashboard while looking ahead requires balancing attention, as does looking quickly over your shoulder while passing.
  • Perception and Risk Management—Being aware of your surroundings is crucial while driving. You need to be careful while changing lanes, or driving down a town street. Looking ahead to anticipate problems is also important—if you see children playing, be aware that one may dart into the road.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

After the classroom portion of the class is over, the in-vehicle portion starts. Ontario requires at least 10 hours driving behind the wheel during the course as preparation for the road test.

Five Rivers Driving Academy will give you plenty of opportunity to safely practice skills you will need, including parallel parking. Your instructor will demonstrate the skills, and you will practice them. You will experience driving in many conditions in and around Brampton and Toronto.

If you are also driving with a parent or other driving mentor, your instructor will ensure that you and the mentor have other ideas for practice driving while you are preparing for your road test.

SAFE DRIVING

Driving schools want you to become safe drivers—and that safety is demonstrated by the pass rate of its graduates. You can go places when you have your license. We want you to get there safely.The Five Rivers Driving Academy is here to make that happen.