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.