Good Beginners Driving Schools in Arlington/Alexandria/Fairfax Area? (Burke: insurance, house) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

KingStFan · 05-01-2011, 10:10 AM

I'd really appreciate a recommendation to a good driving school in Arlington/Alexandria/Fairfax. Preferably closer to Alexandria, but if it's good, I'm willing to travel. And if you know they're good for nervous drivers and not just bored teens, please mention it! Thanks so much for the help.

Bigfoot424 · 05-01-2011, 10:20 AM

Check these companies out real good before hiring them. As a retired police officer I was not impressed with the many companies out here teaching our kids. Not to put down foreigners but I dealt with quite a few of these owners/instructors and I'm amazed at how many had trouble with the English language and were hard to understand. You might find some reviews on sites like google, yelp.com and others.

KingStFan · 05-02-2011, 05:15 PM

I looked on Yelp and a Drivers Ed website, but most of the companies in the area only have one review, or have more than one, but it seems like someone from the company wrote it. Thus, asking city-data.

Bigfoot424 · 05-02-2011, 05:23 PM

I wonder if the local high school can help. Maybe someone in the main office would know who to ask? Guidance office maybe?

Joke Insurance · 06-21-2012, 05:51 PM

Does anyone know if Keith's is still located in Burke off of Old Burke Lake Road?

kevbros · 06-23-2012, 08:30 AM

The requirements for driver's ed in Virginia can be confusing. The rules are different for the three different groups of people: those under 18, those under 19, and adults. Everybody has to do the classroom component, which is 36 hours. When you complete that you get a certificate that allows you to take the behind the wheel portion. Most behind the wheel instructors will pick you up at your house or wherever is convenient. You don't have to take both portions with the same school. There is a way to take the classes online if you are eligible, but the state-licensed online course is hard and boring. Only homeschoolers qualify to take commerical online classroom driver's ed. Teens take the road test with their behind the wheel instructor. Adults take it with a DMV tester. As for where to take the classes the Virginia DMV website has a list of them. Some schools to the classes 10 days in a row. Others do it like every Saturday, so you will have to call around. The classroom classes are generally pretty boring, from what I hear, so no escaping that.

CAVA1990 · 06-24-2012, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joke Insurance

Does anyone know if Keith's is still located in Burke off of Old Burke Lake Road?

Isn't that the one run by the older guy that's taught most kids in the area? If so, that's the one I'd recommend. I looked it up and they're still listed there.

kevbros · 06-24-2012, 09:19 AM

There used to be an old guy down in the Mount Vernon area at the Mount Vernon Driving School, who taught Alexandria kids behind-the-wheel and was something of a legend. Kids say he was kind of intimidating and tough, but they learned a lot. Other kids didn't take him for just that reason. Not sure if MVDS is still a going concern, but he was still teaching as of last summer. In any event, he just handles the behind-the-wheel portion. Most kids do the classes in high school, unless they are home-schooled, or in a private school without driver's ed, or have failed the class. That's why there are not that many places that offer the classroom portion.

Joke Insurance · 06-25-2012, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevbros

The requirements for driver's ed in Virginia can be confusing. The rules are different for the three different groups of people: those under 18, those under 19, and adults. Everybody has to do the classroom component, which is 36 hours. When you complete that you get a certificate that allows you to take the behind the wheel portion. Most behind the wheel instructors will pick you up at your house or wherever is convenient. You don't have to take both portions with the same school. There is a way to take the classes online if you are eligible, but the state-licensed online course is hard and boring. Only homeschoolers qualify to take commerical online classroom driver's ed. Teens take the road test with their behind the wheel instructor. Adults take it with a DMV tester. As for where to take the classes the Virginia DMV website has a list of them. Some schools to the classes 10 days in a row. Others do it like every Saturday, so you will have to call around. The classroom classes are generally pretty boring, from what I hear, so no escaping that.

And those over 19?

kevbros · 06-26-2012, 07:48 PM

Over 19, and assuming you have never had a license from any state, you only have to have a learner's permit for 30 days before you can take the test. During that time you still have to take the 36-hour class, and then do the behind-the-wheel, but the behind the wheel instructor does not sign off on the license like for teens. Instead, you have to go the DMV and be tested by a state examiner. You then get your license in the mail, unlike teens who now have to appear in court to get their license. There may be some other differences. Check the DMV site, there have been changes to the licensing rules every year for the last few years, and based on what other states are doing, there are probably more changes on the way.