Driver's ed grads have more accidents, auditor says

[BMNB2tches]

...The 500-page document found a "significantly higher" collision rate for motorists who sign up for Ontario's voluntary beginner driver education program compared with those who don't take the course.

Auditors found that 55 per cent of first-time drivers enrolled in the program but crashed their cars about 62 per cent more often.

And yet, no one at the Ministry of Transportation has figured out why, Auditor-General James McCarter said in his first report since Premier Dalton McGuinty's government was re-elected to a second term Oct. 10.

"While this statistic could be the result of a combination of many factors...the ministry had not followed up on the reasons for the higher collision involvement rate," wrote McCarter. ... Via TorontoStar.com

Why? Because driving is about experience, not about reading books and classroom teachings and following rules. You drive to adjust to your surroundings, you don't drive with what the rulebook says.
The Speed limit is 100. I drive 115, The Ontario Program enrollee drives at 99. Why does the 99 get into more accidents? Because 99 is not the reality. 110 is.

I went to a cheap driving school just for the insurance rate cuts, which I learned nothing that I wouldn't have learned with the experience of being behind the wheel. I know some young kid with daddy's SUV who went to Young Drivers for thrice the amount I paid. Guess who hasn't been in an accident.

[corrupt123]

I beg to differ. YD is a great driving school, and I'd say it's the best in Canada (but still nowhere near what driver education should be: i.e. the German level).

I agree though, 99% of kids go to the $299 driving school then go out and go nuts with their own car. Driving is about experience, which is more effective with good training. sh*tty training and no experience gives you the statistics above.

[ShadowVlican]

the certificate is only used to lower insurance rates :lol:

[Fox2k]

Via TorontoStar.com
I went to a cheap driving school just for the insurance rate cuts, which I learned nothing that I wouldn't have learned with the experience of being behind the wheel.

That's probably because you went to a cheap driving school. Not trying to flame or anything but I also went to YD and I feel that it was well worth the money. It's not about learning stuff 'by the book' but I found that it was about exposing you to situations and forcing you to think about them so that you spend less time panicking when the situation arises. i.e. you are at a red light behind someone and you notice someone behind you coming up really fast, probably not going to stop in time. what do you do? This is an example of the sort of things that are brought in to the pocture. Sure it's easy to learna bout it then say "well duh, I would have done that too" but, well...most people probably wouldn't have.

[DaVibe]

I have no idea what it's like to go to a BAD driving school ... I went to the College of Defensive Driving in North York (Sheppard, East of Yonge).
It was a great program. Small classroom setting but classes were easy to understand, teachers were open to many questions and discussions, and the tests were done open book, help was there if needed. They were more along the lines to make sure you know what you're doing, not to try and trick you and fail you.

When it came to in-car lessons, it was step-by-step. Worked our way up.
I can only HOPE that most schools don't "Throw you into it" but by the stats and the general opinion, it seems like that's the case.

People should take the time to find the right school at the right price and take the time to learn.
I'm not against schools ... never. My girlfriend could never get her mother in the car to drive with her, it just never happened. She FIRST learned in an instructor's car. Simple as that. She picked it up quickly, lucky her ... everyone knows there's TONS of people who struggle with driving and therefore, THEY NEED an instructor and school behind them.

Everyone learns differently.

[BartBandy]

A driver with good intentions who attends a good driving school will graduate as a half-decent driver, and probably become a very good driver in time.

Good training sets the habits that make good drivers. Shoulder checks, scans, rear view checks when slowing or stopping, how to approach a left turn...all these little things are taught, then reinforced over more in-car sessions than the cut-rate programs allow.

Good driving schools don't tell you to drive at the speed limit - except when taking the driving test. It's the driving test that is BS.

[dasaylay]

It really comes down to the individual. Some people are more prone to drive more aggressively than others whereas some are still scared to get behind the wheel after years of driving. Personally (and I realize how stupid it was of me) I used to sneak the car out at odd hours of the morning before I got my G1. I practiced and became familiar with the car. Not saying that I'm the best driver out there, but I'd say I'm always familiar with my surroundings.

Sometimes when you're at a light, you see the most innocent looking person behind the wheel beside you, but then as soon as it turns green they're off. Driving school probably teaches you that you won't need to floor the damn car right off the bat (as lots of people tend to do) to get the car moving. As for defensive driving, you can't learn that without actually going to class and they tell you to always have a backup escape plan when you're driving, like if someone makes a lane change without checking their blindspots. What's worse is people who love to drive in your blindspot. They won't learn the danger of it until they actually get into an accident.

So I'd be inclined to say that you're better off going to driving school to pick up a few tips. Is it worth the $500? Not really because all you learn is to obey the rules word for word which we all know 99% of the drivers out there don't.

[Tijuana]

I went to the peel education one, by the school board, my inclass teacher was the best teacher I had for anything, some old guy that would make anything funny, and in the meantime you learned alot. My driver was just some normal guy, he let me drive and just said what I was doing wrong, so I can hardly believe that this article is true

[P90Puma]

Good driving schools don't tell you to drive at the speed limit - except when taking the driving test.

Exactly.

[gman]

The chance is the one who enrolled to the driving school could actually 'kind of' afford to drive because of the discounted insurance vs the others just does not drive enough at all. If you don't drive, you won't have any accident.

[VorteC]

That's probably because you went to a cheap driving school. Not trying to flame or anything but I also went to YD and I feel that it was well worth the money. It's not about learning stuff 'by the book' but I found that it was about exposing you to situations and forcing you to think about them so that you spend less time panicking when the situation arises. i.e. you are at a red light behind someone and you notice someone behind you coming up really fast, probably not going to stop in time. what do you do? This is an example of the sort of things that are brought in to the pocture. Sure it's easy to learna bout it then say "well duh, I would have done that too" but, well...most people probably wouldn't have.

Just because you goto YD and they teach you how to react to emergency situations, doesn't mean you are trained for real life. When yuo are in driver training, you know what you're about to face... you will react much differently when one day you're wiht 4 friends chatting and a car crosses centre divider; it's not the same as you and the instructor telling u what to do.

[corrupt123]

Just because you goto YD and they teach you how to react to emergency situations, doesn't mean you are trained for real life. When yuo are in driver training, you know what you're about to face... you will react much differently when one day you're wiht 4 friends chatting and a car crosses centre divider; it's not the same as you and the instructor telling u what to do.

Yeah, but he's better prepared then the next guy. By your analogy, the same could be said for military training, police training, doctor training, everything. There are basics that you simply need to be taught, and they become second nature because they're just how you started doing things.

I have people tell me "wow, you check your blindspot a lot" and it's because I went to YD. They hammered me to check it every time I change lanes or turn, and now I do - even at 2am in a parking lot.

[Fox2k]

Just because you goto YD and they teach you how to react to emergency situations, doesn't mean you are trained for real life. When yuo are in driver training, you know what you're about to face... you will react much differently when one day you're wiht 4 friends chatting and a car crosses centre divider; it's not the same as you and the instructor telling u what to do.

It's not about memorizing facts or scenarios, its more of a mindset. And that does stay with you. I often catch myself thinking about other people's driving and wondering why they do what they do. I will pull up to a light and see the guy beside me drive right up the the bumper of the guy in front of him, for example. Any person would be delusional to think that a driving course would make them a perfect driver or prepare them for every possible scenario, as well as ensuring that they react properly when it happens. The entire point I'm trying to make is that a proper drivers course is much more than textbook learning and someone telling you what to do. But again, the keyword is proper.

[T-Man]

I took YD quite a few years back. They taught me to go with the flow of traffic not the speed limit especially on highways. I enjoyed it.

Then when I was ready for my driving test with the MTO, I took a 1 day refresher course with YD for $35, and for an hour they had me drive the same route that the MTO examiner will have me take. The next day I passed with flying colours.