After seven years, I have a real credit card again. This means that I can easily rent a car again. However, I am very rusty on driving, having done almost none since 2000. I’d like to take a refresher course to reacquaint me with driving. (I still have my licence.)
There was a thread which referenced a school that taught ‘advanced’ driving in high-performance vehicles. Some of the courses were for racing; others taught evasive driving, as drivers for VIPs might need.
I’m looking for something a little less pointed than that, basically a reminder course that also teaches better technique such as manual shift (I never learned), skid control, evasive manoeuvres, snow-and-ice driving, and so on.
Anyone know of such a school in the Toronto area? (I could be persuaded to make a holiday out of it somewhere far away next summer, though…)
I am not sure how much you are looking to spend, but these courses seem to get very favorable reviews, and seem to concentrate on many of the skills you are looking for. As a bonus, they offer both AT and MT cars, and offer courses in Toronto (though I do not yet see a 2009 schedule): http://www.bmw.ca/drivertraining/dt_courses_l1.asp?lang=en
If you feel the Advanced course is too intensive, the Compact course may better suit your needs.
The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) offers a bunch of driving courses - I’m sure whatever the Ontario branch of the CAA is would have something similar.
My cousin, who didn’t drive for a few years after getting her license, just called a regular driving school and did a few hours with a teacher. Same teacher who taught her to drive the first time.
Or do you take your license differently in Canada?
I got my training through Young Drivers of Canada back in 1987. The licensing system has tightened up quite a bit in Ontario since then. Maybe they have refresher courses…
Yeah, I know you aren’t 22 like she is More hinting towards the refresher courses.
Good on ya though for doing this! I think it should be friggin mandatory for people to take regular refresher courses, consider how badly many people (including myself sometimes) drive.
WormTheRed, what is driver training like in Iceland? Here’s the driver education page from the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. Basically, there are two learning steps you take before you can get a full licence, and it takes at least 20 months.
This is since 1994, though. When I learned in 1987, you took a multiple-choice written test and did an eye exam and, on passing that, got a 1-year learner’s permit, popularly called the ‘365’ for 365 days in the year. This let you drive for practice. When you felt ready, you went to the Ministry of Transport office and took a road test. If you passed, you got your full licence.
My sister just took her this spring, so my info is actually kinda up to date on this. She signed up at a driving school and started driving with a teacher 1-2 times/week. Included in the driving school are 4 theoretical classes she had to attend before taking the written exam. Once that was done, and the teacher deemed her fit, she could schedule a practical exam.
All in all, it took her 4-5 months from “never having sat behind the wheel of a car” to “wohooo, I got my license”. I took mine in two months, ten years ago, but that was more of an intensive course (and the rules have become stricter).
Wow, the spam disappeared in front of my eyes. That was neat.
Too bad this is a zombie because I just got my drivers license back, last year after not having one for about 5 years. I did take some refresher lessons from a driving school near me in Toronto.
More hinting towards the refresher courses.