Taking a Driver’s Education Course in Texas

Turning 15 in the state of Texas marks your chance to start thinking about the next step towards freedom with your first driver’s license. You must be 15 ½ years old at the time of application for you’re learners permit according to the Texas DMV. For new drivers the application process has multiple steps and several tests that you must take along the road towards that final day when you receive your restricted driver’s license. It is important that you are fully prepared ahead of time to meet each requirement and understand what each new step of the process will expect if you wish to make the work required go smoothly and quickly.

The first thing you must do is download your Texas Drivers License Checklist that is generated specifically for your needs based on some information you enter into the online forms. This will act as an active guide to help you avoid missed steps along the way that could cause delays in the process. In addition, it is time to take your state-approved drivers training course the most critical part of your entire journey as a new driver. In the state of Texas, car accidents are the leading cause of death among teen drivers so it is important that you take driver’s education and develop safe driving habits you will keep for the rest of your life. Find out more on taking your written test in Texas: https://www.dmvcheatsheets.com/articles/how-to-take-your-written-driver-s-test-in-texas

Finding the Best Driver’s Education Course

The process of locating a good driver’s education course can be daunting with so many private companies offering lessons. The best course of action is to use a keyword search to find all of the schools offering first-time drivers training in your local area and then begin to narrow down the list. The number one criteria for the school should be that it is a state-approved program with valid and certified instructors. This will avoid any problems that may occur of the schools lessons are not accepted by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles costing you valuable time and money having to retake through another company. Your local Department of Motor Vehicles branch carries a list of all approved programs in your area so if you are unsure that is a great place to begin. Do not accept an online schools claim of state approval and double check their credentials with the DMV before signing on to any website, especially ones charging you a fee.

If the online course is in fact approved like in the case of the I Drive Safely you are safe to proceed with the training course. Good Driver’s Education courses should include all of information in the Texas Drivers Manual in the lesson plan and highlight specific sections of importance. In order to successfully pass your road signs test you must be familiar with all of the commonly found signs such as stop signs, yields and school zones and able to identify speed limit postings. If the drivers training course does not use the drivers manual as its primary source of information it is not worth your time.

In addition to driving schools, you may also enroll in the PTDE or Parent Taught Driver’s Education program as an alternative. There are specific requirements for your state that must be met in order to utilize this choice for learning to drive such as:

• The mentor must be the teen’s close relative, step-parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, foster parent or lawful guardian in order to receive approval for PTDE
• The individual has held a Texas driver’s license for at least 3 years and the license has not been suspended, revoked or forfeited in that time frame
• Has less than six points on their license at the time of application
• Has never been convicted of a DWI, DUI or Criminally Negligent Homicide nor received probation for any of the three
• Is not mentally disabled

Once you are sure your licensed driver meets all of the state requirements, you may pick up a PTDE packet from your local DMV branch or a private company such as curb buster for a non-refundable 20 dollar fee and begin your training.

Additional Study Materials

Many drivers fail their written test multiple times, wasting time and money and the number one reason for this is lack of preparation. You will learn valuable information needed to be a safe driver on the roads and for passing your tests on the first try through your driver’s education course or PTDE training. But for added assurance you will pass on your first try, there are many other useful training tools you can use online. These tools will service to reinforce the information you learned during driver’s school and break down the chapters in your Texas driver’s manual into bit-sized pieces of information to assist you in learning. Cheat Sheets from websites such as https://www.dmvcheatsheets.com/dmv/cheat_sheets can serve as a guideline while studying, as well as provide you with valuable information for both the driver’s license test and permit test. You can even take multiple practice tests in advance to check your progress to determine areas you need to work on before taking the final tests.

Passing the final written and road tests is an important reason for taking the right driver’s education course but it is more essential that you are able to be a safe driver on the road for yourself and others on the road.