Questions & Answers:
WE DO PICK UP AND DROP OFF STUDENTS AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL OR AT OUR CLASSROOM LOCATION. THIS ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE DRIVING TIME INTO BUSY AREAS LIKE PORTLAND AND SOUTH PORTLAND SO OUR STUDENTS CAN ENCOUNTER HEAVY TRAFFIC AND BUSY INTERSECTIONS. WE WANT THEM TO LEARN TO DRIVE AND FEEL COMFORTABLE IN ANY ENVIRONMENT AND IN TOUGHER CONDITIONS THEN JUST DRIVING ON BACK ROADS WITH VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC AND NO INTERSECTIONS.
YOU WILL LOVE OUR CHEVY CRUZE!
GREAT DRIVING CAR! EASY TO LEARN IN AND FUN TO DRIVE.
** WE HAVE INCLUDED SOME VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT JUST WHAT IS COVERED DURING EACH DRIVING LESSON WITH OUR SCHOOL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE Q & A’S INFO. YOU WILL CLEARLY SEE THAT VANCE’S DOES IN FACT TEACH MORE.** Also please check out what former students and parents have to say on our testimonials page. We are proud of our reputation of being the best and we work hard to keep it that way.
Q. Who is eligible to take driver education classes in Maine?
A. Maine requires all students to be 15 yrs old on or before the first class start date to join a driving school session.
Q. Do I need to pay the full amount up front?
A. Not with Vance’s Driving School. You can make payments in any amounts you can afford. We make it easy for you. Call for details.
Q. What is included in the price?
A. 30 hrs of class time- 10 hrs of on road driving instruction- and the Parental involvement component required by state law.
Q. How do I sign up?
A. You can register here on our site by clicking on our registration button.
Q. What do I need to bring to class?
A. 1. A photo copy of the birth certificate for us to keep 2. Any payment that you have.
Q. What happens if I need to miss a class or two?
A. It is always best to not miss any classes as all are required to complete the course, but we will provide make up opportunities if needed. Students can attend the same class in another location or wait for the next session for your area and do the make up class then.
Q. What makes Vance’s a better choice over the other driving schools?
A. We have been teaching students to drive since 1983. Rick Vance has a Bachelor of Science degree in teaching and is one of very few driver education teachers who holds an actual teaching degree. Rick taught in the Freeport school system for 14 years. Vance’s Driving School covers more information and we make it fun so students learn. Our classes really are fun and the students love the course. Most of the other schools are pretty new and only have a few years of teaching experience at best. The other driving school courses are boring to say the least…there really is a big difference!
Our driving lessons are based on a skill and knowledge building plan. We are the only driving school that has driving lessons designed to build defensive driving skills and confidence with each lesson.
Driving Lessons
Please read about our driving lessons below. You will clearly see why Vance’s Driving School is your best choice. This is what we do with each and every student we drive with:
DRIVING LESSON #1. Before we begin to drive students will learn about all the vehicle controls and switches like head lights, high and low beams; turn signals; the heater and fan controls; the emergency brake; gauges and adjusting the seat and mirrors; and we make sure the student knows about every control drivers need to use. Then we will talk about proper stops and 4-way stop intersection rules; protected and unprotected turns at traffic light intersections and review the rules of the road covered during their class before we start to drive. Students will learn about how the instructor has a dual controlled brake and mirrors and how we can assist them if needed when we are ready to start driving. We get the student to relax and know that we can help them and that we have the ability to control the car if needed!
Once the student is ready and only after we have demonstrated how to turn the wheel and how to be smooth and easy on the gas and brake pedals – we are ready to start driving. We will work on things like tracking and staying in our intended path, proper stops and basic turns. They will soon get over being nervous and learn that they can control the car. Depending on the students prior experience, we will either drive in less populated areas or if the student is ready and relaxed we will head to areas with more traffic and more complicated situations. They will get to perform a lot of basic maneuvers during this first driving lesson and get used to traffic.
DRIVING LESSON #2. Again we will start out by reviewing all the vehicle controls and interior gauges. Students will verbally review all right of way rules including protected and unprotected turns at traffic lights before we start out. Our main focus during this lesson will be proper visual skills and driving defensively and getting the student to relax and feel confident in their abilities. We will make sure the student learns to not tailgate as we drive following traffic on the roads. We will work on controlling the speed and work on turns and proper steering. Students will begin learning how to turn around in driveways and how to back into driveways as well. They will learn to make turns at traffic light intersections and learn to be aware of everything going on around them at all times. Some students who are ready will begin parallel parking and making lane changes during this lesson as well.
DRIVING LESSON #3. After a quick review of the car switches and controls and after the students can explain how to make protected and unprotected turns at traffic lights we will begin driving. Our main focus goal for this lesson will be on building good defensive driving skills and constantly checking our mirrors to stay alert to what every other car is doing and where it is. We will find multi – lane roads and perform some lane changes. Students will work to improve their turns and steering during today’s driving lesson. Some students may begin learning how to merge onto the highways and how to make lane changes at higher speeds. More turning around in driveways and additional parallel parking practice will occur.
DRIVING LESSON #4. By this lesson the students are really starting to get the hang of driving. We try to let them begin to make more of the driving decisions without our input…. after all – sooner or later they have to make their own driving decisions!. The focus for this lesson will be multi – lane roads and merging onto the highway and making safe lane changes and work to improve backing skills with more driveway turn -a -bouts and additional parallel parking. The more turn – a- bouts the student does and the more we have them back into driveways and back out of driveways the better skills they develop. As always we will stress the importance of being a good defensive driver and keep working to develop great visual skills. Most likely they will get some experience at parking in parking lot spaces today as well.
DRIVING LESSON #5. By now the students should be prepared to pretty much drive without making mistakes. As always, we will assist when needed and review proper procedures if any mistakes are made. We will work on all driving skills including straight line backing and parallel parking. Students will practice more parking lot parking skills. They will lift the hood and check oil and other fluid levels. We will review every type of driving environment and every skill they need to be able to pass their road test when the time comes
Some students may still have more driving hours to go and if that is the case we will continue to help them learn to control the car safely and keep building great visual skills each time out. Some students are able to get two hours in for each lesson while others may have only been available for an hour or an hour and a half for a driving session. Either way – We will “GIT R DONE” 🙂
What about our classroom sessions:
Our classroom instruction really is second to none!
We keep it fun so the students can learn and we constantly review to help them learn the material. We use the text books, state handbook, group discussions and activities, review games designed by us, and some video tapes to cover the required curriculum material as well as in class discussions and various quizzes to ensure the material being taught is learned. Students will get to experience “Drunk Driving Goggles” while attempting a few challenges to drive home the point about drinking/ and drugs and driving. We really do care and we work hard to get the message out to our students AND WE ARE SUCCEEDING!
We have invented some driver ed games like “So You Want To Be A Millionaire Driver Game” (they can even call a friend and use the audience if needed), “Driver Ed Jeopardy”, “Driver Ed Pictionary”, and a few others too. All games designed to keep the class fun – keep the students awake – and keep us reviewing what we are learning in class. We have activities that allow the students to use “drunk driving goggles” to simulate driver impairment and get our point across to the students about the dangers of driving under the influence.
We cover everything – traffic sign and rules of the road, proper visual skills, speed limits, vehicle maintenance, using jumper cables, changing a flat tire, tire pressures, checking fluid levels, driver attitude, avoiding distractions and cell phone dangers, making proper turns, winter driving, night driving, highway driving, sharing the road with big trucks, making safe lane changes, parking lots and school zones, tailgating, road rage, intersections and traffic lights, insurance information, registering a car, buying a vehicle and a whole lot more!
5/31/17 We received two complaint calls from parents about Mullen’s Driving School
Call number 1. Mother told us that while doing a parent ride a long when her daughter was parallel parking during a driving lesson with Mullen’s; They hit the car behind them. At that point the Mullen’s instructor told her daughter to drive off and leave. The mother in the back seat was appalled. She told the instructor they hit the other car- The instructor then said to the mom- there is no damage so we will just drive off…She never got out to see if there actually was damage or not. I DON’T BELIEVE ANY PARENT WOULD WANT THEIR CHILD TO BE TAUGHT TO DRIVE OFF AND LEAVE THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT! also all cars are dual controlled. Vance’s instructors don’t let our students hit cars nor objects. We control the situation. THEIR INSTRUCTOR IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ANY GOOD IF THEY HIT CARS..
Call number 2. A very upset father called to say his daughter started a class today at Mullen’s. Riding in Mullen’s van on the way to her first class the Mullen’s instructor driving the van and while he was transporting the students; the instructor was texting and doing email work on his phone during the complete trip from the high school to Mullen’s classroom. “The girl witnessed some illegal activity and very poor examples of driving by her instructor”. She called dad because she was concerned. Dad called Mullen’s Driving School- The owner Bob Mullen tried to defend his instructor by saying the vehicle wasn’t moving when the man was texting…effectively calling the student a liar. Dad went to the school and removed her from the class…called Vance’s and registered her for our next class.
IF PEOPLE REALLY KNEW THE TRUTH ABOUT MULLEN AND HIS INSTRUCTORS- NOBODY WOULD EVER SEND THEIR CHILD TO HIS SCHOOL. THEY RUN A VERY POOR PROGRAM. ***WARNING***—AVOID MULLEN’S—
Only Vance’s Driving School offers “The Drive To End Accidents Program”. This program was designed by me, Rick Vance, because I believe that even one accident is too many. This program will make a difference and it involves all three parties; the parents, the students, and Vance’s staff in a cooperative effort to educate new drivers about the seriousness of being a responsible defensive driver. We work together to prevent distracted driving and we will work together to create perfection in defensive driving skills – attitudes – and in the behind the wheel behaviors of all our students.
Parents are invited in to participate during our parent involvement night and learn all about Maine’s driver education requirements; all about the driver ed program being taught to their children; and specifically learn how we can work together to “end accidents” for our new drivers.
TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND WE WILL SAVE LIVES!
PARENTS ALSO GET TO RIDE ALONG DURING DRIVING SESSIONS.
Talk about parental involvement – NOBODY DOES IT QUITE LIKE VANCE’S. NOBODY!