23 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Shopping for a driving school? Learning to Drive can be one of the most dangerous skills a person can learn. There are so many driving schools out there you can choose from how do you choose? Driving is something you are going to learn once, so you want to go with a professional company. Believe me, when calling other schools you CAN tell the difference..... 1) The first basic criteria a driving school should meet - they must be MTO (Ministry of Transportation) Approved. · The Ministry of Transportation governs all driving schools in Ontario; they set all standards for the driving schools, the owners, & of course the instructors. · The MTO sets the standards for curriculum content, the 25 hours of classroom training time as well as the 10 hours of in-vehicle training time. · You can find the list of MTO approved schools on their website www.mot.gov.on.ca. 2) Once you have narrowed down the list of MTO approved schools the following questions would be helpful to ask: · About the Driving School: - How long have you been in business? - How long have you been in Oakville? - Ask about the owners - How does the school accept payments? Must you pay in-advance? Do they offer a payment plan? - Does the driving school talk about having a really high % pass rate for the Driving Exam. - Driving schools that focus on the maximum insurance discount is another indicator of concern. · About the classroom: - How many students does the school allow in the class (maximum number)? - What will the instructor to student ratio be in the classroom? - Ask if you can see their classroom is it clean and tidy? - What type of interactive equipment do they have in their classroom? - If the driving school claims to have simulation training is it included in the 25 hours of classroom time? - Does the driving school do training for professional drivers or upgrade skills for experienced drivers? - When can you join in on a class? · About the in-car: - What year are their driving school cars? - Does the driving school have the proper amount of insurance? - Is there EVER more than one student in the car at any time during a lesson? - How experienced are their instructors? - Do they know the area in which the lessons are being done? - Does the driving school do emergency maneuvers?? Are the emergency maneuvers only done in-car?? Even better if they are demonstrated and practiced on a simulator first!! - Does the driving school take each person on the freeway?? As a new driver in the G1 phase the only time they are allowed on the freeway is with a licensed driving instructor!! · About the price: - This is a big issue for many families as we face a weaker then normal economic outlook!! Caution - do not choose a driving school based solely on the cheapest price in town. - Soccer, Hockey, Baseball, Ballet, Gymnastics can be very expensive every year, not to mention the cost of properly equipping and outfitting often with protective gear to keep them safe. Driver training is a once in a lifetime purchase. Driver Training is the new drivers' protective gear/equipment. You are about to put your new driver in an expensive 2000 pound weapon set them out on our roadways where there are more distractions and dangers then ever before. Sometimes in life the old saying you get what you pay for really does apply so the question then becomes what is your new driver's life worth? Driver training when properly and effectively executed saves lives! You need an MTO approved program a good high quality interactive training program that gets the students engaged in the material as well as keeps them engaged, instructors with experience, integrity and heart who are passionate about keeping people safe on the roadways. That is what makes up a Great Driving School. SERVICE DEPARTMENT Suzuki of Oakville OPEN SATURDAYS 8:30 AM-1 PM Phone: (905) 825-8088 www.volvoofoakville.com 2219 Wyecroft Road, Oakville, ON L6L 5L7 Toll Free 1-877-469-5969 fax 905-469-4562 CONSUMERS SHOULD READ THE FOLLOWING:Vehicles may not be exactly as shown. Limited time offers are subject to change without notice. *New starting prices are calculated after subtracting dealer participation and stackable credits off the 2009 MSRP. Starting prices of a new 2009 SX4 Sedan with manual transmission (Model S3L83J9), 2009 SX4 Hatchback with manual transmission (Model H3N83H9) and 2009 Grand Vitara with manual transmission (Model LLNB0S9), after subtracting dealer participation credits of $500/$500/$500 and stackable credits of $1,900/$1,900/$2,500, are $14,995/$14,995/$22,995. $1,395/$1,395/$1,550 destination and delivery charge, administration fee, $75 tax for fuel conservation (where applicable), duties on new tires (where applicable), $72 PPSA (where applicable), other taxes, license, insurance, applicable fees and registration are extra. Limited time finance offers available to qualified retail customers on approved credit. 0%/0%/0% purchase financing APR for a 36/36/36 month term. Financing example: the monthly payment of a new 2009 SX4 Sedan with manual transmission (Model S3L83J9), after subtracting dealer participation credits of $500 and stackable credits of $1,900, at 0% purchase financing APR is $417 per month for 36 months. Cost of borrowing is $0 for a total obligation of $14,995. Financing example does not include $1,395 destination and delivery charge, administration fee, $75 tax for fuel conservation (where applicable), duties on new tires (where applicable), $72 PPSA (where applicable), other taxes, license, insurance, applicable fees and registration. +Prices of models shown, 2009 SX4 Sedan Sport with manual transmission (Model S3L83K9), 2009 SX4 Hatchback JX with automatic transmission (Model H3N84J9) and 2009 Grand Vitara JLX with automatic transmission (Model L2NB5V9), after subtracting stackable credits of $1,400/$1,400/$2,000, are $17,945/$18,595/$26,995.$1,395/$1,395/$1,550 destination and delivery charge, administration fee, $75 tax for fuel conservation (where applicable), duties on new tires (where applicable), $72 PPSA (where applicable), other taxes, license, insurance, applicable fees and registration are extra. Certain conditions apply. Dealers may sell for less. Information shown is based on the latest available information at the time of print. See participating dealers for conditions and details. Offers end April 30, 2009. ©2009 Suzuki Canada Inc.