-What exactly is driver's education:   Our private course is a minimum of 14 hours (8 hours of class and 6 hours of driving).   It is geared to teach students the fundamentals of driving, the rules of the road, and defensive driving techniques and methods.  You can sign up for longer courses, but 14 hours is the minimum length (required for successful completion) to obtain your license. 

-What are the laws for teenagers?  Most 14, 15 year old teens must hold a photo permit for 1 year,  practice 50 hours of supervised driving with a parent or guardian.  Most students under 16 also need to pass a driver's education program.  Most students 16 (without a permit) need to obtain their permit and hold it at least until their 17th birthday.  Students 16 and 17 are also required to complete 50 hours of supervised practice with a parent or guardian.  All students, which pass driver's education earn a Certificate of Completion.  This Certificate usually allows Kansas teenagers to obtain their license with no additional testing.  If you forget to go to the DMV, remember this Certificate of Completion will expire in 2 years.   For more info and more details, please view our "Teen Laws" page of this website or you can google "Kansas Driving Handbook" to see what the State of KS says too.

-Does the course include a permit or learner's permit?   Yes, if you pass our written test at the end of the 8-hour class, all students (without a permit) will receive their temporary driver's ed permit after class.  If you already have a permit, then you won't need this temporary paper permit --unless your DMV permit is expired or lost.  Most students (ages 14-17) need to exchange this temporary permit for their photo permit.  AT THE DRIVER"S LICENSE OFFICE, DO NOT ASK TO TAKE THE DMV WRITTEN TEST,  AS YOUR DRIVER'S ED PERMIT WILL GET YOU YOUR PHOTO IP --USUALLY WITH NO ADDITIONAL TESTING.
-How long does the driver's education course last?  That depends on your experience and ability.  If you are a great driver or learn fast, you can finish in a couple of weeks.  High level students, which can miss school to drive weekdays can finish in a few days during the school year.  In the 20+ years at Wichita Driving School, the average time for finishing is 4-6 weeks.  Students, which have the busiest schedules, or need more time (in between to practice with family) may take 2-3 months.  Low level students in extreme cases may take 4-6 months, if they are striving to practice more and improve on their own, because their current skill level is not close to passing.  NOTE:  If a student does not pass within 6 months, then they are dropped from the program.  Students, which fail the driving portion can retake driver's education again sometime in the future or test out at the DMV when they are eligible.

-Does it matter if I have zero experience?  No, it does not.  But if you lack driving experience, prepare to practice (during the duration of our course) with your parents, or with other adult licensed drivers (which have at least a year experience).  If you learn quickly, then this is not as important, but if you struggle at driving it is critical --that you practice to pass the course.  Since 2003, we have taught over 30,000 Wichita teenagers, and we experience a wide spectrum of individuals.   We've seen students with disabilities (practice over 50+ hours with their family in a 9–10-week span) in order to pass the course.  On the other hand, we've seen typical students (which don't put in the time or effort to practice on their own) fail the course because of lack of driving skill, driving aptitude, or motivation. 
-Do you have practice recommendations for beginning drivers? Yes, the "end of class" email will have the practice tips and log sheet, and the recommendations are also at the office when you attend class or when you pick up your permit, or you can get them from your instructor too.

-Does everyone pass driver's education?  No, Kansas statutes and regulations mandate a student does not automatically pass the course just because they paid their fees.  About 1 out of 50 students do not pass the course.   Reasons why 2% of students fail driver's education the first time around is: They are unable to master the fundamentals (most importantly "turning"), and they are either too busy to practice, don't have the motivation to practice, or their families do not take/or make time to practice.  Some students, which don't have a parent to lean on, practice with an aunt, uncle or grandparent, or another adult --which embraces the opportunity to mentor them.  Remember that this course includes 6 hours of driving, not 20 or 30.   In extreme cases (with the 2% that fails), a parent may need to practice with their teen 15-20 hours in a parking lot doing boxes and figure 8's, so that the beginning driver can naturally make good turns with good pedal control, without over-steering or under-steering or freezing up, etc.  NOTE:  For parents (with students which struggle at driving), remember the 50 hours of supervised practice is the minimum requirement (in the State of KS) for a typical, average student.  If your student is below average, 75-100 hours of supervised practice (with a parent or guardian) may be the safe and correct amount needed.  Students 18 years of age and above are not legally be required to complete the 50 hours of supervised practice, but most students still need it, and all would benefit from it.

-What if my instructor grabs the steering wheel or uses their brake?

Understand if your steering is off, or you make a turn too fast, or if you break the rules of the road, your instructor may have to grab the wheel and/or use their brake.  They are doing this to keep you safe, and to prevent an accident.  We understand some students may be perfectionists and not like this, or have an adverse reaction to it, but you must understand that we're trying to teach you the fundamentals and prevent a crash.  In rare cases, a student may cry after this happens, but you must learn to shake it off because driving is totally different than schoolwork on a chrome-book.  Driving is different for everyone, and for some students (it takes lots of practice) to move up the ladder.  Driving is no different than learning to play the piano or flute, hit a baseball or softball, shoot a basketball or learning how to ice skate.  Some people are just naturals, and others need lots of practice.  We sometimes see these discrepancies within the same family among siblings.

-What kind of written test will be used at the end of the 8-hour academic class? The test will be multiple choice and true/false and an 80% is required for a passing grade.  Kansas statutes and regulations mandate all students must have the same test, and no assistance is allowed, so I.E.P.  or 504 plans are not used at Wichita Driving School or at the DMV.  The best resource to prepare for our test is our Study Guide.  Since academic abilities vary among students, we just advise all students to work on the study guide -in advance to prepare for class.  If you don't have a chance to work on it in advance, please arrive to class early, so you can complete a portion of it before we start the eight-hour session.

-Does successfully completing a driver's education program give you a better price for auto insurance? Non-driver's ed students, which test out at the DMV to get their license -usually pay more for auto insurance.  Students, which successfully complete an entire driver's ed course (class + driving) -usually pay less for insurance. This always depends on the company.  Please check with your insurance agent.  
Wichita Driving School also has a 4 hour and an 8-hour academic defensive driving course for students offered twice a month.  Since 2005 we have held over 250 defensive driving courses at WDS.  This additional eight hour academic class usually qualifies the student for an additional insurance discount with their company, or a 2-point deduction off their driving record, in the event of a future collision or ticket.  Please check with your agent.

-Who cannot take driver's education?  Students under the minimum age of 14, students which failed 4 times recently at the DMV, students which have unpaid tickets, or a suspended license cannot take driver's education.  Students, which have a medical or physical or psychological condition that affects driving, usually are required to be medically cleared before they are allowed to receive their permit or start the driving lessons.