“How is West Point different?”

If you haven’t checked Yelp yet, please do. We’re the highest-rated driving school in the Sacramento area, and here are some of the reasons…

• We always invest in excellence: Well-paid professional instructors. Continual staff training. Well-equipped, well-maintained modern cars. Knowledgeable office staff who don’t need “management approval” to help you. Just good old-fashioned service.
• We always give you maximum value. We’ll never have the lowest prices, but one lesson with us can be as effective as several lessons elsewhere.
• We always respect the family as part of the training team. We welcome family participation (ride-alongs) and we will keep you well-informed.
• We always stand behind a fair refund policy.  (See our Friendly Terms.)
  

• We will NOT “just drive around”. That’s called practice, not training. Results-oriented training is worth paying for. Practice is not. We’re professionals who are paid to make a difference. We’re very good at converting nervous drivers to safe, confident drivers.
• We will NOT have other students in the car, ever. This is called “piggybacking” and you may have been told it’s “industry standard practice”.  Driving schools who do this save labor costs.  But with West Point, a 2-hour lesson takes 2 hours of your time — Not 2 hours plus the time it takes another student to drive you home.
  
• We will NOT cut lessons short, take breaks, or run errands during lessons.  You’ll get every bit of the time you pay for.
• We will NOT rush you to take your lessons.  Your enrollment is good for 2 full years — Twice as long as a permit is valid. 

“How many lessons should I take?”

We want to help you meet your goals as quickly as possible, for as little money as possible.  Lessons are available one-at-a-time (2 hours), or in bundles of 3 lessons (6 hours) which saves money with package pricing.  Call for pricing for bundles of 2 lessons, 10 lessons, or more.

If you will be under 18 when you get your license, legally you must complete at least 3 lessons (6 hours).  After those 3 lessons, we’ll provide a certificate which you must take to the DMV for your drive test. (You can still take more lessons if you wish.)  Since you must wait 6 months from the day your permit is issued before testing for your license, we generally recommend spacing out the lessons 2-3 months.

For seniors or adults over 18, we will work with you to schedule lessons appropriately for your individual needs.  If you have prior experience maybe one lesson is all you need to brush up before your drive test.  If you need more training but you don’t have a way to practice between lessons, it’s best to take the lessons closer together.  Driving is a rapidly-diminishing skill when you’re just starting out.

Let’s set your expectations realistically.  People learn driving at widely different rates.  We have seen people with no prior experience obtain a license after only 10 hours of total driving time.  (Including lessons and practice.)  This is pretty rare.  Some others will require 60 or more total driving hours. (Again including lessons and practice.)  Your instructor will give an honest assessment of your progress and recommendations.

“What will we do during lessons?”

We have general guidelines, but training will be a little different for every student. Instructors are trained to pinpoint driving weaknesses, and to focus on those while taking you through progressive stages of driving. From basic control, to general scanning, to navigating traffic, to freeway merges, to advanced maneuvers and defensive driving in confusing situations.

For teens, the first lesson typically starts with slow residential driving, parking, backing, and we progress to multilane streets and U turns. This does not mean the young driver is ready to do the same with parents. It is an introduction. The second lesson (typically) occurs a couple months later, and it’s the most intense. If the student is ready, we teach freeway entrances, and we go to downtown Sacramento. This includes 1-way streets, narrow alleys and dense traffic.

The last lesson is a “clean up” and a full review of the drive test requirements.  Please schedule the last lesson at least 2 weeks before your drive test.  This ensures that you have time to practice any weak points we identify, and if something prevents the lesson from happening, we’ll have a chance to make it up before the test.

For adults, we also take you through progressive stages, but since lessons are usually closer together and individual needs may vary, the instructor will always evaluate and address your individual needs. We will also address your preferences.  For example some adults, particularly seniors, may never want to drive on the freeway.

“I have more questions!”

No problem!  Our phone staff would love to hear from you, and can answer any questions you may have!  Call us at (916)381-3211.