The Drive Happy office is open today, and we have spaces available for the school holiday break!

Give us a call at 951-805-8666.

Just a quick note that our office is closed today, Friday 12/16/11 because our receptionist Jean is enjoying a family day with her husband and daughter.

The phone lines are open, as well as e-mail and text message so don’t worry. We are available if you need us.

Regular office hours will resume on Monday 12/19/11 at 9am.

Q. How often should I be practicing with my teen?

A. The law requires that a minor get 50 hours of practice with an adult 25 or older who is a CA licensed driver. 10 of those hours should be at night. This does not necessarily mean only Mom or Dad. Grandparents, other relatives, family friends, and even your teens friends parents are other good options. Drive as frequently as possible!!

Q. What should I be practicing with my teen?

A. It is important that a student driver get practice in lots of different types of traffic, and new places. Sometimes it is hard to tell what to look for. For the most part, new drivers can appear confident, and most of the time, make good decisions as the driver. Next thing you know, he/she makes a bone head maneuver, that caught you off guard. This can be very scary for the students practice buddy. This is where your experience comes into play #1 Remain calm!!! A panicked driver will do even stranger things… #2 Find a safe area and pull over to discuss what happened and what they should have done. I carry a white board, to illustrate my words. “Right of way” and “blind spot” are just terms until it’s time to find out first hand what those terms actually mean. If you need to be somewhere at a particular time, leave at least 10 minutes early!!!

Q. My teen does not want to practice, what do I do?

A. Don’t get angry. They are simply anxious about what you will think. #1. Remind them that you are under legal obligation to make sure they practice. Offer to drive out of the neighborhood, then switch. Start with shorter, more familiar drives. Often the hardest part is starting. Once they get going, most of the anxiety will disappear. Tell your teen that if they have enough, or want to stop, they can. Breathing is key, if you notice your teen breathing fast or sweating. Ask them if they are okay. People also hold their breath when they are frightened, remind them to breathe too, oxygen will help their brain function better. #2. I have also heard that bribery works…teens love a drive-thru!

Q. Can their be passengers in the vehicle?

A. Yes. As long as the “practice buddy” is in the passenger seat, your teen can drive siblings, or their teammates home after practice. Remember that your teen will feel more pressure to drive well in front of others. Make sure you feel that your teen is ready to handle some distractions, and added stress while driving before attempting passengers. I suggest talking with siblings about letting the driver concentrate, and keeping quiet if a mistake is made

Q. It has been a long time since I learned to drive. How do I know if I am teaching my teen correctly?

A. Ask the instructor! We are happy to answer you questions, and can usually pop in for a few minutes at the end of the lesson to discuss your Teen. We also would like to offer a licensed driver brush-up for practice buddies. This is a private one hour evaluation and brush up on your existing skills. This can eliminate arguments over ‘the right way’ to do something.
Having a private lesson is a great time to discuss any concerns you are having with your teen’s instructor. I myself did not take professional driving lessons until I became an instructor. I was amazed by who much I thought I knew… This class would be extremely valuable to anyone who enjoys being ‘right’ all the time Ask about our one hour brush up lesson for $55.00.

Q. I think my teen might need additional lessons… Can I get a price break on a second set?

A. We set up our lesson format to be very flexible. There are 12 and 18 hour packages available, or you may do lessons a la carte, as needed. For the holidays, we decided to offer a special promotion to students who could benefit from some additional training. After your student has completed their first six hours on instruction, and you purchase an additional six hour package for $300.00, we will use the last lesson as the drive test! This is a $60.00 savings!

Regular Price Break down:
Lesson #5 $80.00
Lesson #6 $80.00
Lesson #7 $80.00
Drive test $120.00 (includes one hour warm up, test in our car, unlimited time at DMV for processing, ride home
Total $360.00

At Drive Happy our goal is not to be the largest driving school. We simply want to be the best. We are very proud of what we do. My favorite part of teaching is seeing the students ‘light bulb’ switch on, and suddenly everything make sense. I really enjoy building pride and confidence in my students. People often overlook the importance of driving safely. We focus so much on work, school, and family…that we forget how we get to work, school, and family. We drive, everyday. We all share the same roads, and all share the right to be safe. Let’s work together, and Drive Happy!!

If you, or someone you know is nervous about taking the Behind-the-Wheel Drive Test in California Drive Happy can help!

Drive Happy!

This adult student completed 8.5 hours of Behind-the-Wheel training with Josh. On Friday he took the Drive Test in our car, and passed his driving test with a very good score of -4.

This student is an excellent example of how adults can benefit from Behind-the-Wheel training. He came to us with a little experience, but no real opportunity to practice. We were able to set up a training program that worked with his schedule, and help him pass the driving test.

If you’d like help passing the driving test, we can help. Visit our Teen or Adult training pages for more information on the services that we provided.

Thank you all for your continued recommendations, kind words, and support. It is a privilege to serve such an awesome community!

Amber and I spent a lot of time reviewing applications and interviewing potential candidates. We had a great selection of qualified candidates, but Jean stood out from the rest with her positive attitude and great computer skills. Jean has been training with us for the last several weeks.

If you have called in recently you may have spoken to her. She is an quick learner who is picking up the skills and knowledge quickly, but remember that she is still new, and the California licensing process is one of the most complex in the country. Please be patient with her while she learns the process.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact myself or Amber directly via e-mail, or by calling 951-805-8666. You may also contact Jean directly via e-mail with questions, or to schedule.

The summer season has been so busy that we had to buy another car for training! Brian at onedaywraps.com just installed the artwork last Friday and it looks great. Here is a pic:

Special cameo appearance by our dog Jack.

We are currently waiting on our instructor brake pedal to arrive and be installed. Once that is complete we will take it to our mechanic at Gearhart’s Garage for the Safety Inspection and we are ready to begin teaching. We will keep you posted on the status.

As soon as we can get the new car on the road it should open up a lot of spaces in the schedule, which is good for everyone. Amber and I appreciate your patience while we get everything prepped and ready to go.

Qualifications:
Applicant must be professional, patient, and friendly. Qualified applicants will have excellent phone
and verbal communication skills. Must be comfortable communicating with teens and their parents,
foreigners, and seniors. Be proficient with computer, internet and be familiar with the geography of our
service area. Must be able to work unsupervised.

Responsibilities include:
Customer service, answering phones, communicating accurate information clearly and in a personable
manner. Scheduling appointments and drive tests, enrolling new students, taking payments, updating
student records, confirm appointments. Bilingual a plus.

Advancement opportunities:
Once you have satisfied the probationary portion of your employment, you may be eligible to train to
become a licensed driving instructor. To become a licensed driving instructor, you must:

• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Be 21 years of age
• Have a clean driving record
• Pass a DOJ background check
• Complete a 30 hour training course
• Pass a physical and eye exam
• Agree to random drug screening
• Pass the CA DMV written exam

How to apply:
You may dowload the employment application by clicking here, or pick one up in person at our office. You may scan and e-mail the application to office@drivehappysocal.com, or bring it in person to our office. Please click here for directions and office hours Once we receive your application we will contact you to set up an interview.

These new prices only affect new customers. If you have already enrolled at our current prices, you’re price is locked in and safe. This is a great time to enroll now and save yourself some money if you have been sitting on the fence.

As of Monday May 30, 2011, or prices will be as follows:

Behind-the-Wheel Training:

• $80 per 90 minute lesson
• $300 for 6 hours Behind-the-Wheel (A $20 discount)
• $550 for 12 hours Behind-the-Wheel ( A $90 discount)

Drive Test:

• $125 for our 2 Hour Drive Test Lesson
• $100 for our 2 Hour Drive Test Lesson after 6 hours of training (A $25 discount)

Package Prices:

• $340 for On-line Driver Education & 6 hours Behind-the-Wheel (A $29.99 discount)

If you are interested in becoming a Drive Happy instructor, please send me an e-mail at josh@drivehappysocal.com. Additional details about our available positions will be posted in the coming months. Amber and I are both very excited to be entering the next phase of Drive Happy’s growth. We’d like to thank all of our students, past and present for allowing us to make this happen.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to e-mail me, or call our office at 951-805-8666

Drive Happy