Drive Politely

When your teen has their driver's license, and you no longer have to schedule your day around theirs, you might be wondering "now that I have this free time, what can I do?" Don't worry. We've put together a list of ideas to help you figure it out.

There are no winners...

A 20-year-old resident of Connecticut was speeding one morning around 3 a.m. - coming home from a bar - when his car rolled over, his female passenger ejected from the sunroof.

Neither were wearing seat belts.

He was driving so fast he lost control of his car. He had also been drinking - his blood alcohol level was later tested, and it was found to be about .130.

He survived.

The passenger was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google Maps, Spotify, YouTube, Pokémon Go… the list goes on as teens and adults alike whip out their phones as they drive to imbibe the internet. Over the years our instructors at The Next Street have received numerous questions as to the legal ambiguity of using apps that play music or provide directions while driving:

“How is it different than the radio or a CD?” “It’s just telling them where to go!” “What if the phone is in the glovebox?” “Is it really that distracting? It’s not like it’s texting.”

While many distracted driving laws have advanced to include texting as well as phone calls, only a few states have comprehensively restricted all cell phone use behind the wheel. It’s hard to know the extent of app usage while driving, as the problem is theorized to be drastically underreported.

Across the country thousands are injured every year in car crashes because of it.

The average human walks at about 3 miles per hour, so it’s easy to see why we invented things like bicycles and cars to take us around: we’re so slow! With the hum of an engine and all the power that comes with it, it’s sometimes easy to forget just how dangerous these inventions of ours are!

Take a moment, close your eyes, and think of the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words "driver's ed." Perhaps you've already been through a program, or you've seen it in movies or on TV, or maybe your friends have been through it. There's a lot of stereotypes of driving schools and driving instructors being boring, droning on and on about tires, emergency brakes, 10 & 2... 

Take everything you think you know about the industry, and forget it. None of that applies here. We're The Next Street, The Best Driving School in Connecticut. That's a title we're proud of, and something that we don't take lightly. We graduate 10,000 more students through our programs each year than any other school in the state, and we're able to do that because we have the best team out there. From our veteran Master Instructors, to our dedicated Customer Happiness Representatives, to our newest trainees, each member of our team is an outstanding individual in their own right and embraces our core values both personally and professionally.

GO AHEAD. GET LICENSED. 

You’ve put a lot of hard work into learning how to drive, and now it’s time for “The Big Test.” This can be a pretty stressful time, so The Next Street gives you several options that will make your testing day easier and more convenient. You’re almost there, and with The Next Street, we’ll get through the Driver’s License Test together.

We HATE fees. Want to know why we have to charge them?

When a student books a Driving Lesson with one of our educators, that educator is now taken out of that open slot and their status has changed from “open” to “closed.” Once an educator is booked, we must pay them for that time spent on the lesson – no one likes to work for free of course! Should you cancel your lesson with less than 24 hours notice, it doesn’t give our Customer Happiness Center time to fill that slot with another student. So, what happens is, our educator has no student, but is still counting on getting paid for that lesson – hence the fee!

So please, if you need to cancel a Driving Lesson, give us at least 24 hours notice. This way we can give our educator a heads up, get that spot filled, and leave you free of fees. After all, we want you to leave with the best driver's ed experience possible!

Go Ahead. Learn Our Rules!

We understand that driver's ed is just one more thing on your running list of things to do. We get it! Keep these important policies and procedures in mind when signing up, and your entire experience will be easy and stress free. 

It's no secret that teen driver restrictions in Connecticut can get confusing. When can I drive? Who am I allowed to drive with? Is my brother allowed to ride with me? It is easy to forget the details, but unfortunately if you do, you can be in some trouble. Keep these restrictions in mind the next time you hit the road. 

Once you turn 16 you are eligible to apply for your permit. This can be done before or after you sign up for classes but must be done before any private driving lessons can be taken. If you don’t have your permit already, book your CT permit test now. Your license testing eligibility doesn’t start until you get your permit and the DMV often books dates 2 months out!