VIGs

Very Important Guidelines

DDA's Top Ten - Very Important Guidelines

1. GOLDEN RULE - I need to schedule my License Test - NOW WHAT?  CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY! Due to recent legislation, we are proud to be certified by PennDOT to administer Third Party Non-Commercial License Testing at our facility in Newtown Square, or Auto Lenders in Exton. You can test right away in your car if you're ready, or use our car and our Coach if you need more help preparing. Either way, DDA is ready to help you succeed and get your PA Driver License test scheduled in as little as three days!!!. Additionally, our staff is ready to coordinate your Test Prep lesson, DDA Coach and DDA Car before we get booked up. Pick up and drop off at our test facility may be required during peak times.

2. How should I practice with my young driver after each lesson?   When a new driver first starts practicing, short (15-20 min) practice sessions seem to work best, and will foster a much calmer atmosphere in the vehicle when practicing together. Additionally, if driving lessons are started sooner rather than later, students are much less likely to ingrain bad habits or drivehavior!  Please use the RFI (homework) Form to reference new DDA tips and techniques as well as DDA Coach recommended changes. With shorter practice sessions and a removable DDA STUDENT driver vinyl decal everyone's patience level remains high and improvement becomes more rapid.

3. How should behind-the-wheel lessons be spaced?  DDA programs are designed so that driving homework (DDA Coach changes and new driving techniques) is repeated between lessons until mastered. After the first lesson, the remaining lessons, regardless of which DDA Program you select, should then be spaced out to the license test (6 months later if under 18). If we are not license testing you, then the last parallel parking/test prep lesson should be about 7-10 days prior to the license date if using your family vehicle. This keeps test tips fresh and allows students enough time to go back to the test center with their family vehicle to practice parallel parking in the actual DMV spot. Remember, if you're not testing at our facilities, contact us the same day you schedule your test with the DMV.

4. How do I schedule future behind-the-wheel lessons?  Do not call the office or leave messages - retrieving answering machine messages and playing phone tag to hunt people down will slow the scheduling process down for everyone and ultimately increase our rates. We have made it very easy for parents or teens to simply click the Schedule Next Lesson button (on the bar above) to schedule driving lessons yourself using our online calendar instantly! Students that plan to take or have their license test scheduled within the next 6-8 weeks may be required to schedule all driving lesson appointments upon initial contact.


5. What if my license test is already scheduled soon, is it too late to start?
  It's never too late! All DDA students are given a customized Room for Improvement (homework) form at the end of each two hour lesson that lists all coach recommended changes as well as brand new techniques so teens, parents and DDA Coaches are all on the same page. Remember to keep this RFI form in your glove compartment to reference prior to each practice drive with parents and even after the license is obtained if you really want to get better. Any driver can improve when successful changes are made. Good DRIVE-HAVIOR is the result of brain-washing the old way out and the new way in, not joy-riding around just to log drive time.

6. Should parents start working on parallel parking?  Not if you're testing in a DDA Car. The DDA formula for parallel parking has worked tremendously well for thousands of DDA students and we always cover this on the last lesson because we want our method to remain fresh. No parallel parking practice is permitted at any DMV during testing hours (Tues-Sat 830-4pm.)

7. Can I upgrade my DDA Program if I decide later I want DDA to take me on test day?  Yes. Our TestElite© and TotalGold© programs include parallel parking warm-up sessions with your coach right before the test, as well as the expertise of a DDA Coach to calm things down the day of your test. DDA test programs usually require the last parallel parking/test prep lesson and license test to be scheduled on the last lesson, therefore, a DDA Test Coordinator will have to actually schedule your test to coordinate the DDA car, coach and student schedules. To take advantage of DDA's best rates, though, remember to select and pay for a DDA Test Program right from the start.

8. What do I need to have ready on test day?  Don't worry. Everybody receives a Testing email that lists everything you need to bring the day of your test. If under age 18 when DDA takes the student to our facility on test day, or, if DDA does the actual license testing, you will need the permit and form DL-180C-65 hrs of practice certification form must be signed and notarized by a parent or guardian or we will not do your test!  When someone uses their own vehicle on test day, a valid license, registration and insurance card will also be required, but form DL-180C will not need to be notarized if a parent is present at the test center with you. Remember to also check your vehicle's headlights, brake lights and turn signal bulbs - one bad bulb, and our tester will turn you away. Yes, at DDA we care and wouldn't want you to have to reschedule your test due to a bad bulb. Lastly, if your permit requires you to wear corrective lenses and you forget to wear your glasses or contacts, our tester will fail you before you start. Download form DL-180C

9. When my young driver has completed the program do you provide a certificate that I can give to my insurance company?  Yes. Our Teen curriculum is licensed by the PA Dept. of Education and must be followed to qualify for a certificate of completion.  DDA Inc. is a green company, so we email certificates to save paper, envelopes, ink, trees, glue, stamps, etc. Please remember to download and store certificates on your PC in a place you can easily recall if you switch insurance companies later. This will avoid a re-send fee to cover administrative costs if you need DDA to send another duplicate certificate later on. Remember, missed or forgotten payments will delay the certificate of completion. We highly recommend you ask your agent if a certificate for 30hrs of classroom theory is also required along with the behind-the-wheel certificate to qualify for the full insurance discount - in PA not all insurance companies have the same teen discount requirements, and some even offer a "good grades" discount too. Request a certificate of completion

10. I'm ready to sign up, what's next?  DDA requires all new students to register online to get started. Registering is required to schedule driving lessons instantly online, and will help us to provide the best possible customer service we can. We also need to have emergency phone numbers and contact info on hand just in case. In PA, there are two teen driver ed certificate programs: Behind-the-Wheel Instruction and Classroom or Online Theory. Most PA auto insurance companies require both certificates to qualify for the teen auto discount, while other companies require just one. This is why DDA requires you to register and pay separately for each. Again, you might not need both, so call your insurance agent for details. Only your agent knows what requirements are necessary in order to qualify for the teen auto insurance discount - we do not. After speaking with your agent, you can register for a DDA Behind the Wheel program and add a DDA 30 Hour Course if needed. A certificate will be emailed after each program is completed successfully.

 

DDA Cancellation Policy/Terms must be accepted before lessons start. We require advance notification if you are unable to keep an appointment. Behind-the-Wheel Driving lessons and Test dates are not ongoing (like work, school, etc.), but rather, a very limited educational/business commitment that should be prioritized above your other re-occurring school activities, sports practice or after-school jobs. When a student cancels an appointment with short notice, DDA Coaches must still be paid, so please provide us with as much notice as possible. Same-day cancellations are subject to a $40 fee. No-shows are subject to the full cost of the lesson or test and will only be rescheduled with approval from the program Director. To cancel an appointment with less than 24 hrs notice or if it's after 12pm on a Friday (for weekend cancellations) DO NOT SEND AN EMAIL! Please call 610 353-2047 and press option 2. Sending an email in this situation might not be received, therefore, the aforementioned cancellation fees will be assessed. Additionally, repeat cancellations, inappropriate or offensive behavior, voicemails or emails by parents or students will not be tolerated and DDA Inc. reserves the right to dismiss students at anytime without a refund if necessary. DDA will also share or send emails about weather alerts, scheduling future lessons, teen driving research studies, teen auto insurance discounts, and future DDA license testing updates or PennDOT changes. At DDA, the safety and security of our students and families is our #1 priority, therefore, all DDA vehicles and locations are equipped with video/audio recording technology and GPS. Additionally, DDA will never share photos of, or social media about, DDA students without consent from actual student and/or parent.

DDA customer service always goes over and above to accommodate our loyal students and families, which is why DDA has more positive reviews than any other driving school in Southeastern Pennsylvania. DDA Reviews

Thanks in advance for taking time to read and follow our private driving school guidelines...

~We appreciate your business!

Defensive Driving Academy, Inc.

We Appreciate your Kind Words!
Thank You,
~Your friends at DDA Inc.

Certificate of Appreciation presented to DDA Director Gerald Murphy. Since 2008, DDA Inc. continues it's consultancy with CHOP's Center for Injury Research and Prevention and the Young Driver Research Initiative - dedicated to reducing death and injury from young driver-related crashes through scientific research and development.

CHOP Researchers and DDA Director Jerry Murphy discuss recent findings related to "Why Teens Crash" with Eyewitness News Reporter Jenn Bernstein.

Take a Free Practice PA Permit Test If you haven't been to the DMV to get your learner's permit, or you've been there a few times and had difficulty passing the computer knowledge test--it's okay. DDA is here to help!!! Just click on the PA Driver's Manual (to the left), and you can take a 25 question practice permit test, which is very similar to the PA test. If you feel you need more practice questions, just Google "free PA permit test," and you can keep trying practice questions until you're ready to pass the real thing--GOOD LUCK!!!!

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