Serving Mission and Abbotsford, B.C. To minimize ad click on arrows to right >>

SELECT DRIVING SCHOOL
Mission BC.....604.826.8710

Select Driving School serves Mission and Abbotsford, British Columbia,
but anyone learning to drive or getting a B.C. licence will find this site helpful.


| Top questions | Prices | 2003 GLP changes | What we teach | How to start |
 
A Must-Visit! ... Guide to getting your BC licence ... A Must-Visit!
Exam questions, learners and road test tips, helpful info, road test booking, more.




Serving Mission and Abbotsford since 1983.








First, here are the most common questions
people ask when they call us for information.



How much does training cost?
  • Naturally, this is the first thing people want to know. See our rates below.
  • As with anything else, it pays to shop wisely. Price is not the most reliable indicator of quality. Recommendations from former students are more helpful, as is reputation over a period of many years.



Can the training car be used for taking the road test?
  • Yes, either on the per-hour basis or as part of one of the packages. See the rates for prices.



What kind of car will I learn in?
  • A 2007 Saturn ION-3 four-door, medium green in colour, with automatic transmission and air conditioning. Unlike most other driving school cars, the seats are adjustable for persons of any height or body type.



Is there an insurance discount for taking training?
  • No, but at present ICBC treats all new drivers very generously by not charging heavy rates to young and inexperienced drivers, as do, for example, Alberta and Ontario. Young people here are often unaware of how fortunate they are with cheap rates.



How long does it take to get a licence?
  • This will depend on many factors -- how much experience you've had, how quickly you learn, and how much practise you can get while doing lessons. Most often it's determined by the Earliest Examination Date printed on the learner's licence -- the date when you're allowed by ICBC to take the road test.
  • When a potential student is thinking of doing a package, we normally recommend scheduling the first lesson or two right away, even if the test date will be many months ahead. This helps students to practise important fundamentals all the way through their driving experience. Some students find that these fundamentals can't be added easily and quickly a short time before their test. "Shoulder checking," which ICBC stresses, is one obvious example.



If my kid takes lessons, do I still have to go out with them and practise?
  • Yes, everyone needs lots of time behind the wheel, and parents will remember signing a paper (when the student applied for a learner's licence) giving the assurance that the student will get at least 60 hours of driving time. Of course, ICBC regards that to be a minimum. A recent problem, now that the learner period is one year, is that student drivers are only driving a little in the first several months, planning to do more when road test day approaches. Rather, students should get as much practice as possible.



How many instructors do you have?
  • Realistically, do you want to keep getting taught by a different instructor? At Select, all training is provided by Chuck Watt, who has 34 years of experience. Chuck has a long-standing reputation for getting results when no one else can, and he was the first instructor in the area to successfully complete the ICBC Graduated Licensing Program instructor course.



Does the training car have dual controls?
  • Yes, all professional, ICBC-licensed and bonded driving schools use dual-controlled cars. It's not only reassuring for the student, it's a requirement of the law.



Does the training car have one of those signs on the roof?
  • Absolutely not....



Is defensive driving taught?
  • Whether in a single hour or a complete course, the all-important seeing techniques are stressed. These techniques are the foundation for everything that follows... skilled vehicle handling... applying the rules of the road... defensive driving and collision avoidance.

    What do we mean about defensive driving? Find out here.












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Hourly rate
~
Fee for a sixty minute lesson
~
$59

GST included

* * *


Our Six-Hour Package
~
Five hours instruction time, extra hour and
training car for the test
~
 $345

GST included.      An hour is 60 minutes.
Abbotsford students do 5 one-hour lessons -- for Mission students,
it depends where the road test will be done.
Multiples of one hour can be scheduled.

* * *


Our Ten-Hour Package
~
Nine hours instruction time, extra hour and
training car for the test.
Lots of traffic time, including the freeway if desired.
~
 $550

GST included.      An hour is 60 minutes.
Abbotsford students usually do 9 one-hour lessons -- for Mission students,
it depends where the road test will be done.
Multiples of one hour can be scheduled.



STATEMENT OF FEES AND TERMS:


Fee for lessons done by-the-hour $59.00.
An hour is 60 minutes -- multiples of one hour can be scheduled.

Fee for 5 hours instruction plus one additional hour and
the use of the training car for the road test $345.00.

Fee for 9 hours instruction plus
one additional hour and the use of the training car for the road test $550.00.

MISSION STUDENTS:
Some sessions will be longer than one hour to drive to Abbotsford
or Maple Ridge, so 5 or 9 hours will not be done as
5 or 9 separate one-hour lessons.

Fee for each additional hour following completion of a package $55.00.

Fees include GST, do not include ICBC fees.

A refund for the unused portion of a package
is provided if the student must withdraw.

A charge of $10.00 applies, at the discretion of
Select Driving School, if the student misses a lesson
without providing sufficient notice.

During lessons only the student and instructor will be
present in the car (with the exception of a translator).

The student understands that Select Driving School,
whether in a single hour or in a package of lessons, is providing
driver training which improves driver skill and knowledge, but that
no claim or representation is made that the student will receive
instruction in every possible topic related to driving
a vehicle. The student also understands that, by law,
a driving school may not state or imply that issuance of a
driver's licence is guaranteed on completion of the training.












Guide to getting a BC licence:

These links will point you to all you need to know about getting a licence, and to related helpful info.   It's easy to get sidetracked when links to specific ICBC pages lead you to other pages that catch your interest.  So make a mental note -- don't forget to come back to this page...


Just starting out? Need to get a learner's licence?
What to know.





Examples of ICBC learners exam questions,
and really helpful advice about handling them,
with a direct link to ICBC's
online practice knowledge test questions.
Note: the online test questions are meant as a study aid --
they are not the actual questions you'll encounter.
The actual questions (and the correct answers)
will be recognized from having read the Safe Driving Guide.


Ready to do the Class 7 road test?
What to expect in the test ...and... tips to help you pass.

Oh, and the number for booking an appointment?
1-888-715-7775

Or you can now
BOOK ONLINE
Get your calendar and your learner's licence number,
and be sure you know your keyword (your mother's
maiden name -- spelled correctly) and click here.
The wait for an appointment? It varies a lot lately
because ICBC has been adding new appointments.
Remember, you can keep checking back with ICBC to
try to get a cancellation. You can also, if you can afford
to wait for hours at a Driver Services Centre, hang around
and hope to get a stand-by appointment if someone doesn't
show up. Call the above number for more details.
Remember --  ICBC charges $25 each time people
don't show up for their road test appointment.


"Shoulder Checking"
You've probably heard that lack of shoulder checking can
be real trouble in a road test -- but beware of bad advice.
For the inside story on shoulder checking
try this.



CLASS 5 INFO:

Need to do the Class 5 road test?
(This is of interest to "N" drivers, or persons with a licence
from another country, or experienced drivers facing a re-exam.)
This is also called the "Level 2" road test.
Full information here.




Seniors and others facing a re-exam can learn more
here.




Other helpful sites:

The Insurance Corporation of B.C. offers information on
licensing, insurance, and many other useful topics.
For an easy guide to all of these
click here for the ICBC sitemap.

"Behind the Wheel" is a site hosted by the former webmaster of the
Vancouver Island Traffic Services site
(formerly the RCMP Highway Patrol site).
It has a weekly column for those who are interested in
traffic safety in British Columbia, and in keeping up with changes
to traffic law.
Behind the Wheel.

Interested in the exact wording of B.C. traffic laws?
Go to the online Motor Vehicle Act.

Other requirements and standards
are found in the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations.









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THE GRADUATED LICENSING RULES
SINCE OCTOBER 2003


  • Learner stage extended from 6 months to 12 months and supervisor age increased to 25. Learners licence expires in two years. Must re-write the knowledge test if licence expires. Limit of two passengers, including the supervisor. No driving between midnight and 5 a.m. Zero blood alcohol content when driving.


  • Novice stage (driving with the N after passing the first road test) extended to 24 months, with a rule that the novice driver be prohibition-free for 24 consecutive months. (A prohibition is a temporary cancellation of a licence, usually for one month but can be much longer if infractions are serious or there was a previous prohibition. GLP drivers get a prohibition if they receive two "average" violation tickets - for example speeding, or unsafe passing.)

    IMPORTANT - WHAT THIS MEANS -- Novice drivers who receive prohibitions will lose their accumulated driving experience and be required to start the novice stage over again. In other words, an N-driver who gets more than one ticket CANNOT get rid of the N - the driver has to re-do the novice stage and drive 24 months straight without a prohibition, to be eligible to do the Class 5 road test.

    ALSO TAKE NOTE -- N drivers who already got their N before the new rules started, but who now get a prohibition for two or more tickets, need to have their licence re-instated after the time is served, but will get the N with the new rules. Again, it means N drivers CANNOT afford to get tickets.


  • Novice drivers are restricted to carrying one passenger unless accompanied by a supervisor aged 25 or over, or unless the passengers are members of the driver's immediate family. (Immediate family members: mother, father, sister, brother, child, spouse, grandparent; including step and foster relationships. "Immediate family member" does not mean aunt, uncle, cousin, or other relative.)
    EXAMPLE - A 17 year old N driver will be able to drive with one friend and three brothers and sisters. This means anytime and anywhere.












The Mission licence office closed November 2002.


"Where do I go?"

Mission residents will have to travel to either the
Abbotsford or the Maple Ridge office. Here are the addresses:

Abbotsford
McCallum Centre Mall
just north of MSA Hospital
behind Fields, and A and B Sound
1-33498 Bevan Avenue

Maple Ridge
175- 22470 Dewdney Trunk Road
(Sign at building entrance says "ServiceBC")

Hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday

Remember - If you're going all that way and you forget your ID,
you're making a wasted trip! Take ID every time.


Is there any advantage in going to one compared to the other?


The Abbotsford office is closer, with a shorter driving time. So, it's easier and more convenient for Mission learner drivers to get over to Abbotsford to practise. However, the wait for a road test appointment is usually longer at Abbotsford than at Maple Ridge.

Remember that you can keep checking back with ICBC to try to get a cancellation. You can also, if you can afford to wait for hours at a Driver Services Centre, hang around and hope to get a stand-by appointment if someone doesn't show up. Call the ICBC appointment line for more details.  1-888-715-7775



How does this affect scheduling with a driving school?

In terms of passing a road test, it is always, for anyone, important to have some knowledge of the area in which the test is taken. While you won't know exactly which route the examiner will use for your test (because there are a variety of test routes), it will be important to get practice in the general area. A student taking lessons will need to arrange the following with the instructor:

  1. A decision will be made as to which licensing office to attend for the test.
  2. One or more lessons may need to be scheduled for ninety minutes, or even two hours, to allow travel time from Mission to the chosen area, so that there will be enough time to drive around in that area. Being realistic, this will mean that for a certain percentage of students, more lesson time will be needed than would otherwise have been the case.
  3. It is highly recommended that you not book your road test appointment yourself if you are using the driving school car for your test. Because of the extra travel time, scheduling conflicts will be inevitable if students book their own appointments. If you have already booked your appointment, advise your instructor as early as possible.


Questions? ... Call us at 604.826.8710

A simple licence change of address can be done online. Click here.

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 Course Content of Packages
  • Introduction to the car -- correct adjustments of seat, mirrors, head restraint. Explanation of switches and controls.

  • Steering and lane positioning, rules of the road, signs, lines, right-of-ways, corners, curves -- all emphasizing the correct seeing techniques which make learning quick and effective.

  • Defensive Driving -- Proven methods to keep you out of accidents. "Reading" the traffic scene, managing space, pacing, escape routes, strategic positioning, planning, timing, communicating, interaction with other traffic and pedestrians.

  • Moving with other traffic, correct lane choice, right and left turns at traffic lights, use of mirrors, understanding blind spots.

  • Maneuvering skills -- Uphill and downhill parking, three-point turns, stall parking, parallel parking, and backing.

  • Highway driving -- Lane choice, managing space, head-on crash avoidance. Entering and exiting freeways, strategies for higher speed driving.

  • Preparation for Road Test -- a review of all skills and maneuvers needed to pass the Road Test.

  • The Role of Driver Training further discussed.



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How to register

Arrangements are made by telephoning us and booking appointments for the first lesson or group of lessons.

When a potential student is thinking of doing a package, we normally recommend scheduling the first lesson or two right away, even if the test date will be many months ahead. This helps students to practise important fundamentals all the way through their driving experience. Some students find that these fundamentals can't be added easily and quickly a short time before their test. "Shoulder checking," which ICBC stresses, is one obvious example.

The student is picked up from home, school or work, and the lesson begins when the student gets into the car (that is, pickup or travel time is not included in lesson time -- each lesson is a full sixty minutes, though more than an hour can be scheduled). Further lessons will be scheduled based on the student's progress and availability.

Fees for packages can be paid at the beginning or in two instalments -- half at the beginning and half on the day of the fourth lesson.

604.826.8710





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E-mail us at
selectdriv@yahoo.ca

Postal address:
32976 - 11th Ave.,
Mission BC V2V 2M1

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Page last modified July 31 2009.