It’s tempting to choose parent-taught driver’s education due to cost. What have you spent on lessons for music or sports? Tutoring? Summer camps? Gaming? Clothing or hair appointments? Daycare? We believe our driver’s education course is an investment in your child’s safety that if practiced correctly, will last them a lifetime.

The Facts about Parent Taught Driver's Education

It’s a BIG commitment.

You may believe parent taught is cheaper--it costs less with DPS. But is it really a bargain? Most auto insurance companies offer a 10% discount off teen’s insurance premiums for a three-year period, IF they complete a driver’s education program. This discount usually offsets the tuition for Teen Drivers Education during the first year
Convenience–I can do it at home. Because you have lots of time to teach? Most adults have very little time to teach the driver’s education material (approximately 1000+ pages of information). Our school has convenient classes geared for a teen’s busy schedule. PLUS… with Parent Taught once you receive your packet from DPS you are agreeing to teach every task outlined in the classroom and in-car program.
Parents know how to drive and can teach their own kids. In reality most parents acquire many bad driving habits over the years; (Do you always use your turn signal? Stop behind the stop sign or white crosswalk? Ever change lanes in an intersection?) And finally, the parent/teen teaching experience is very stressful and challenging at best and your family car has no instructor brakes or safety equipment.

The Risks of Parent-Taught Driver's Education

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Study

Since 1997 when Parent-Taught Driver’s Ed was introduced, the number of teen accidents and death has been on the rise.
Teenagers taught to drive by someone other than a professional driver education instructor are more likely to be involved in a serious traffic crash.
PT drivers are nearly three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than young drivers taught by commercial driving school instructors.
Parents are not required to complete any training, whereas DE Instructors are required to have a background check and must be certified by TDLR before being allowed to instruct students in classroom or in the car. They also must complete updates yearly and register them with the State.
Parent-Taught novice drivers were more likely to be convicted of driving violations, including speeding and more likely to be in a serious crash.
In the six months of driving experience following the learners’ permit period, (as soon as the student receives their license) PT drivers were involved in nearly 50 percent more crashes, in which at least one person received a serious injury.
During the year following the period where the student is supervised by an adult, PT drivers were involved in fatal crashes at a much higher rate than teens who completed commercial driving school education.

Classroom Only Driver's Education

We prefer to teach our students from beginning to end, but if you wish to bond with your child during the BEHIND THE WHEEL portion of the Course, Gulf Coast Driving Academy DOES offer CLASSROOM ONLY education or if you would prefer that we do only the BEHIND THE WHEEL portion we would be glad to assist; however, the student must have their Learner’s Permit before we can assist.

You can begin the registration process for CLASSROOM ONLY on our website. Should you choose this option, please contact the Department of Public Safety. They regulate the requirements for parent-taught courses. Gulf Coast Driving Academy does not keep DPS requirements on hand as they are subject to change.

Parent vs Professionally Taught Driver’s Ed

The Facts about Parent Taught Driver's Education

The Risks of Parent-Taught Driver's Education