Our Cars...
Toyota Camry's are widely held as one of the safest vehicles to drive. My sister was nearly killed but her 2011 Camry helped save her life. The airbags deployed properly, the engine dropped, and the front end crumpled nicely. It did exactly what it was supposed to. We have 2005 and 2006 Camry's which are designed identical to the 2011. They are larger mid-sized cars with a good track record of safety and dependability. Smaller compact cars provide less overall protection with less metal, space, and weight to absorb impacts. Smaller cars are also harder to see. Large vehicles make it harder for the instructor to grab the wheel in an emergency. Besides the passenger brake, being able to grab the wheel is extremely important. Some sports cars including the popular Ford Fusion have speedometers which are impossible to read by the instructor. This means the student may be going above or below the speed limit possibly putting all the occupants in danger. These vehicle issues - added with incompetent, inexperienced, in-it-for-the-money instructors = a driving school that could jeopardize your student's life. UltraSafe's goal is safety first. Our headlights (not daytime running lights) are always on so people can see us better. Even veteran instructors who should understand the importance of helping other drivers see you - still do not turn on their lights during the day or early evening. Some driver education cars have dangly things hanging from the rear view mirror which could possibly create a blind spot. We even use special blindspot mirrors to give instructors extra visibility around the vehicle. We also adjust mirrors the correct way helping students see into their blindspots better.
Our Training...
We drive with the flow of traffic in heavy congestion rather than keeping with the speed limit. While speed is one instrument to gauge safety, it is not the only thing. Many instructors tell students to constantly check speed and never go over the speed limit. If for safety reasons it is best to drive over the speed limit - we will. And we always explain the "Why?" behind every instruction or technique. Students who approach driving from a "safety first" perspective will tend to drive safer than those who drive on a "what is the law" perspective. Students appreciate learning why it's safer to do something rather than just being told to do something. We stress effective scanning techniques concentrating on potential problems and potential escape routes. Driver psychology is also a major part of our training - why people drive the way they do? We do not advocate checking the rear view mirror constantly. Some schools say "every 5 seconds check your mirrors". While this sounds good it contradicts the fact that 90% of your potential problems come from the areas in front of you. Why constantly look behind you taking your eyes off the major areas in front of you? We have many strategies which decrease stress for students and make driving safer overall. After the parent observation drive many parents feel a sense of safety and confidence in our strategies. Many parents say they've never heard of these concepts at all. If you need further convincing please read "How to choose a driver training school". You will see we are simply the best.
