EAST COAST DRIVING SCHOOL COMPLETE OUTLINE OF THE

EAST COAST DRIVING SCHOOL

COMPLETE OUTLINE OF THE DRIVER EDUCATION COURSE

1) Basic Driver Education Program

a) Requirement, Course Studies

b) Classroom Attendance, Rules & Regulation

2) The Student Appointment Card, Conduct

3) How to schedule Driving and Observation Lessons

4) Payments/Payment Plan & Certification Process

5) Our Road Test Service

6) Additional Lessons

7) Cancellation of Classroom or Road Lessons

PLEASE NOTE: after the first classroom attendance, tuition is not refundable.

THIS COURSE MUST BE COMPLETED----CLASSROOM, DRIVING AND

OBSERVATION--- WITHIN TWO (2) YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE FIRST

CLASSROOM SESSION.

BASIC DRIVER EDUCATION COURSE REQUIREMENTS

AGE:

15 years, 9 months to start the Classroom Instruction

16 years, legal age to operate with a learner’s permit

16 ½ years, legal age (to the day) to be licensed with a Driver Education Certificate.

18 years, legal age (to the day) to be licensed without a Driver Education Certificate.

COURSE STUDIES

1) 30 hours of Classroom Instruction

This prepares the driver to safely and competently meet the challenges of the

driving environment.

2) 12 hours of Driving Instruction if Learner’s Permit obtained on or after

09/01/2007

Our driving instruction brings the classroom concepts to life. Students not only

learn the basic mechanics of how to drive an automobile safely, but to utilize the

Smith System of Defensive Driving. ECDS will make every effort to have a

student’s driving instruction completed approximately four months after the student

passes the classroom requirements. This time schedule is affected, of course, by

the student’s availability and their permit issue date. It is very important for a

student to start their road lessons as soon as possible, so they can finish prior to

their date of eligibility for their license. We cannot rush a student’s driving

hours in a short period of time simply because the student was not

available earlier or put the driving hours off.

3) 6 Hours of Observation Instruction

Observation provides a necessary format for students to learn from others

experiences, to concentrate despite distractions, and to observe traffic situations

that may not occur during their own driving time.

4) 2 Hour Parent Class

The intent of this class is to educate parents/guardians about the content of the

Driver’s Ed curriculum, the junior operator’s law (JOL) and the driving skills and

behaviors that their children will be learning. Coaching and mentoring safe and

skilled drivers will be encouraged.

5) 40 Hours of Supervised Driving With a Parent or Guardian

Applicants for a JOL license are required to complete at least 40 hrs of supervised

driving with a parent or guardian. Times and dates should be documented.

CLASSROOM ATTENDANCE

Since attendance is mandatory, students will not be recommended for Certification if any

classes are outstanding.

Absenteeism: We realize that there may be times when an absence is unavoidable, but

each missed class must be made up in another corresponding session. In addition, each

student must bring a note from a parent or guardian explaining the absence. Students with

more than 3 outstanding classes will not be permitted to take the final exam until the

missed classes are made up.

Early Dismissal: There must be a good reason to be dismissed early and an explanatory

note must accompany the request.

Tardiness: All students are expected to be in their seats and ready to begin at the

scheduled class starting time. A student who is late for class must have a legitimate

reason with an accompanying note or will not be permitted to attend the session.

Conduct: Behavior is expected to be in accordance with the High School rules and those

of East Coast Driving School.

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION

Each student must pass the course with no less than a score of 80% on the final exam.

Students at a minimum will be required to:

1) Have a properly maintained notebook and bring it to each class session.

2) Pass periodic quizzes given at the instructor’s discretion.

3) Pass a comprehensive final exam.

A student failing the final exam will be given the opportunity to take it a second time and

the parents will be notified.

THE STUDENT APPOINTMENT CARD

The appointment card received on the first day of class is your teenager’s ticket to a

smooth and swift certification. This is your teenager’s record of all classroom, driving and

observation lessons. This card is required for every classroom, driving and observation

lesson attended. Failure to have it filled out properly could delay the certification process.

SCHEDULING DRIVING AND OBSERVATION LESSONS

Please call us when you are ready to start you on road lessons. We will pick you up at

your home, school or work provided it is in our service area. Our road instructors teach a

variety of days and times to assist in meeting your scheduling needs.

A Learner’s Permit is required for all driving and observation lessons and must be shown

upon entering the car. If anyone does not have their Learner’s Permit the lesson will be

refused and a $50.00 fee will be assessed.

If for any reason you cannot keep an appointment please let us know at least 24 hours in

advance in order that we may reschedule your time for someone else. A change of

pickup/drop off will also result in a cancellation fee if 24 hour notice is not given. If less

than 24 hours notice is given we must assess a fee of $50.00. We understand that

unforeseen occurrences happen; we simply want to eliminate habitually missed

appointments, not having the learner’s permit and not taking the time to reschedule if

needed.

CONDUCT IN THE VEHICLE

All students are to conduct themselves as they should in the classroom. The use of safety

belts is mandatory for all persons in our car at all times. Eating, drinking, smoking as well

as the use of cell phones, headsets, radios and other electronic devices is not allowed at

any time. We want everyone seated in our vehicles to think “SAFETY”.

Please realize the difficulty our road instructors experience in picking up students for

driving as well as observation all at the same scheduled time. Traffic and time restrictions

may cause scheduled pick-up and drop-off times to vary by a few minutes. Flexibility and

patience may be required!

Please try to be on time for your appointments. Our instructors are asked to wait no more

than 10 minutes for a driving / observation student in order to not negatively effect the

other student’s time. If for some reason you are going to be late, please notify the office as

soon as possible.

PAYMENT

For your convenience we offer an interest free payment plan. We do require that a

student’s balance be paid in full prior to their 12

hour of on-road driving

instruction. East Coast Driving School will not request a Driver Education Certificate

from the Registry of Motor Vehicles if there is an outstanding balance.

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Upon completion of the 30 hours of classroom, the 12 hours of driving, 6 hours of

observation time and the parent’s class if needed, the student’s certification will be

processed. Prior to this being sent out, ECDS will need a check or money order payable

to the MASS DOT for $15.00. This is the fee the RMV charges for the issuance of the

certificate and it is NOT a fee associated with ECDS.

The issuance of the certificate will allow you to schedule a road test. It takes approximately

2 weeks for the Certification to be issued after the RMV receives the paperwork. The RMV

will no longer mail out certificates. To check the status of your certificate you may go to the

Registry's website: www.mass.gov/rmv and enter the information required under the

heading Verify Your Drivers Ed Certificate.

ROAD TEST SERVICE

If you wish to have East Coast Driving School sponsor you for your road test, please let us

schedule the appointment. Saturday road tests are now being conducted at ECDS. The

examiner will meet us at ECDS and the road test will be completed in Franklin. This

eliminates the need to go to the actual RMV in Milford. This road test fee is $125 and pays

for the RMV examiner as well as the use of an ECDS vehicle and sponsor. We require

that all fees be paid at least 2 weeks prior to the road test.

On the day of the road test you will be required to have the following items: a completed

and signed RMV road test application form, your Learner’s Permit and glasses or contacts

if applicable. The cost you need to pay to the RMV is $70.00 ($50 for license fee and $20

for a road test fee). THIS MUST BE PREPAID TO THE RMV.

If a student is 18 years old and wants to use ECDS’s Road Test Service then all of the

driving and observation must be completed before ECDS will schedule a road test. If the

student has not completed the driving and observation and wants to take the road test,

ECDS will not sponsor you at the Registry. The Driver Education Certificate is not

required to schedule a road test if the student is 18. You may certainly go on your own to

the Registry. The Driver Education Certification is required to receive the insurance

discount.

ADDITIONAL LESSONS

If your son or daughter’s driving has not progressed to a level of expertise equal to that of

their peers, our Driving Instructor’s official record card and evaluation will reflect this. This

is usually apparent by the 6

hour of driving. We will contact you either in person or by

phone and discuss your teenager’s progress. At your discretion, additional lessons are

available at the rate of $70.00 per hour. Payment should be made to ECDS at the time of

the lessons, either in cash or by check. Follow-up evaluations and discussion will continue

for as long as it is necessary for the student to become proficient enough to pass the

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicle road test.

CLASSROOM AND/OR ROAD LESSON CANCELLATION

In the event that the local area schools are either cancelled or dismissed early due to the

inclement weather, evening driver education classes as well as road lessons may be

cancelled. Every effort is made to hold the class or the road lesson as scheduled. This

decision will be made at the discretion of the driving instructor. Please be sure to call the

office if you are not sure of class or road lesson status. This does not constitute a missed

session because the entire classroom schedule will simply be moved forward. A cancelled

road lesson will try to be rescheduled as soon as possible.

INVITATION TO PARENTS

Any parent who wishes to attend any of our classes is cordially invited and encouraged to

do so at any time, provided there is room.

CONCLUSION

We hope this booklet has provided you with some insight to our programs and available

services. We are glad you are taking the time to involve yourself with one of the most

important beginning steps in your son or daughter’s understanding of an adult

responsibility.

We encourage you to refer to this booklet as a “trouble-shooting” guide if any questions

arise in the future about some of our basic procedures. However please feel free to

Thank you for trusting East Coast Driving School to train your teenager properly & safely.

Sincerely,

Your friends at East Coast Driving School

Email: [email protected]

Ph. 508-520-1100

Website: www.eastcoastdriving.com

PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN TO EAST COAST DRIVING SCHOOL

Please sign below indicating that you and your teenager have read and understand the

complete outline of the East Coast Driving School driver education course. Please have

this signed page returned to East Coast Driving School for our records.

PARENT NAME PRINTED: ________________________________________________

PARENT ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

PARENT’S

SIGNATURE: ______________________________________ DATE:______________

STUDENT NAME PRINTED: _______________________________________________

STUDENT’S

SIGNATURE:_______________________________________ DATE:______________

PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN TO EAST COAST DRIVING SCHOOL