Discover the Best Driving Classes in NYC
When you live in New York City, owning a car and learning to drive is not the necessity it is for other Americans. With the abundance of reliable public transit, most New Yorkers opt out of the responsibility of car ownership and driving. However, others eagerly pursue their driver’s licenses, understandably seduced by the flexibility and independence that comes with them. New York is among the states requiring a driver’s education course before receiving your license. Many stop their formal driving education there, but you can pursue more specialized driving and automotive repair classes as part of a career path or hobby, or to save money on your insurance premiums and maintenance costs by doing it all yourself.
Why You Should Learn Driving in NYC
Getting your driver’s license in New York City will increase your independence in your transportation, and that can be a significant step into adulthood if you’re still a teen. Whatever age you may be, having a driver’s license in NYC opens up thousands of job opportunities, from driving buses to delivering donuts. The happy flip side to having such an efficient public transit system means that New Yorkers who enjoy driving or maintaining vehicles have significant job options in the field.
With NYC’s overflowing streets, many who prefer to drive themselves invest in lower-profile scooters or motorcycles to get around town. New York City’s many biker and motorcycle enthusiast clubs are excellent ways to connect with others interested in learning maintenance and repair of their own bikes. Whatever your vehicle of choice, driving in NYC’s packed streets is a challenging skill but rewarding to learn. Mastering the art of safe driving is a must for your own sake as well as those of millions of other drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians you share the road with in New York City.
In-Person Driving Classes & Schools in NYC
Whether it’s a driver’s education course or an advanced auto maintenance workshop, automotive and driving skills are more often than not learned in in-person classes. An experienced live instructor is vital when the stakes are so high in learning to operate and maintain a vehicle safely.
Auto repair classes can help anyone save money by performing their own car care. For many, vehicle maintenance courses are part of their career education too. And driving and maintenance classes aren’t just limited to cars: learning to operate and care for forklifts, commercial trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles are the gateway to many stable jobs and enjoyable hobbies.
Blue Steel Auto School is an NYSDMV-licensed driving school easy to find in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood. They offer a variety of driving classes, including driver’s education, motorcycle training, and several options for defensive driving. Their enthusiastic instructors lead their auto-centered courses with a mission to transform lives by empowering their students to drive safely and maintain their vehicles with confidence.
If you’re looking for a defensive driving class to reduce your violation points and insurance premiums, you’ll want to sign up for Blue Steel’s 6 Hour Point Reduction Defensive Driving Course. Insurance companies reward you with a 10% discount (or more) when you complete courses like this, thanks to the measurable decrease in traffic accident risk you gain from your education on safely navigating the roads. Bring your NYS Learner’s Permit or driver’s license and a notepad.
Since 1968, Ferrari Driving School has been a forerunner in automotive education services in NYC. As the largest driving school in the city, they provide fleet training and other services to government agencies, businesses, and organizations in the area. And their trademarked Ferrari 5 Level Program is popular for New Yorkers learning to drive the city streets safely. You’ll find them in their Long Island City Training Center in Queens.
But Ferrari’s automotive education doesn’t stop at driving: they also offer a top-notch Car Care workshop. The two-hour class will walk you step by step through essential maintenance and repair skills every driver needs to know. You’ll learn how to pump your own gas, jump-start and charge a battery, and perform routine safety checks. This Ferrari class also goes beyond basic car maintenance, covering topics like how to choose a mechanic and what to look for when purchasing a used vehicle.
Ferrari Driving School also offers many career skill and certification courses, including the OSHA-certified Forklift Training and Certification class. Ferrari instructors recommend you take this course directly after you pass your CDL road test to increase your chances of employment and job security. Trucking companies prefer drivers who can load their own trucks by safely operating a Class C forklift, something you’ll be able to do like a pro by the end of this class. As an OSHA-certified forklift driver, you’ll also be eligible for stable warehouse employment in a position that doesn’t depend on the fluctuating number of delivery orders.
Another class to increase your employability as a trucker is Ferrari’s Department of Transportation (DOT) Certification course. If you want to be able to drive a commercial vehicle across state lines, you will need the US DOT Certification that you’ll earn by taking this class. Without this certification, you can have your vehicle impounded and incur heavy fines for both yourself and your company. This simple class is all you need to legally operate your commercial vehicle interstate.
Passionate motorcyclists will enjoy Craftsman Avenue’s unique class in Motorcycle Design Theory. The Brooklyn school offers welding, woodworking, jewelry making, leather crafting, knife forging, and stained glass classes to people of all backgrounds and skill levels in their Gowanus home.
Taught by Craftsman Avenue’s founder Taras Kravtchouk, this motorcycle class will teach how to customize your bike’s frame and other components like seats and tires. Bike customization is a tradition that runs through the entire history of motorcycle ownership, and being able to tailor yours safely is one of the most exciting aspects of maintaining and caring for your vehicle. You will also explore the different types of custom bikes and learn the distinguishing characteristics between cafe racers, bobbers, and trackers. By the end of the workshop, you will know exactly where to begin when you’re ready to customize your motorcycle.
Virtual Driving Classes & Schools
In-person classes are the obvious choice for driver’s education courses with on-the-road practice components and for learning the hands-on skills of auto maintenance and repair. However, online driving classes are becoming more popular for defensive driving courses and even for the classroom component of Driver’s Education. Many prefer these for the flexibility they offer with the options of different class times. And the ability to meet with a live instructor from home can be a huge benefit when you don’t yet have the independence in transportation you’re hoping to gain when you finally get your first driver’s license.
For New Yorkers, Wagner College Lifelong Learning’s online driving class, Driver Education, allows teens to take their driver’s ed from home. A live NYS-certified instructor leads the 24-hour lecture portion of the course, after which you’ll submit your log of 24 hours of parent-supervised practice driving. If your instructor scores your log at 65% or above, you’ll receive the NYS DMV MV-284 certificate at the end of the class.
If your New York State Driver Violation Points are causing your insurance rates to soar, Ferrari Driving School’s online Defensive Driving class is an easy solution for you. Fun and experienced instructors will guide you through six hours of lecture and videos, as well as discussion of defensive driving techniques, traffic safety, and driver behavior and attitude. Once you complete the class, your insurance premiums will drop, and your confidence as a driver will soar with your new know-how about how to stay safe on the road.
Private Group Driving Classes in NYC
Would you like to schedule a private group driving class? Or does your auto repair business team need a group car maintenance workshop for a new certification? With CourseHorse, you can arrange the driving class your group needs to take their skills to the next level.
If you can’t find the group driving class you need, you can reach out to CourseHorse with their convenient contact form to discuss their options for private automotive courses they can coordinate for you. Or, if you prefer, you can schedule a phone call to begin a conversation with a CourseHorse team member.
CourseHorse can book your driving class, even if you don’t know the number of participants yet. You can update your headcount until a week before the class date begins. For $150, CourseHorse can tailor your class to include questions or games specific to your group. Otherwise, if you don’t require any customizations, CourseHorse won’t charge you a dime for arranging your class. Just look for a confirmation from a team member within 24 hours of booking.
CourseHorse recommends Zoom for your live online private driving class, but they can accommodate Webex, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams if you prefer an alternative teleconferencing software. And in some cases, CourseHorse may be able to arrange your group class as an in-person workshop at your business or preferred location.
