Is enrolling in a driving school worth it?

It’s no secret that you need experience behind the wheel before the Land Transportation Office (LTO)  in the Philippines can give you a Philippine driver’s license. As such, many schools have come up over the years and are meeting the needs of Filipinos who want to learn how to drive a motor vehicle. 

With a bit of a push given laws and regulations, however, enrolling in a driving school has turned from being an option to being required. That’s just one of the reasons why we highly recommend that you head on over to a local school. 

The LTO now requires would-be drivers to enroll in a driving school in order for them to be properly trained by the instructors at the school. Before you apply, you need to make sure that the school you’re going to is accredited by the LTO. The document that you need from this is a theoretical driving course certificate which will serve as a practical driving course certificate for when you’re actually at the LTO applying and what not. 

Requirements aside, you need to know how to operate and how to interpret signs and other bits of information on the road. There are certain rules and regulations that you must follow so as to not disrupt the flow of traffic, bump into other motorists, and keep you and whoever else safe from the harm that a vehicle can bring.

What better way to learn about driving etiquette than being behind the wheel with a competent driving instructor by your side? 

Apart from going straight, changing lanes, and turning, there are other skills that you need to know how to execute that you might need to do. Driving schools will also teach you how to park your car properly, either parallel or perpendicular, and they’ll also teach you other skills such as doing two-point turns. These other soft skills can make a huge difference when you drive. Like, have you ever seen someone struggle to parallel park? If you’re waiting behind that person, it’s not that dire of an act to get a little annoyed, but who knows? If you get good enough, you could even offer to help the person park their car, I know some of us already have. 

While having insurance is a definite must for most cars, the greatest safety device that’ll make even the zero-star-rated NCAP cars safe is a good driver. Just remember that the zero-star NCAP ratings only really take effect if you do end up in an accident. The technique here is not to get into an accident or be in the position to get in an accident, and a driving course should teach you the proper etiquette that you need to follow, and the correct mindset to be in, which is defensive driving. 

Remember that insurance is a recurring fee that you have to pay every year, car parts are expensive, and life is priceless. Arm yourself with the proper knowledge so you don’t get disarmed of your wallet, or literally disarmed.

Considering that there is an aspect of safety involved, you might want to enroll right away so you can get started on driving as soon as possible. Driving a car is not just a novel experience, but it can serve as a gateway into so many more things. 

However, driving courses can get a bit expensive. Expect to pay about P6,000 to P8,000 for a full driving course. That money could go into other things, but it should be worth the investment especially if you’re looking to buy your first car. In our view, it’s definitely worth it especially if you want to get behind the wheel of an automobile.