There’s no doubt that being able to drive makes getting around easier and faster, whether it’s getting to work every day or going to the grocery store. The problem comes in when you don’t know how to drive, or don’t feel comfortable enough behind the wheel to get around. The team at Pacific Driver Education, including DMV and ODOT-certified Traffic Safety Educators Lois and Steve Lents, want to help adults of all ages learn how to drive, improve their confidence behind the wheel, and increase their quality of life.

How to Get Started

Pacific Driver Education wants to make it as convenient as possible for adults to learn how to drive. When you sign up for a driving lesson, we will do our best to work around your schedule so that there is as little disruption to your life as possible.

All students must have a valid Oregon drivers permit, license, or other license granting driving privileges in Oregon. Please note that your lessons will begin and end at your home in the greater Portland Metro area in one of our vehicles. There is NO TRIP FEE for this service.

Lesson Scheduling

We offer lessons six days a week: Monday through Saturday between 9am and 5pm. Your lessons may begin at your home, school, or place of business with exception to locations in the downtown Portland area. Due to high demand, private lessons are scheduled in order of paid registrations. Once you have registered for lessons, you will receive an email inviting you to submit your general availability. It takes two to three business days for our scheduler to create a lesson schedule that meets your calendaring needs. Our scheduler will then email you a tentative schedule, asking you to confirm your drives. Once we establish your lesson schedule, we will provide you with your instructor’s name, cell phone, and email address. Please keep in mind that lessons on Saturday's are booked out for 60 days.

Tips For First-Time Adult Drivers

Even if you’ve never actually driven a car, there’s a good chance you’ve sat in the passenger seat and so you’re familiar with the process. However, it’s still important to go over these essential first steps when you finally get behind the wheel for the first time. Our adult driver’s education program starts out slow and will give you plenty of opportunities to ask questions and become familiar with the road.

Get Comfortable and Make Adjustments

An important step of driving, especially when you’re driving an unfamiliar car, is to make any necessary adjustments. When you put your foot on the pedals and hands on the wheel, make sure the seat is at the right distance. You don’t want the seat too far up so there isn’t enough space to move, or too far back so you’re struggling to reach the pedal. Take a look in the rearview mirror, and both side mirrors to make sure you can see behind you. Be sure to also look for basic controls like the windshield wiper, climate controls, and lights. Don’t forget to put your seatbelt on!

Speed and Following Distance

Speed and improper following distance are the biggest reasons for accidents occuring. Whether you are driving on a country road, on downtown streets, or on a highway, it’s essential that you are aware of the speed limit and to be conscious of how much space is in between your car and the one in front of you. It’s recommended that you keep at least two seconds away from the car in front of you. To determine following distance, note when the car in front of you passes a sign or pole. The time it takes for you to reach that same marker should be at least two seconds.

The Dangers of Distracted Driving

Because distracted driving has become such an issue, our adult driver’s education program will go in-depth into the dangers and consequences, as well as how to avoid, distracted driving. According to the CDC, nine people are killed every day in accidents that occur due to a distracted driver. When most people hear the phrase “distracted driving,” they think about a driver who is texting while driving; however, drivers can be distracted by a variety of things.

What is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is operating a vehicle when something steals your attention away from the road. This can include distractions inside the car, such as passengers, pets, children, the radio, looking at yourself in the mirror, reaching for an item, eating, or drinking; or anything outside of the vehicle, including other drivers, scenery, billboards, or pedestrians. Distracted driving can be broken down into three types:

Visual: When something causes you to take your eyes off of the road, anything from a text on your phone or a passenger in the back seat asking you a question.
Manual: When something causes you to take your hands off of the wheel, from answering your phone, eating, or reaching for an item that fell.
Cognitive: When something causes you to stop thinking about what you are doing, things like daydreaming, talking on the phone, and talking with passengers.

Preventing distracted driving doesn’t mean you can’t talk to passengers or can’t change the station on the radio, but it’s important to be aware of when it’s happening, or the triggers that lead to being distracted. In Oregon, according to a new law that was passed as of October 1, 2017, it is illegal to hold or use an electronic device, including cell phones, tablets, or a GPS device. As a part of your adult driver’s education, we’ll go over how to avoid distracted driving, but here are the basics:

Tips on Avoiding Distracted Driving

Turn Off Your Phone: When your phone is within eyesight and a text or phone call comes in, even a quick glance to see what it says or who it is could be enough to cause an accident. When driving a car, it’s best to simply turn the phone off.
Ask For Help: If you have passengers in the car, ask them to take control of the radio, navigating, or anything else that would require you to take your hands, eyes, or mind off of the road.
Avoid Eating: We understand that completely avoiding eating in the car can be difficult, especially if it’s a small snack. But when you’re on the road and need a larger meal, especially if it could be messy, it’s best to stop the car and wait to continue until you are completely finished.
Get Ready Before Driving: Whether it’s doing your makeup, brushing your hair, or getting directions ready, do this before you start driving.

During the DMV drive test, the examiner will be looking to see if you know and are able to obey road signs and traffic signals. They will also be looking to see if you can properly back up in the car, using the mirrors correctly. They will not ask you questions or offer any advice, but will only give you instruction on where to go. You may notice that they are taking notes in order to keep track of your score. If you score 76 points or more, congratulations! If you score below 76 points, unfortunately you did not pass and need to continue practicing.

If you do not pass the road test, you will receive notes relating to the areas that you need to improve on. This could be anything from using turn signals, improperly following right of way rules, driving too fast, failing to come to a complete stop at a crosswalk, or others. It’s important to realize that a lot of people do not pass their DMV driving test the first time around. This simply means that you need to keep practicing. And that’s why Pacific Driver Education is here to help.

Our adult driver’s education program is full of helpful information and we will give you plenty of time to practice all of the necessary skills needed to be a licensed driver as well as classroom time to go over rules of the road and more.

Learning how to drive as an adult can be challenging, but with the right guidance and help from certified instructors, we are confident that you will be a successful driver! If you have any questions about signing up for adult driving lessons, get in touch with us today!

Adult Driver Classes & Lessons

Adult Driver Education

Choose a Lesson Package

Intro to Driving

Private Drive Lessons

What You Can Expect From Our Adult Driving Lessons

How to Get Started

Lesson Scheduling

Tips For First-Time Adult Drivers

Stay Calm

Get Comfortable and Make Adjustments

Start Slow

Speed and Following Distance

Be Aware

Questions?

Book Your Drive Lesson Today

The Dangers of Distracted Driving

What is Distracted Driving?

Tips on Avoiding Distracted Driving

Preparing For Your Oregon DMV Driving Test

What You Need to Bring For Your Oregon DMV Driving Test

Learn About Scheduling Your Drive Test

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