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Adult Driving Lessons

Are you an adult who has not yet learned to drive
or are scared to drive? We can help….

We hear it a couple of times a week: “I never got my drivers license”, “I am an adult and need to get my drivers license” or “I am scared to get my drivers license”. Do any of these statements sound familiar to you?

At All Jersey Driving School we have tailored our driving programs to accommodate everyone. Adult learner? Yes, we do. Foreign drivers license? Yes, we do. Au Pair? Yes, of course. Learning disabled? We work with you also. We hear it all. “I just moved to NJ and I now need a drivers license” or “I have an out of state permit and want to get a NJ drivers license”. Today I had a call from a woman whose husband passed unexpectedly and she hadn’t needed to drive for the past 20 years so she let her license lapse and needs support.

No matter your situation, All Jersey Driving School will work with you to provide driving lessons, driver testing, road tests and behind the wheel in support of getting your NJ driver license. Give us a call at 833 353-7483 if you need support.

Drivers License for the NJ Au Pair

Parents today face many difficulty decisions regarding the care of their children. Most often, families decide between two common arrangements, sending a child to daycare or hiring an au pair or nanny who will watch the child in their home. The choice that makes the most sense will depend on several factors, including lifestyle, budget and work schedule.

If you are considering an Au Pair or nanny for your family, there are a few things you should know before you have them begin to provide transportation for your children. Au pairs are legally allowed to drive in the for a period of one year in New Jersey without obtaining an official NJ driver license, however, we recommend that you have their driving skills assessed with a two hour assessment that makes sure that they are able to navigate the NJ roadways successfully and are familiar with the local traffic laws, signals and signage. Our NJ MVC licensed instructor will then let you, the parent, know the driver’s strengths and weaknesses, and if appropriate additional lessons can be arranged. Having the Au Pair or nanny go thru the 6 hour course will provide you a certificate to provide your insurer for a discount on your when you add them to the policy. In addition we can personalize the driving to make that the most familiar routes are navigated with ease: be it the grocery store, pediatrician, or swim lessons.

Give us a call if you are considering adding an Au Pair or nanny to your household. We can talk you through this important decision and help bring you peace of mind!

All Jersey Driving School is a NJ licensed Driver Education provider. More information on obtaining a license is available at https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/drivertopics/noncitizens.htm

Helping Adult Drivers

At All Jersey Driving School we take pride in helping 16 and 17 year old Driver Education students get their permit. Trading the blue card received from drivers ed in for a NJ driver license? That is a day that teen drivers never forget, but what about adults who did not get their NJ driver license as a teen?

If you have relocated to the Mount Laurel, Moorestown or Delran NJ, you may have moved to the Burlington County or Camden County area and thought that you could take public transportation to work. For instance, individuals relocating from a city are used to utilizing public transportation. In addition, a nanny or au pair working in the area may need a valid NJ driver license in support of their employment. Are you looking for a driving school near you to get your NJ driver’s license? Call Jersey Driving School!

All Jersey Driving School helps adults get their license affordably. How are we different? We start with a two hour assessment and we let you know what you need to pass the test. Our driving instructor will give you tips to work on items that need improvement. All Jersey Driving School recognizes that many adult drivers can practice with friends or family. That saves an adult student driver the cost of a full lesson package. Full driving lesson packages are also available however, if you need them.

In short, your drivers license is the key to freedom and independence. Give us a call to get you started!

Driving School Near Me – Mount Laurel, NJ

Are you 16? Ready for your NJ Driver Permit Test?

All Jersey Driving School supports students in Mount Laurel, Moorestown, Cinnaminson, Palmyra, Delran, Hainesport, Willingboro, Pennsauken and other local communities.
We want you to Come Drive with Us! We are the ‘driving school near me’ from Burlington to Lumberton, Mount Holly to Merchantville.

You do not need to wait for your driver education test in school. If you are 16 – you can take your test in our office, for free. Just register for your 6 hours NJ required behind-the-wheel and we will get you your NJ driver permit and get you on the road!

Registration information can be found at: https://alljerseydrivingschool.com/registration/

Free practice tests are available at https://driving-tests.org/new-jersey/ or can be found on our site under New Driver Resources.

Teen Driving and Alcohol

I am a parent. I also happen to own a driving school, but I was a parent first. My children are older and I have already successfully navigated (short prayer of thanks) the high school, solo cup, dorm living phases of their existence.

We were reviewing NJ Motor Vehicle practice tests for the 16 year old permit, and my eyes settled on multiple choice question ” At what BAC is it illegal for an individual under 21 to drive?” The answer choices were 0.10, 0.08, 0.05, 0.01. I thought about this for a minute and wondered if NJ had reduced the tolerance for provisional license holders. I am old enough to remember the BAC reduction from 0.10 to 0.08. When I referred to that section of the NJ Motor Vehicle Driver Instruction Manual, the answer was 0.01. There is zero tolerance for individuals under 21 to operate a motor vehicle when they have been drinking. If your young driver is caught doing so; they face fines, suspension of driving privilege and surcharges. With high school graduation being just last week, this seemed like a great time for this info share.

NJ Real ID and You – What you need to know for NJ Real ID and NJ Motor Vehicle

Effective October 1, 2020 – NJ Drivers will need to trade in their New Jersey driver’s license for a Real ID if they want to fly or enter federal facilities. The NJ Motor Vehicle Commission is still preparing to be able to provide NJ Real ID and hope to provide a limited quantity to NJ Driver’s License holders effective June 15, 2019 – however they are not going to make getting that gold star easy! Applicants for Real ID will need to bring two proofs of address as well as proof of social security number when they head to the DMV. Lines will be long and the process will be slow until everyone gets the swing of it – so those going for their Real ID should being their patience also….

Here is what you must know:

  • The REAL ID looks like your traditional New Jersey driver license or ID, but with a gold star in the upper right corner. The standard driver license or ID looks similar, but instead of a gold star, it will have the words NOT FOR “REAL ID” PURPOSES written on it. Both the REAL ID driver license and the standard driver license are valid for driving. Here is what it will look like:
  • The MVC will begin beta-testing REAL ID issuance in June 2019. The MVC will start with one agency, then as it works out the kinks, the department will expand to more agencies.
  • During beta testing, the MVC will be issuing actual REAL ID licenses and IDs. You can find out more – and sign up to be notified when the agency near you starts issuing – at REALIDNJ.com.
  • There will be an $11 fee associated with changing your standard NJ driver license or non-driver ID to a REAL ID if not done at renewal.
  • You can get a REAL ID driver license or non-driver ID prior to the expiration of your current driver license or ID by visiting any New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Agency. This REAL ID driver license or ID will expire upon your current expiration date. Sign up to be notified when the agency nearest you starts issuing REAL ID.
  • You are not required to get a REAL ID. However, starting October 1, 2020, if you typically use your driver license or non-driver ID (instead of a passport or other form of ID) to fly domestically, you probably want a REAL ID. Otherwise you will need to use other acceptable identification such as a valid U.S. passport or military ID. The standard New Jersey driver license can still be used for driving.
  • REAL IDs are best for those who typically use their driver license or non-driver ID (instead of a passport or other forms of ID) to fly domestically.
  • If your current driver license or non-driver ID expires after September 30, 2020, you can wait until renewal time, but you’ll need to use a passport or another form of acceptable identification for domestic air travel in the interim. Or, you can come into an agency sooner to change to a REAL ID driver license or ID.
  • People are probably familiar with what they currently need to provide at the Motor Vehicle Commission agency as proof of identification for a standard ID. They need to have a verifiable Social Security Number, they need to provide one document as proof of address and they need to provide identity documents that add up to 6 points according to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission guidelines.
  • You will need to bring the following with you to get a REAL ID: two documents as proof of your address; one document as proof of your Social Security Number; identity documents that add up to six REAL ID points. Please check back at REALIDNJ.com soon for a link to an online calculator which will help you choose exactly what documents you will need to bring to a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission agency for REAL ID.
  • It is a federal requirement for security purposes that MVC scan the documents and keep them securely stored in an encrypted format.
  • Your identification documents will be verified and, under certain circumstances, shared with the federal government. You can find out more by visiting the website https://www.dhs.gov/real-id.
  • To get your first REAL ID driver license or non-driver ID, you will have to visit a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission agency. The MVC recommends you visit the agency during the middle of the month to potentially reduce your waiting time.
  • The MVC will be adding more online services so drivers don’t have to visit an agency for certain transactions, such as renewing a standard driver license or non-driver ID. So check the website to see if you can skip the trip to Motor Vehicle.
  • The MVC is increasing staffing so that it can serve people more quickly if you have to come to the agency in person. If you are getting a REAL ID for the first time, you will have to visit an MVC agency.
  • By federal law, people who are 18 and older after September 30, 2020, will need a REAL ID to fly domestically if you do not have a valid passport to use. More information can be found on the federal DHS website.

Practice Parking

Who has seen this video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl-CzC2HLKo

Subaru had the most wonderful idea; use adorable golden retrievers and mimic the trials of both parallel parking and the parenting of a would-be driver. It was brilliant! It resonates with parents of drivers, adults who were in the student seat – and of course, dog lovers everywhere!

Parallel parking is still a very real part of the NJ driver license road test. It is one of the primary things that student driver’s with NJ driver permits practice over and over. We see them on weekends in parking lots working their way in and out of the orange cones that define the parking space.

I was trying to evaluate the relevancy of parallel parking for a student driver. Where do you still use this skill? Our office is in Moorestown, NJ and you definitely still use it here in town; our Main Street is lined with parallel parking spots. Individuals coming in from Mount Laurel or Cinnaminson and Delran all have to navigate around or pause for, those attempting to slide themselves into the prized storefront spots. That however, was the only local place I could think of.

Back in the day both Moorestown and Cherry Hill malls had parallel parking spots around the premises for those driving in from surrounding South Jersey towns. There was a drive-in movie theater in Palmyra that also sported some bordering parking spots, and of course Pennsauken Mart had some also! Those places have come (expanded in the cases of Moorestown and Cherry Hill malls) or gone (Palmyra and Pennsauken). It surprises me that the NJ DMV still requires this skill. Perhaps when you are not in South Jersey the local towns have a greater need. We should have NJ Motor Vehicle develop a ‘South Jersey’ driving test…. and hold the parallel parking. Wouldn’t that be great!

Driving Instruction

    How did I become a Driving Instructor? Short answer? Maxwell’s Driving School took the time to teach me the ropes. Long answer? Here you go…. Maxwell’s Driving School had me ride with and observe two of their drivers while I was working on getting my Driver Instructor License. The instructors had two different type personalities with two distinct teaching methods that worked individually for them. I can say that I use portions of what I learned from each while in the car with new students.  I very much appreciated getting to audit both drivers.

     I think, for me, the most obvious characteristic that stood out to me was the even-keeled approach the instructors had with their students.  It was also explained to me that I should not be ‘spoiled’ by what I saw from one student to another because all students do not pick up the nuances of driving as quickly. The instructor’s tone was conversational and sure and one that shared a confidence that could be instilled in his student so he could get comfortable and shake any nerves he may have had at first entering the car.

    We started with some of the vehicle basics that most of us who have been driving take for granted. Seat placement was his starting point. Adjusting the seat so the student’s right foot was able to contact the brake pedal and with the heel resting on the floor mat so the foot could easily go from brake to accelerator without lifting the foot. Rearview mirror adjusted so the entire rear window was aligned with it and side mirrors adjusted to see a small piece of the car side and level to the road for maximum exposure to other vehicles trailing behind the car. A short discussion on ‘blind spots’ followed the mirror adjustments with the instructor outside of the vehicle and walking up the side to demonstrate where another vehicle would disappear from view and the importance of glancing over your left or right shoulder prior to changing lanes. Review of the interior dash was next highlighting the turn signals, lights, high beams, windshield wipers, tachometer, speedometer, temperature gauge, gas gauge and the Hazard light button; with an explanation on the importance of using it if stalled or on/off the road in an emergency.

    With the student’s foot on the brake the vehicle was started and the transmission engaged to ‘Drive’.  The instruction began in the parking lot with the easing of the foot from the brake and allowing the car to go forward first with no foot on the gas pedal and steering our way around the lot slowly followed by the student applying some gas and picking up speeds to begin to get a feel for the gas, braking and steering of the car.  After some Stop sign practice, left turn and right turn explanation and execution and a newly found confidence as to how the vehicle performed the student was ready for the road and the parking lot was excited.

    We drove thru Haddon Heights and Haddonfield, Moorestown and Mount Laurel where we could execute a series of left and right turns while following the rules of stopping at the stop signs, clearing the sight lines for pedestrian and vehicular traffic and moving safely throughout the neighborhood.  The student was able to listen to the clearly provided instruction and scan their mirrors for other traffic and drive around to avoid the many obstacles that were encountered on the streets; bicycles, people, animals, parked cars, moving cars…

     After getting comfortable in the neighborhood, we graduated to a more major road with higher speed limits and additional traffic lanes so he could be introduced to additional obstacles in moving cars, changing lanes and traffic signals. The student was able to take suggestions and implement them immediately as they drove down the road.

     We ended the two hour lesson with an introduction to parallel parking, where the instructor, again, had specific pointers for his student to make sure he could take some visual pointers from the positioning of the parking cones and flags that allowed him to put the car in the 25 foot space and K Turn out once done.

     I thought the driving lesson was a good one to observe because I was able to see a student who was sharp, a good listener, and a willing participant take instruction delivered in a calm, professional manner from his instructor and execute the driving of a car for the first time in a neighborhood and execute the basic elements of what is tested for on the Motor Vehicle driver’s license examination and prepare for his road test.

Being a driving instructor is not for everyone, but being able to teach, support and guide those with their NJ learner permit or learning to drive is a great fit for me.

April Showers bring Spring Flowers

April Showers bring May Flowers…. or so the saying goes. If you are a new driver however spring showers can bring some new obstacles and opportunities of which you should be aware:

  • Be on the lookout for potholes… they are everywhere this time of year. One good pothole can bounce you into traffic or damage your vehicle.
  • Slow down for spring showers…. when you are studying for your driving test you learn about hydroplaning and the dangers of rain on the roadways. Spring showers can be a hazard if you aren’t careful.
  • Watch for animals on the move. It is ‘Spring’ and the deer as well as other animals are on the move! Be sure to keep an eye out for animals darting into roadways.
  • Watch for pedestrians on the move…. and bicyclists…. and motorcycles. Everyone is out and about when the weather is nice!
  • And finally: maintain proper tire air pressure and inspect your tire tread. Being prepared goes a long way!