Winter driving course, overall disappointment + $6600 in damages!
I very rarely post reviews, but I wanted to share this in good faith to inform others.
My son and I were excited to take this course... Read More
Winter driving course, overall disappointment + $6600 in damages!
I very rarely post reviews, but I wanted to share this in good faith to inform others.
My son and I were excited to take this course. We were reassured: "Ideal conditions, soft snowbanks (so very little damage if you skid), experienced instructor in the car to guide us..."
The course includes a main curve and cones to avoid. In general, we didn't find this very conducive to early learning. Furthermore, the instructor gave very little advice.
I also skidded on the main curve, ending up in a snowbank (which was quite high and piled up). The instructor confirmed that even with a good maneuver, I would have skidded given the speed. But before the curve, I wasn't instructed to slow down (it was my first time driving that route).
Result: $6,600 in damages!
Since it was considered an "exceptional situation," the insurance didn't cover it. Given their experience, and out of respect for their clients, I believe the driving school should be aware of these kinds of clauses and inform their clients about them (instead of just suggesting they contact the school before the lesson).
And since I signed a waiver, the school completely absolved itself of responsibility (despite only requesting half the compensation).
In short, $250 + tax (x2) was a very poor investment, considering I still have very low confidence in driving in winter conditions (and $7,175 less in my budget...).
**UPDATE** Following up on PermisPlus's response, we were also surprised by the severity of the damage, which initially seemed less significant. The garage's submission, however, confirmed that the incident damaged the front and underside of the car (radiator, condenser and bumper), hence the severity of the estimate. Read Less