Frequently Asked Questions

Street Smart Driving School offers an MTO-approved Beginner Driver Education program designed to give new drivers the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to become safe and responsible drivers.

The complete BDE program includes 30 hours of online, self-paced learning and 10 hours of one-on-one in-car instruction.

No. Use of a Street Smart vehicle for the road test is not included in the BDE program.

Students who would like to use our vehicle for their road test may arrange this service separately, subject to availability and eligibility. Please see our Pricing page for more details.

Yes. Students must complete 100% of the 30-hour online portion before beginning their 10 hours of in-car instruction.

Once the online portion has been completed, the student can contact us to begin arranging their in-car lessons.

The entire BDE program must be completed within one year of the student's registration date.

This includes both the 30 hours of online, self-paced learning and all 10 hours of in-car instruction.

We strongly encourage students to complete the online portion as soon as possible so there is plenty of time to schedule and complete the required in-car lessons before the one-year deadline.

Yes. Completing an approved BDE course may allow an eligible student to take their G2 road test after 8 months with their G1 instead of the standard 12 months.

Students must successfully complete the full BDE program and meet all other eligibility requirements.

Completing an MTO-approved BDE course may make a new driver eligible for an auto insurance discount, depending on the insurance company and policy.

Street Smart cannot guarantee an insurance discount. We recommend checking directly with your insurance provider for details.

BDE completion is certified electronically through the Ministry of Transportation once all required components have been successfully completed.

If you require proof of completion for insurance purposes, you can obtain your Driver's Licence History from Service Ontario after your BDE completion has been processed.

Yes. Our in-car instruction is one student at a time.

We respect our students' privacy and comfort and believe individual instruction allows us to focus completely on the student's driving skills, confidence and areas that need improvement.

Students learn in a comfortable Street Smart training vehicle equipped with a dual-braking system and additional safety features.

The instructor has access to an additional brake, providing another level of safety while teaching new drivers.

For registered BDE students or individuals looking for private driving lessons, our lesson lengths start at 1 hour and go up to a maximum of 2 hours.

Pickup and drop-off arrangements are discussed when scheduling your lesson and depend on your location, our service area and the instructor's schedule.

No. Our in-car lessons are designed as one-on-one instruction between the student and instructor. This helps reduce distractions and allows the student to focus fully on learning.

Parents are always welcome to discuss their child's progress or any specific concerns with us. If there is an exceptional circumstance where a parent may need to be present, please contact us beforehand to discuss it.

Students must bring their valid Ontario driver's licence to every in-car lesson.

If corrective glasses or contact lenses are required for driving, they must also be worn during the lesson.

Students should also wear comfortable clothing and appropriate footwear that allows them to safely operate the pedals.

Students must have a valid Ontario driver's licence with them to legally participate in an in-car driving lesson.

If a lesson cannot proceed because the student does not have their licence, it will be treated as a missed lesson and a fee of $40 will be charged for each hour booked.

That's completely normal. Students come to us with many different levels of driving experience and confidence, including students who have never been behind the wheel before.

Instruction is adjusted to the student's abilities and can begin with the basics, including vehicle controls, steering, braking, turning, observation and safe positioning.

As the student's skills and confidence improve, instruction gradually progresses to more complex driving situations.

Every student learns at a different pace.

If additional practice would be beneficial after the 10 BDE hours have been completed, additional private driving lessons are available.

Please see our Pricing page for more details.

Highway and higher-speed driving skills may be introduced when appropriate based on the student's experience, confidence, ability and location.

Safety always determines when a student is ready to progress to more advanced driving situations.

Yes. Students are taught the driving skills and manoeuvres they need to become competent drivers and prepare for Ontario road testing, including parking, three-point turns, roadside stops, observation, lane positioning and other applicable skills.

Once the student has completed 100% of the required 30-hour online portion, they can contact us with their availability to begin scheduling their in-car lessons.

Providing several available dates and times makes scheduling much easier.

Lessons are scheduled based on instructor availability and the student's training needs.

We also want students to have opportunities to practise between lessons rather than completing all of their driving hours too close together.

Yes, but after-school times are among our most requested appointment times and availability is limited.

Students may sometimes need to consider spare periods, lunch periods, PA days, school holidays or other daytime availability.

We encourage families to provide several scheduling options whenever possible.

Our general operating hours are:

Summer: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–6:00 PM Winter: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM

Occasional Saturday availability may be offered when needed and available.

We require a minimum of 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule an in-car lesson.

Failure to meet the 24-hour notice period will result in a missed lesson fee of $40 for each hour booked.

Please contact us as soon as possible.

Our normal 24-hour cancellation policy applies, although exceptional circumstances can always be discussed with us.

Whenever conditions are safe, lessons will continue. Learning to drive in different weather and road conditions can provide valuable experience.

However, safety always comes first. If Street Smart determines that road or weather conditions are unsafe, the lesson will be rescheduled and the student will not be penalized.

Yes. You do not need to be enrolled in our BDE program to take private driving lessons with Street Smart.

Private lessons can be used for additional practice, skill development, road-test preparation or simply to gain more confidence behind the wheel.

Please see our Pricing page for lesson options and more details.

Yes. Private driving lessons must be prepaid.

Yes! We provide instruction for licensed drivers looking to refresh or improve specific driving skills. Contact us for more information.

Yes. We can schedule your road test upon request. However, we highly recommend that students book their own road test whenever possible.

Booking the test yourself gives you direct control over the appointment and makes it much easier if you need to change or cancel the date or time. It also allows you to choose an appointment that works best with your own schedule.

If you would prefer Street Smart to book the road test for you, we can do so upon request.

Yes, subject to availability and Street Smart's requirements.

Road-test vehicle use is not included in the BDE program and must be arranged separately.

Please see our Pricing page for more details.

Yes, subject to availability, a required driving assessment, and a minimum of one week's notice.

Because we have not previously taught or evaluated the driver, an assessment is required before our vehicle can be used for the road test. This allows us to confirm that the driver can safely operate the vehicle and demonstrate an appropriate level of driving ability.

We require at least one week's notice because road-test vehicle bookings must be coordinated with the instructor's existing lesson schedule. Last-minute requests may not be possible if the instructor or vehicle is already booked.

Please see our Pricing page for more details.

No. Road-test vehicle use is subject to the student's ability to safely operate the vehicle.

For individuals who are not registered Street Smart students, the required driving assessment must be successfully completed, and the driver must demonstrate the ability to safely operate the vehicle before it can be used for the road test.

No. No driving school can guarantee the outcome of a road test.

The final decision is made by the road-test examiner. We will teach and prepare students to the best of our ability, but passing ultimately depends on the student's skills and performance during the examination.

Yes. Based on what we observe during lessons, we can provide feedback about the student's strengths, areas that still need work and whether additional practice would be beneficial before attempting the road test.

As much safe, supervised practice as reasonably possible.

Professional instruction provides the foundation, but regular practice with a qualified accompanying driver is extremely important for building experience, confidence and consistency.

Yes. Reinforcing the skills learned during professional instruction can be very helpful.

We encourage parents to focus on safe habits such as observation, mirror use, signalling, speed control, following distance, smooth braking, proper turns and awareness of other road users.

It's also important to remember that parents' bad driving habits can become the student's bad habits. Consistency between professional instruction and at-home practice helps students build safer, more reliable driving habits.

This is very common.

Students can sometimes feel more nervous, distracted or frustrated when practising with family members. A professional instructor provides a different learning environment and can help identify habits or skills that need additional work.

Absolutely. We understand that parents want to know how their new driver is progressing.

We're happy to provide appropriate feedback about skills being worked on and areas where additional practice would be helpful.

No. The 10 BDE hours provide professional instruction, but becoming an experienced driver takes time and practice.

We strongly encourage students to gain additional supervised driving experience outside their lessons and continue practising after receiving their G2 licence.

Students or parents can contact Street Smart Driving School or use the registration options available through our website.

We will provide the information needed to get started.

Street Smart Driving School accepts:

• Credit card
• e-Transfer
• Afterpay, which allows eligible customers to split their purchase into 4 interest-free payments

Payment options will be available or provided when registering or booking a service.

No. All BDE course sales are final.

Street Smart Driving School uses a separate third-party provider for the online portion of the BDE program, and access is arranged as part of the student's registration. For this reason, refunds cannot be provided once registration has been completed.

Street Smart Driving School proudly serves:

• Beaverton/Brock: Beaverton, Cannington, Sunderland, Gamebridge, Brechin & surrounding areas
• Georgina: Sutton, Virginia, Pefferlaw & surrounding areas
• Kawartha Lakes: Lindsay, Fenelon Falls, Woodville, Coboconk & surrounding areas

Not sure if we cover your area? Reach out to us! We're happy to let you know if we can provide driving lessons in your community.

Our Beginner Driver Education program is provided in accordance with Ontario's requirements for approved BDE instruction.

Yes. Street Smart's in-car instruction is provided by an MTO-licensed driving instructor.

Yes. Our training vehicle is equipped with a dual-braking system and additional safety features for professional in-car instruction.

That's one of the reasons professional training vehicles have instructor controls.

If necessary for safety, the instructor can use the dual brake or provide immediate direction to help prevent an unsafe situation. This is a normal part of learning to drive.

No. Instruction is based on the student's current skill level.

A beginner may start in quieter areas while learning basic vehicle control. As their skills and confidence improve, they can gradually progress to more complex traffic situations.

Street Smart is focused on providing personal, one-on-one driving instruction rather than treating students like a number.

Students learn individually in a comfortable training vehicle equipped with a dual-braking system and additional safety features.

Our focus isn't simply getting students through a road test — it's helping them develop the judgement, confidence and safe driving habits they'll use long after the test is over.

Street Smart. Get the right start.