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Learn to drive this spring break

Kelowna and District Safety Council offers ICBC-approved course; free info session Feb. 26.

Learning to drive is a rite of passage for most teenagers.

In B.C., the licensing process for new drivers can take up to two years, but if the driver takes the Kelowna and District Safety Council's (KDSC) ICBC-approved Graduated Licensing Program (GLP), that time will be reduced by six months and teens will earn two high school credits as well.

The GLP course consists of a two-hour co-pilot course, 18 hours of classroom theory and eight driving lessons.  The next course is scheduled during Spring Break and another is scheduled for July.

The co-pilot course (March 16, 6 – 8 p.m.) will help students and their adult supervisors “get on the same page” with KDSC’s team of professional instructors so that adults can better reinforce the driving habits that are being taught by the instructors.

The theory component is scheduled for March 17, 18, and 19 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.), and classroom sessions are very interactive and student-centered, and will cover a variety of topics that will prepare students for driving in traffic. Each of the 90-minute in-car lessons will be scheduled at the students’ convenience, and are progressive in nature so that skills will be gained in a variety of traffic situations in preparation for safer real-life driving as well as the ICBC Road Test.  Students will also be able to use KDSC’s vehicle for the ICBC Road Test when they are ready.

The GLP course costs $1,100 and is non-taxable for high school students.

If you would like to know more, KDSC is hosting a free GLP info session on Thursday, Feb. 26 from 7 – 9 p.m. at KDSC’s 395 Hartman Road location (across from the YMCA in Rutland).  Refreshments will be served and staff and instructors will be there to present information about the course and answer any questions.  This session is open to all interested new drivers and their parents/guardians.  RSVP by calling 250-765-3163 or by registering online at www.kdsc.bc.ca.

For students who don’t want to take the entire course, KDSC offers individual driving lessons as well as discounted packages of practical, in-traffic lessons to help get new drivers safely on the road.

For information about all of KDSC’s programs, including details about the GLP course and free info session, visit www.kdsc.bc.ca, or call 250-765-3163.

Now entering its 35th season, KDSC is committed to offering a quality program that caters to a variety of learning styles.  “As a non-profit, community organization, we have tried to keep the costs of this course as low as possible in order to make training more accessible to families,” said KDSC's executive director Tania Meyer.