Bill's Defensive Driving School Company Profile

If you pick a driving school that does nothing more than teach how to pass the DMV test, be aware it will cost you thousands of dollars more.

How? By picking the wrong school, one that doesn't focus on teaching lifelong, good driving habits and true driver's safety, you might know how to parallel park for the driver's test and get your license, but then afterwards you're going to get costly tickets that could have been avoided, and possibly even terrible accidents.

There's a driving school that services Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin and San Francisco that puts in the extra effort to ensure that you pass the DMV test, but also that you know the best techniques and habits for safe driving. It's Bill's Defensive Driving School, and we spoke with owner Bill Allenbaugh about what makes his school the smarter choice.

Safety First

While DMV rules state all driving instructor vehicles must have a brake pedal on the passenger side, Bill Allenbaugh says his company took the expense to make it even safer. "Our vehicle also has a gas pedal on the instructor's side, even though it's not required," he explains. "On the freeway, stopping isn't always the best option, and the dual pedals allows me take full control of the vehicle if necessary. That makes learning to drive with us so much safer and easier."

And unlike lower quality schools with the cheapest compact cars (which are less safe because they're smaller) Bill's Defensive Driving School invested to train students in a full-sized Toyota Camry.

Other driving schools are run by people who think that simply because they know how to drive, they're qualified to teach it. Bill Allenbaugh is an experienced educator who's sensitive to the fact that different students have different learning styles and different needs. That's why he specializes in safe driving lessons for all ages and stages: Teens and parents, adults and nervous drivers, and seniors. "Sometimes students catch on right away. Others need a few tries before they really get the hang of it, and that's OK," he says. "That's why I tailor the lessons to every student. We only do what the students are comfortable with, and we work on areas they need more practice in."

Teen/Parent Lessons At Bill's Defensive Driving School

While most other driving schools won't allow parents to come along during the lessons, Bill Allenbaugh actually encourages it. "When parents come along on lessons, they see a professional instructor in action. It serves as a refresher course that helps them be up to the task of teaching their kids how to be safe drivers," he says.

Bill Allenbaugh says that the key to teens staying safe on the road is defensive driving. "You can't help how other people drive, but you can know how to be prepared to avoid potential accidents caused by others," he says. "My students learn to maintain the safest distance between their car and the car in front of them, how to look ahead for possible hazards, such as upcoming stop lights or changing traffic patterns, and how to always be aware of where other cars are around them."

Many other driving schools overbook clients resulting in big time gaps between lessons and that hurts the student's learning. Bill's Defensive Driving School is more conscientious with scheduling. "It's important for students to have at least one lesson with an instructor before they even begin driving with their parents," he explains. "The second lesson helps reinforce those good driving skills, and the third lesson reviews the information that help them become safe drivers. We've seen that those three lessons should be no more than a few weeks apart, so students reinforce safe driving skills early enough to impact their driving style."

Adult Driving Courses At Bill's Defensive Driving School

Most of us get our licenses as teenagers, and there is no systematic process for retesting as we age. "Without a doubt, most adults would fail the drivers test if they were required to retake it today," says Bill Allenbaugh. "That's why it's so important for adults to have the option of refresher lessons. The rules of the road change over time, but many people just keep on driving the way they were taught when they were 16."

Other adults have never taken a drivers' education course, and some have avoided taking lessons as adults because they are nervous or think it's too late for them to learn. "We see many adult students who have moved from another state or area where they didn't have to drive, or from another country," says Bill Allenbaugh. "We can specially tailor the lessons to their experiences and can give them tools to be great drivers while still respecting that they are adults with different skills and learning needs."

Consumers have told horror stories of other driving instructors who have poor personal skills or are short tempered with their students, including one who even ordered a teenage student out of the car and left him by the side of the road.

In contrast, students express appreciation at Bill Allenbaugh's calm demeanor which helps reassure nervous students, whether they are adults relearning the skill or are first time teen-age drivers.

Drivers whose licenses have been suspended because of health or traffic violations find that Bill's Defensive Driving School can give them more than driving pointers. "In cases where students' licenses have been revoked for health problems or past violations, we help our students correct their driving habits and work with the state to get their licenses back and the restrictions removed," says Bill. "We can help file the paperwork with the state and can even go to the DMV and work with the authorities to get them driving legally again."

Bill's Defensive Driving School understands that adult drivers have busy schedules, so Bill is available seven days a week for lessons. He also travels to students' homes or places of business to bring their driving lessons to them.

Skills for Senior Drivers At Bill's Defensive Driving School

As seniors age, it is common for them to become fearful or overly cautious when driving. Bill Allenbaugh says a few courses with Bill's Defensive Driving School can turn elderly drivers back into safe drivers. And in some cases, it can even reduce insurance premiums.

For many older drivers, traffic violations or health problems can end their freedom to drive. Doctors are required to report medical conditions that may affect driving, and too many traffic tickets can result in suspended or revoked licenses. But Bill says he can help. "The safety division of the DMV can be hard to navigate for seniors," he says. "But seniors have rights, too. Instead of them having to hire an attorney and spend a lot of money, we act as an advocate and work on our students' behalf to get their licenses back."

Like with teenage and first time drivers, seniors benefit from the defensive driving techniques at Bill's Defensive Driving School. "Just getting them their license back isn't good enough," says Bill Allenbaugh. "We want them to be safe on the road first and foremost. That's why we focus on safe driving techniques and defensive driving, so even nervous drivers can be confident they are driving in a way that protects them and the other drivers on the road."

Professional Experience

Bill Allenbaugh began his career as a commercial trucker and Class A vehicle driver, driving hundreds of thousands of miles during his career. He became a part-time driving instructor while working toward his Master's degree in social work. Bill soon found that teaching a specialized program of defensive driving to drivers of all ages was the perfect way to combine his love of the road with his counseling and social science skills.

While an instructor at a driving school owned by a retired California Highway Patrol Officer, Bill continued to hone his safe driving education program. When he opened Bill's Defensive Driving School, he brought his driving experience and careful teaching practices to students throughout Contra Costa, Alameda County, Marin County and San Francisco. Now, more than a thousand new drivers and adults take lessons and refresher courses with Bill every year.

Customers of all ages throughout the Bay Area say they love that Bill Allenbaugh and Bill's Defensive Driving School is known for customized instruction and defensive driving techniques that keep them safe on the road for years after the lessons are given.

 


—Lauren Bongard Schwarz
Associate Editor
The Prime Buyer's Report