CSS Driver Training

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Full Certificate Course
Special Condensed Courses
Course Outline
Ministry Upgrade Course
Second Level G2-Exit Preparation
Automatic vs. Manual Shift

Full Ministry Approved Certificate Course

This is the full Ministry Approved and D.S.A.O. approved course. Students who graduate from this course receive certificates which entitle them to two things:

the maximum insurance discount for approved driver training;
a reduction in the G1 license driving period (8 months as compared to the normal 12 months).

The course consists of the following:

25 hours of classroom instruction (divided into 8 separate sessions, as described, below);
for the Automatic car, 10½ hours of one-on-one in-car instruction (divided into 14 lessons of 45 minutes each), or

Classroom sessions are held weekday evenings and Saturday mornings, according to the posted schedule. The eight (8) sessions need to be completed to qualify for the course. Because each session is an individualized subject, independent of the others, the sessions may be taken out of sequence and non consecutively.

The first in-car lesson is booked through the office, but the student may schedule subsequent lessons directly with the in-car trainer. The only prerequisite is that the student must have a driving permit or license.

Upon completion of the 25 hours of classroom and 10½ (automatic) or 12 (manual shift) hours of in-car training, the student may apply for the Ministry Approved and D.S.A.O. approved certificate by contacting the office. Students should be aware that the entire certificate process may take 3 to 4 weeks. THEREFORE, STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE THE CSS PROGRAM AT LEAST 3 TO 4 WEEKS BEFORE THEIR TEST DATE.

Road tests may be booked after completion of the course, and CSS will assist students with this process. Eight month road tests will only be booked once the student has the Ministry Approved certificate. Rental of the instructor's car for the road test is available for a nominal fee.

Students are advised that they may book 8-month road tests at their own risk. The certificate process will not be altered to meet a test date!

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Special Condensed Courses

Several times a year CSS offers special condensed daytime courses, where all the classroom sessions (25 hours) may completed over 4 days. The classroom sessions in these courses are identical to the regular evening program. The student must also complete the minimum 10½ (automatic) or 12 (manual shift) hours of in-car training before being eligible for the Ministry Approved and D.S.A.O. approved certificates.

These special courses are designed for students who have weeks off during specific times of the year: March Break, Summer Break, Christmas Break, etc.

Please call the office at 416-485-4888 for more information on the next Special Condensed Course, and to reserve a seat.

Next condensed course: June Vacation 2001

Course Outline

Session #1: The Automobile

How To Drive An Automobile (Technical)

Pre driving habits, maintenance
Major and minor controls, instruments

Insurance

Why you need insurance
Parts of a typical policy
Factors affecting premiums

Session #2: The Highway Traffic Act

Driving Laws & Rules

Fundamental traffic rules
Common sense vs. legal
Misunderstood laws

Intersections

Managing right-of-way
Stop signs, yield signs, signal lights, and turns

Session #3: Urban & Rural Driving

Urban Traffic Rules

Streetcars, U-turns, crosswalks, parking, emergency vehicles
Pedestrians and animals

Freeway Management

Trip Planning

Country roads, preparing for long trips
The dangers of traveling alone

Session #4: Risk Management

Calculating Risk

The causes of risky driving
The problems with making cars and roads safer

Managing Space

Adjusting space around the car to reduce the risk

Attitudes and Driving

How driver attitudes contribute to risky behaviour

Session #5: Collision Survival System

Perception & Reaction

Developing your total awareness
How to use the vision sense effectively

Defensive Driving

The five keys to defensive driving
Developing a system to completely avoid collisions

Session #6: Adverse Conditions

Adverse Conditions

Visual impediments and night driving
Winter driving and dealing with weather

Traction

The factors affecting traction
Dealing with loss of traction in skids
Emergency braking, Anti-lock Braking Systems

Session #7: Impairment

Driving & Indulgences

Causes and symptoms of impairment
Drugs and their effects
Stress and road rage

Alcohol

Drinking and driving and the law
The effect of alcohol on the body
Society's role in reducing alcohol related deaths

Session #8: Your Driver's License

How to Pass Your Road Test

Preparing for the test
The local test centres
What they will test, basic and advanced
The major reasons for failure

The Demerit Point System

Accident Scene Law and Procedure

In-car Lesson Topics

Pre driving habits
Basic car handling skills (acceleration, braking, clutch/gears, steering)
Residential turns
Complex turns
Lane changes and blind spots
Defensive driving and long range planning
Parking
Freeway driving
Navigation
Night driving*
Adverse conditions and accident avoidance*
Mock road tests

Note: All students progress at different rates, and not all topics may be completed within the course allotted lessons. Extra lessons may be required, and are available for a nominal fee.

*As conditions allow.

Ministry Upgrade Course

This is a special course designed for:

Licensed drivers who wish to learn about, and/or upgrade their defensive driving skills, or
Drivers who have had their license suspended and require a Ministry of Transportation approved course to upgrade their skills.

The course consists of the following:

Any three (3) classroom sessions from our regular programme, of only the following four (4):

Session #4: Risk Management

Session #5: Collision Survival System

Session #6: Adverse Conditions

Session #7: Impairment

A 90 minute in-car lesson

Second Level G2-Exit Preparation

CSS offers training designed for G2 licensed drivers to prepare them for their second level exit test (commonly referred to as a G2 test or G2-Exit test) in Ontario's graduated licensing system. The initial lesson is intended as an evaluation. Students will see the new standard that's expected, and adjustments will be made by the student by practicing on their own or with an instructor.

During the in-car session, the instructor will take the student through a typical test, using the actual test sheet, and clearly showing the student their level of performance in relation to the new G2 standards. Drivers who do not fully comprehend the new standards may opt to take additional instruction to fix the targeted areas.

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Automatic vs. Manual Shift - Which is better?

The answer is not an easy one, because each transmission is, if you'll pardon the expression, geared to different styles of driving.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

A transmission is required in a car for essentially the same reasons why bicycles have ten gears or more. A human's leg power is restricted to a certain range of power and rotation speed. To move a bicycle faster and still keep your feet from flying off the pedals, you must continuously change the gear ratio on the chain to the rear wheel.

In a car, the engine produces usable torque (pulling power) over a relatively limited engine revolution (r.p.m.) range. Transmissions are machines that alter, through a series of gears, the rotational connection between the engine and the drive wheels. In this way, the maximum power of the engine is optimized to the various speeds and loads that the car requires.

An Automatic transmission makes the gear changes automatically, relying on measures of the engine speed and the pressure on the throttle pedal. A Manual transmission (sometimes called a Standard transmission) relies solely on the driver for these adjustments, who controls it by use of the throttle, clutch, and gearshift lever.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES?

That depends strictly on how involved you want your driving to be. Guiding a car down the road can be divided into two separate but essential skills:

Maneuvering along roads and dealing with other cars, traffic, rules, pedestrians, etc.
Controlling the physical motion of the car - i.e. operating the car as a machine.

An automatic transmission lets you concentrate on A by making B relatively simple. The disadvantage is reduced control of the car. A manual transmission divides your attention more evenly between A and B because B is more complicated. The advantage is more control of the car.

Driving an automatic car is easier in the sense that you don't have to worry about operating the car as a machine, although when that kind of control is necessary, it isn't always there. Driving a manual shift car becomes a continuous, unending exercise, requiring constant attention, but allowing you great control over speed and acceleration.

As far as performance is concerned (acceleration, fuel economy), the driver of a manual shift car has more direct control over these aspects than one in an automatic car. The sportier and higher performance cars are usually manual shift, as are race cars.

IS IT BETTER TO LEARN IN AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL SHIFT?

When learning in manual shift, the student must spend a greater share of his or her time concentrating on starting the car, accelerating down the road, and eventually stopping; in essence, operating the machine. Before these skills are proficient, the other aspects of driving become secondary. That's why it takes longer to learn to drive in manual shift, and consequently the cost is a little higher.

Moving and stopping an automatic car are comparatively not difficult skills to master, so in that sense learning to drive in automatic is faster. The ability to drive a manual shift car may be acquired later after the person has some experience. However, a disadvantage is that the new driver accumulates habits peculiar to automatic driving; i.e. constant use of the brake, a general detachment from the car's power source (the engine), and hesitation when direct control of the gears is, on occasion, required. Driving sometimes gets pushed to the background - a risky practice in today's potentially dangerous roads.

When the new driver learns in manual shift, he or she acquires the skills from the beginning. A greater variety of driving aspects may be taught as well, including optimal gear selection for various speeds and terrain, fine control of acceleration and deceleration, and the benefits of planning ahead to avoid problems. A driver who knows manual shift can always learn automatic with a minimum of difficulty.

A driver with manual shift skills can practically drive anything. All kinds of vehicles from motorcycles to trucks have manual transmissions. Automatic cars are indigenous to North America; driving elsewhere in the world (especially Europe) requires manual skills. Automatic cars are expensive, whereas manual shift cars are comparatively cheap.

The student should also consider the kind of car that is available to practice on between lessons. It is always advantageous to learn in the same kind of car that the student will be driving at home.

OPTIONS:

At CSS, we offer training in automatic or manual shift cars. Many students take all their lessons in a manual shift car, and the road test in automatic. Others take all automatic lessons, and then buy one or two extra lessons to learn manual shift. Some quick learners start with automatic lessons and then switch their remaining lessons to manual shift. Talk to the office staff for helpful advice and the many flexible options available.

Driving Manual Shift - A Primer

WHICH IS MORE FUN?

This is a very subjective topic and is open to differing opinions from all drivers. Many people say that manual shift is more fun, while some say that it is more work than it's worth. It all depends on what exactly you want from the driving experience. Ask yourself these questions and ask other drivers around you. Remember, the more skills you have, the better you are. We suggest you learn all aspects of driving, and then cater yourself to what suits you best.