Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
REGISTRATION
If you are not sure if you are close enough to one of our primary areas for pickup and dropoff, reach out and ask. We do try to keep to those areas, but we can be flexible too.
You have up to a year after you register to begin the drivers ed course or schedule behind-the-wheel drives, so you can register early if you like.
The 3 month clock on the drivers ed course only begins when you actually create a login for it.
Sometimes our emails end up in the spam or junk folder. Take a look there, and if you still can’t find anything from us, please let us know. You can send us an email to info@altitudedriving.com
If you are registering two people, twins or otherwise, please register them separately. It makes keeping track and logging everything much easier.
We usually have availability on the schedule as early as a few days out. But there is a possibility that this time increases during school breaks, holidays, etc. Weekends always book up fast, so if you can find time during the week, that will make it easier. Feel free to call and ask.
30 HOUR DRIVERS ED
Currently we are only offering an online version of the course, for a number of reasons (see the drivers ed page for more details).
However, if we get a great deal of interest in taking a classroom course, we can definitely make that happen.
When you register and pay for the course, you will be able to login to the My Account page and follow the instructions there on how to begin.
Once you sign up for the course, your teen will have 3 months to complete it. If the teen runs out of time on the course, an additional 30 days can be purchased for $25.
The teen must be at least 14 years and 6 months to begin the course, but won’t be able to take their written permit test until they are at least 14 years and 11 months old.
If they have any driving related questions, please have them reach out to info@altitudedriving.com, and we’ll do our best to help out and hopefully get them an answer.
If they are having issues with the online system not working correctly or anything like that, they can contact support@teachsafe.com to get the issue resolved.
FIRST DRIVE
This drive will be completed in Altitude’s vehicles. Our vehicles are equipped with a second instructor brake, and cameras for safety and security.
We do these drives at any suitable high school parking lot near you, during off hours when the parking lot is not being used. If during this lesson the instructor feels that the teen is ready to get out onto the road, we will do that too.
This drive does not count towards any required drive time. It is just a way to give the student a good foundation of skills to build off, and takes that responsibility away from the parents.
BEHIND-THE-WHEEL
If the teen is under 16 years and 6 months at the time they apply for a license, this training is required by the State of Colorado. However, even if the teen is older and not mandated to take the training, ALL teens can benefit from a little professional instruction to make them better and safer drivers.
We will come to you and pick up your teen for these drives if you are close to any of the areas we service. We do this at no extra charge.
If you are outside of these areas, but would like to use work with us anyway, let us know. Depending on where you live, we may still be able to come to you, or have you come to us, or even meet halfway.
State law requires that all official behind-the-wheel time is completed in a driving school owned vehicle that is specially equipped with a second brake pedal for the instructor. Our vehicles are also equipped with cameras for safety and security.
You will create an account login when you register. You will then be able to schedule drive times by logging into our website once the teen has a permit.
We recommend scheduling one early on in their training, and the other closer to the end to ensure they are ready for their test.
Due to regulations, and to keep the student truly focused on their driving, no one but the instructor and driver are permitted in the vehicle during the drives. Unlike other schools, we will never have anyone but the student driver and instructor in the car at any given time.
Each drive is 3 hours long. If needed, about half way through each drive, we may take a short break to get out of the car, stretch our legs, and talk about everything we did in the first half of the drive. Then we’ll get back in, refreshed and ready for part two.
Since we may take a break, and we still need to get 3 hours of actual driving logged, the whole lesson may actually take a little over 3 hours.
DEFENSIVE DRIVING
The morning classes are from 8:50am to 12:00pm.
The afternoon classes are from 12:20pm to 3:30pm.
We currently offer the course at several locations, and may be adding more in the future.
Castle View High School, Castle Rock
Ponderosa High School, Parker
Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch
No. This course is training above and beyond the minimum required by the state, but since it is not on the road, it doesn’t count.
Anyone aged 15 to 25 can take this course, although 95% of our students are 15 or 16.
The only other requirements are that they have a permit with a minimum of around 30 hours of driving logged, or a valid license.
The defensive driving classes fill up quickly, so don’t wait until the last minute to register. If you feel like they’ll have around 30 hours by a certain date, then find a class around that time and register while there is still space. If they’re still not ready by the course date, we can always reschedule them for a later course.
All of this course, with the exception of the skid training, is done in the student’s vehicle. This allows the driver to get a better understanding of how their own vehicle handles in extreme situations.
Due to the nature of the course, and the confined spaces allowed for some exercises, larger vehicles may not be suitable. Full-size trucks, Suburbans, etc. will not fit. So if there is a smaller vehicle the student can use for the course, that would be great. If you are wondering if you’re vehicle will be suitable, reach out and ask.
If you are coming with the teen because they only have a permit, you are welcome to stay and watch, or you can get a ride and come back at the end. If you plan on staying, bring a chair, and please dress for the weather.
We regularly have twins and other siblings taking the course at the same time. Sharing a car is not a problem at all. They will still get as many reps as everyone else.
Usually, yes. However, every insurance company and agent is different. Some give discounts and others don’t. The bottom line is that this course will make your teen a safer driver, and therefore less of a risk to your insurance company.