AAA Western and Central New York is thrilled that Governor Cuomo approved virtual classes for the 5-hour pre-licensing course that is required in New York State to obtain a driver’s license. With classroom instruction not allowed in New York at this time, many students were frustrated waiting for the required coursework. AAA Driver Training was one of the first local driving schools to offer the course virtually, guided by a trained instructor. With video technology, AAA instructors are able to lead the class, share images and videos, and even answer questions from students. Unlike an online defensive driving class that can be completed at your leisure with no instructor, the virtual option has an instructor and is offered at a specific time like a classroom lesson.

AAA has regularly scheduled virtual classes. With hundreds of students registered through AAA who were waiting for the 5-hour course, it will take some time to get through the backlog. However, new registrations are being accepted for future classes at www.AAA.com/DriverTraining.

“Our instructors are working diligently to offer this virtual course to meet the needs of area families,” said Mike Formanowicz, Manager of AAA Driver Training. “We look forward to registering as many students as possible to offer them this important safety training.”

Other self-paced online options include defensive driving, which qualifies the driver for an insurance reduction. The self-paced online portion of AAA License To Learn (LTL) program is also available and provides young drivers with a good foundation before they become licensed. Simply call AAA to register in advance at (800) 836-2582, option 2. Now is a great time for students to get the online classwork completed! The LTL online driver education program is designed as an educational benefit to young drivers, so insurance discounts are not applicable, and the 5-hour course must still be completed in the future. There are 2 options for the LTL program:

1. Complete the online new driver component only
2. Complete the entire class bundle: the online new driver component, online defensive driving, the 5-hour course and 10 in-car driving lessons

AAA in-car driving lessons and driver evaluations have resumed with proper car cleaning after each lesson, good hygiene, social distancing and safety protocols in place. New students will be placed on a wait list that could take several days or weeks in high demand areas.
Students who need more information can go online (click here) to enroll in online courses or call (800) 836-2582 for more information. Once classroom instruction can resume, AAA will also offer the 5-hour course in-person with safety guidelines.