Behind The Wheel Driving School

100% would recommend to a friend. Great staff and Amazing instructors! My child had different instructors and all three of them helped him learn at his own pace and kept him very calm while driving (anxiety) . definitely bringing my youngest here when its her time to drive.

Jakob C.

2023-12-29

Had sara as my instructor and she's absolutely lovely. Scheduling lessons was easy and pleasant! Thank you btw!

Noah M.

2023-07-20

Instructor: VANESSAHi, my name is Bria and I've been a Student with Behind The Wheel Driving School, since February I just got my license today. My instructor was VANESSA and VANESSA was my instructor throughout my entire journey at this driving school. EVERY single lesson! she's amazing, she made me feel really comfortable. She let me know about things I needed to work on, and she was very precise and very consistent which I loved. I also got the drivers test package 249$ and I also got the defensive driving program 995$; definitely worth it. Also, if you have areas of struggle, she will work with you on those things, a lot! so that you can be prepared for the test, I know for me personally going in reverse from a parking spot on an empty curb for 3 spaces backwards was treacherous, (it's on the test btw) but she prepared me and I did an amazing job on it during Thank you!Also, she will let you know whether you are ready or not to do the test so if she says yes, or no, know that you are ready or not ready. I thought I was at a point where I was ready to drive the President of the United States but it turned out I was not ready yet. But I still made it and got my license on the 1st try.The driver's test package is extremely extremely worth it. You should definitely get it. Thank you BTW driving School, Most of all thank you VANESSA!!!!

Bria B.

2023-05-15

My instructor, Vanessa, was extremely compassionate and understanding from the beginning. In the four lessons I had with her, she not only taught me the basics of driving - but also valuable side advice only an experienced driver would know with a welcoming & friendly attitude. Because of Vanessa's teaching, I was able to pass my drivers test the first time around, and I've strongly recommended BTW Driving to all my friends still in the process of obtaining their license.

Linus T.

2023-05-14

I signed up with this driving school to learn how to drive. My experience depends on the attitudes of the instructors. Lesson 1: Steven I was nervous about driving at first, but he put me at ease when he told me that driving a car is like riding your bicycle. He taught me how to parallel park when I am ready to take my DMV test in the near future. Lesson 2: Stacey I improved from the previous lesson. While I was excited about driving the big boulevards and avenues in this lesson, she reduced it to residential roads. It was not a big deal though, as I improved on residential driving. She was the one who suggested Torrance DMV (over Hawthorne) when I get ready for my test. Lesson 3: Mario This is the lesson where I deal with bigger streets and a drive through other cities. While I did decent in my hometown, the drive in Torrance, Lomita, Carson, and Gardena was h*ll. I was doing my best in driving at the speed of traffic like suggested on the actual test, but Mario told me to pick up the speed in a harsh tone. While he does care about safe driving, he did make me nervous when he told me to pick up the speed when driving behind pickup trucks in Lomita. Exam 1: Melissa (?) This was my first test that I booked with the school. She was not as bad a Mario. However, during warmups, there was a point that she yelled that "she can't step on the brakes for me", which was when I was about to crash into a cyclist that was parked alongside Marine Av near the college. Even though Mario told me about my faults on my final lesson with him, I only failed because I forgot to check my shoulder and my mirror before passing parked cars before merging right before making a right turn. Exam 2: Mario I spent the COVID-19 pandemic practicing driving skills. I told Mario that if I were to deal with a rolling turn on a green light, I learned from driving in the pandemic. Even though I drove a few points under the speed limit (on the acutal test, you may drive no slower than 10 points under the posted speed limit, i.e. you may drive 35-45 on a 45mph road), Mario told me to drive AT the POSTED SPEED LIMIT. He had me merge quicker during warmups by tapping the wheel, saying that if they do touch the wheel, it's an automatic fail. I failed in a close test at 17 points (a little over, but not as bad as my first test in 2020). Exam 3: Jasson He was pretty chill. I tired a different DMV for my test with him. We conversed about how I am seeking a driver's license for a job search. I failed that test when there were super tight streets at Torrance. When I made a turn into another residential neighborhood, it got narrower. My examiner (03 or O3) grabbed the wheel because I was about to crash into oncoming traffic instead of looking in both directions (oncoming traffic on my left and parked cars on my right). While I understand that my reason for failing the test with Jasson was my fault, I was not aware that I would deal with tighter streets on my test at Torrance. I told Jasson that somebody (Fullerton Sam) pirated 2 of the routes to the Torrance DMV that past Spring (March-April 2021). That's where I learned that residential driving at Torrance would make me even more nervous. Exam 4: Miriam I returned to Hawthorne after finding out that Torrance had extremely tight streets. My instructor Miriam was a little bit easier than Mario. Warmup was shorter than how it was in the past. Miriam did not have me go into Gardena nor up to Los Angeles Southwest College. She kept the warmup simple and in closer proximity to the DMV. This was where I learned that applicants for the Hawthorne test arrive 30 mins before their appointment. While I was nervous about the test, seeing that I do not want to repeat the same mistake I made at Torrance due to their (Torrance's) tighter streets (in addition to a premature turn). Despite my anxiety about repeating the same mistakes I made in the past, I ended up finally passing my test, therefore obtaining my license from the DMV, officially graduating from the driving school. However, the fun and excitement we call driving does not start here. We have to have auto insurance beforehand. While the process was not that easy, it took 4 years (August 2018-June 2022) of hard work, dedication, practice, self-improvement, and motivation to get where I am today.

Alexandros M.

2023-01-19

Best experience I ever had, George was very professional, on time and efficient. Best of all, my 17 year old daughter who was extremely nervous at first, is now very confident behind the wheel and she passed on her first time. Thank you so much for the notes you provided George, I was able to practice on her weak points and now she's an excellent driver.

Cesar N.

2022-12-15

Beware!!! South Bay parents - This is a review for any parents considering this school. We purchased the Defensive Driver package for close to $1,000 just over a year ago. Unfortunately, our daughter was so busy during her senior year (and then off to college), she only used one lesson. I called to transfer the lessons to our younger daughter and was going to purchase a 2nd package for my daughter in college when she returns in summer. When I called, I was told the package expired. It is unbelievable to me that a local business would take and keep that much money under the circumstances and within this timeframe. They did not even offer for us to pay the difference for a new package or ANY other compromise. Apparently, I did not read the terms and conditions section as I thought prepaid service packages of this type did not expire in California. This is on me, but this review is more about what this small, local business is willing to do and how they will treat you. I usually prefer to support local companies and purchased their most expensive package to best prepare my daughter. I would advise any parent to consider a different driving school with a better business practice. You actually have to click the fine print at the bottom of their website to read about the expiration timeframe. I don't want any other parent to be treated the way I was on the phone. I am writing so you know ahead to look carefully at the package, fees, expiration, etc. and to inform that this business only cares about keeping your money. I don't want anyone to get the surprise we did. Again - not even an offer of compromise, adjusted fees, partial refund, or other.

L G.

2022-11-19

LOVE Vannessa!! She made me so confident in my driving, and gave me such good advice. I wouldn't be licensed without her!

Zoey O.

2022-10-19

The instructor Vanessa from behind the wheel was not only an amazing instructor but was extremely friendly and always punctual. Vanessa have incredible advice and helped me to feel confident going into my test. She personally texted me how excited she was that I passed and she made the entire process of getting my license very exciting. I would highly recommend booking with Vanessa!

Gianna S.

2022-10-18

I enjoyed my experience with Behind the Wheel Driving School. Vanessa is a great instructor who taught me well about the rules of the road. She is a kind and enthusiastic person for what she does. The course was very helpful and made me the licensed driver I am today!

Thomas K.

2022-10-18

I am a loyal customer of Behind the Wheel and have had 8+ lessons with them over the years. I have had great experiences with my drivers instructors but have had 2 incidents where I was not compensated for. A year and a half ago, my instructor was 2 hours late because they were told the wrong time. And for my most recent lesson, my driver had to cancel 12 minutes beforehand for an understandable issue, but I was not compensated by the supervisor for the rescheduling date. I am not one to leave complaints, but I am very disappointed in how I was treated as a customer especially after being with them for many years. I feel that if a customer has to pay a $75 cancellation fee if they don't cancel 2 days before their lesson, the business themself should not be able to cancel my lesson 12 minutes before without compensation as a double standard.

Michael E.

2022-10-14

Bought a package awhile ago, liked that they had the online drivers test, so bought early. Well my son was slow and then covid happened. Got my son re-engaged with the process and called them to get my Appts scheduled. They told me they were expired, and that Id have to pay 450 to reinstate. Never once did they try to contact me or even work with me on this. Honestly feel like they stole my money. Please use someone else.

Heather B.

2022-10-14

Great practice, awesome instructors! I was very well prepared for my test after the 12 hour driving package, passed first try! My instructor Jason was very kind and explained rules accurately and well. He was especially helpful with his constructive critique, when I messed up he kindly told me what I did wrong and helped me practice until I got it right. As a result I've acquired skills I wouldn't otherwise have if I had practiced on my own. 10/10 would definitely recommend this class to new/inexperienced drivers

Jasmine G.

2022-08-10

I had the DMV Drive Test Prep lesson one week before my actual test, and it was so helpful! My instructor was Ms. Priscilla. She was calm, patient, and super informative. The back-to-back lesson with another student was not as stressful as I imagined; it gave me more time to practice. The evaluation was detailed and gave me a better sense of what I needed to work on before the test. I passed on my first try, and I'm very grateful to have had the last-minute practice with BTW Driving School.

Sophie G.

2022-06-25

My husband purchased a package for our daughter after trying to teach her how to drive himself . The first instructor Jasson was extremely unprofessional! Our daughter is very timid and he definitely made her feel uncomfortable. He was listening to music at high volumes and he put her on a big mainstreet her first lesson. We did not know you could request instructors so the second instructor Priscilla was not the best either. She was playing music the entire time according to my daughter. She also talked badly about her coworkers which is extremely unprofessional on her end since it's not her job to gossip. She kept telling our daughter that the way she brakes was not right. She said the proper way to brake was to NOT feel the car jolt back (first instructor said she needed to let the car jolt back as a full stop) she said only to wait until the speed hits 0 and to continue so that really didn't help my daughters confidence as she started second guessing her driving. We also noticed she only gave her 1hr & 30mins of driving time when the lesson is 2hrs. We did not complain because we were not home the second time. Her 3rd instructor Miriam was amazing! She was super helpful and again the way she was taught to brake by Jasson originally was actually right even though he wasn't the best instructor. The last instructor Vanessa was young which did concern me at first but she proved us wrong. She was really good . She was super helpful and reassured my daughter about her driving and she definitely did let us know that she corrected her a lot which was very helpful. She did take her to Torrance dmv. Although she did say she could not take her on exact routes they covered most of the area around the dmv and my daughter is confident about taking her test soon! Behind the Wheel driving school is really good just inconsistent with some of the instructors. If you want good instructors request Mirian and Vanessa. They were young friendly and very professional! As for the first two instructors I would not recommend them. The office staff is very friendly too despite being busy. All around it's a great school you just need to know who to request.

Lauren S.

2022-06-10

I had my freeway lesson today with Jason. Amazing instructor, super calm and collected which really helped me focus today. Highly recommend if you're someone who gets a bit nervous and need some encouragement :)

Simran S.

2022-05-27

I had George as my driving instructor and he was really great. Not only did he prep me for the driving test but he also taught me how to become a safe driver. They help you get rid of the nerves and they teach you all the ways from residential to freeway. I passed my driving test on my first try so I definitely recommend this driving school.

Ariana D.

2022-05-25

Jason F is an outstanding instructor. He is very patient, attentive, and understanding. Excellent choice for both new and experienced students.

Swagnik B.

2022-05-20

I've done 4 lessons And my favorite was with Jason F, he was very relaxing and gave very helpful advice and better prepared me for my test!

Ryan P.

2022-05-10

Jason F. was a great instructor. He was a great teacher and helped my driving a lot. I recommend this school to anyone wanting to learn how to drive

Skye S.

2022-05-05