AAA: Area students backlogged for 5-hour pre-licensing course

In-car driver education has resumed

By AAA of Western and Central New York

AAA Western and Central New York has heard from many young drivers and their parents who are inquiring about the five-hour prelicensing 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, AAA driver training is closely following state mandates and cannot legally offer the course. (Other providers have violated the regulation and are subject to potential disciplinary action.) Right now, at least 300 students are registered through AAA and are awaiting approval for classroom instruction from New York state. There is no online option for the five-hour course in New York at this time.

“With summer a prime time for young drivers to get behind the wheel and obtain a driver’s license, we are seeing many disappointed students,” said Mike Formanowicz, manager of AAA driver training. “Our best advice is to wait it out and to continue to log hours of practice driving behind the wheel while taking as much online training as possible.”

Online options include defensive driving, which qualifies the driver for an insurance reduction.

The 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 for educational benefit to young drivers, so insurance discounts are not applicable, and the five-hour course must still be completed in the future.

There are two options for the “LTL” program:

√ Complete just the online new driver component only.

√Complete the entire class bundle: the online new driver component, online defensive driving, the five-hour course (when it becomes available) 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 reach out to parents and students who are already enrolled for the five-hour course before accepting new registrations.

As upstate New York’s largest member services organization, AAA Western and Central New York provides more than 887,000 members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1900, AAA has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. Visit AAA at www.AAA.com.