Safeway's 6 hours of basic driving instruction continues the classroom emphasis on defensive driving maneuvers while exposing the student to a wide variety of driving environments.
Safeway provides three, two-hour behind-the-wheel lessons (6 hours total). Each lesson has its own curriculum and objectives. When the student is ready for behind-the-wheel lessons, they should click the Student Login button in the upper right corner of our home page, login to their account and register their permit number with Safeway.
Many of our instructors do back-to-back lessons. The first student of the day is picked up from home or school at the scheduled time. Toward the end of the lesson (last 10-15 minutes), the first student will drive to the second student’s home. The second student will get into the back seat and the first student will finish their lesson time by driving themselves home. The second student will then begin their lesson time from the first student’s home at the scheduled time. Each student will get their full two-hour lesson time.
Lesson #1
Lesson #1
is our “basic” lesson. Basic vehicle operation and control is emphasized including starting, stopping, lane control, following distance, along with good observation techniques. The student must demonstrate a knowledge of all vehicle controls and warning lights. Merge vs. yield, SMOG and Gap-Gauge-Go are put into practice.
Lesson #2
Lesson #2
is our “advanced” lesson. This lesson is a milestone for most students. It allows them to find out how proficient a driver they really are. The lesson will emphasizes multiple lane changes, weave lanes and exit and entrance ramps of both cloverleaf and diamond interchanges. The student will also perform turns with multiple turn lanes from and onto multiple-lane one-way and two-way streets. Crosswalks, pedestrians and Right on Red turns are covered in detail.
Lesson #3
Lesson #3
is our “parking and review” lesson. During this lesson, students become proficient at parallel and 90-degree corner back parking. Students also learn the proper procedures for hill parking and parking lot procedures. The Road Test driving maneuvers are also reviewed. At this lesson, the students receive their White Card, the course completion card. The White Card must be presented at the Road Test.
Important Note:
The 6 hours of Behind-the-Wheel instruction do NOT count toward the 50 hours of supervised driving that must be completed with a parent or guardian, as required by the State of Minnesota.
For questions about scheduling or timelines, please contact our office at 651-351-9150.