Category: News from Our Driving School

News from our Calgary driving school. Learn about latest events and happenings.

How to Overcome Your Fear of Learning How to Drive

Did you know that fear of driving is one of the most common phobias that people may experience? Driving is an activity that can cause people to experience panic and fear. It can be a stressful activity for many people. The experts at Derek Brown’s Academy of Driving understand that learning to drive can cause anxiety and they will make it as calm and relaxing as possible. It’s never too late to learn how to drive!

Fear of Learning How to Drive

Learning to drive in a calm environment will help to reduce your anxiety. Our classes are fun and engaging. We will teach you the rules of the road before you get behind the wheel. This will help you to feel prepared and confident before you drive. Our Calgary drivers ed classes are fun and engaging. Our Calgary driving courses will teach you the information that you need to overcome your fear of driving. The instructors are friendly and understand your fears. They will encourage you and teach you how to deal with any situation while driving.

Our Top Tips For Success:

  • Enroll in a reputable driving school. Learning to drive from an instructor with years of experience will help tremendously. They will teach you everything you need to know and how to deal with situations as they arise.
  • Practice. Get out on the road and practice driving. The more that you practice driving, the more comfortable you’ll feel. Start on quiet residential roads and gradually work your way up to busier roads. We recommend that you practice at every opportunity so that driving will begin to feel more natural.
  • Breathe deeply and focus on the positive. It’s natural for your breathing to become irregular when you’re anxious. Breathe in deeply through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth. This will help you to feel calm and to be able to focus on driving.
  • Plan ahead. Plan your route before you begin driving. This will reduce your stress while driving as you will know the best route to your destination.
  • Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t panic if you miss your exit. You can get off at the next exit and turn around. It’s ok if it takes a little longer to get to your destination.

Derek Brown’s Academy of Driving will help you overcome your fear of driving. Our expert instructors have many years of experience. They are friendly, and knowledgeable, and will help you to learn how to drive safely. We also offer courses that will teach you additional driving skills such as defensive driving and winter driving. These extra skills will help you to feel more comfortable driving in challenging conditions. Derek Brown’s Academy of Driving is the driving school Calgary trusts! Call today to learn more.

Derek Brown's Online Driving Course

Introducing Our New Online Driving Course

Online Driving Course

We know that life gets busy! It can be hard to find the time to complete the driving course Calgary loves. That’s why we are excited to introduce our new online driving course! This comprehensive course will also help you achieve the classroom hours needed for your class 5 license – without ever leaving the comfort of your home! Our online program has been fully approved by Alberta Transportation as an alternative to the 15-hour-in classroom program. This program is interactive and has activities, games, and information that’s narrated by a speaker. Our online course is supported by our expert instructors. They are available to answer your questions Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Class 5 License

Derek Brown’s Academy of Driving is the largest driving school in Calgary. Our Class 5 beginner driving course will prepare you for your Class 5 road test. It consists of 15 hours of classroom time and 10 hours of driving time. The classroom lessons are held from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. They are split into three 5-hour sessions. There will also be five 2-hour driving lessons that will be held anytime Monday through Saturday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. We know that many people who want to take driving lessons in Calgary can’t spend three Saturdays in a classroom. We have created the online course so that you can complete the classroom component whenever it’s convenient for you!

How Does the Online Driving Course Work?

Student taking the online driving course

Each module of the online driving course is composed of slides of information. These slides will need to be checked to move forward to the next slides. Additionally, each module also has a final test that summarizes the information that was lectured in the module. As you complete a module, you will complete the test. You must also achieve a minimum score of 80% or higher to pass the course. You will also be given 3 attempts to complete the 15 hours. Click here to learn about the minimum system requirements.

How Do I Register?

To register, you must call Derek Brown’s Academy of Driving to complete the registration over the phone. Once you have registered, you will be emailed a link. This will allow you to register and create an account. Then you must call the office to be given full access to the online course. You will then check in to the online course by entering the correct answers to the security questions that you set up during registration. The contract and record of registration will be printed and submitted to the academy before gaining full access.

Why is Derek Brown’s Driving Academy the best driving school in Calgary, AB? Because we’re passionate about helping people to learn how to drive! Whether you are just starting, need a refresher course, or changing careers and learning to drive a truck, we’re here to help you! Call today to learn more about our online driving course!

Beware the Cyclists and Motorcyclists

Now that winter is gone and spring is finally here there is a new driving to be aware of, as many people are riding their bikes, as well as motorcycles. Many drivers overlook the fact that they must share the road with other vehicles, bikes being the most common. Always be aware of your surroundings seems to be a pretty simple task, until it is actually required. Cyclists and motorcyclists have a higher risk for fatal injuries from a collision than drivers, and therefore should always be monitored while driving. Watch out for cyclists or motorcyclists or you could end up killing one with your car or truck. If you want to improve your driving safety you could take one of our Derek Brown’s driving school courses.

The Perils of Winter Driving

Winter driving is very dangerous in parts of the world where they actually have winter. But it can be even more dangerous in places with occasional winter. When people aren’t expecting winter the car accidents can be a lot worse. Here’s a youtube video that illustrates just how dangerous it can be!


Derek Brown’s can help you learn to drive well in the winter. Then you can get a lot of practice driving in Calgary, so never have to live like these unfortunate souls.