Driving school helps international students learn American road rules
Most people took driver’s education in high school from a big sweaty guy who taught them how to properly use a turn signal when passing orange cones.
Those who didn’t get that privilege can go to Willie Driving School, where the hubcaps spin and the teacher is Justin Atkinson, a junior majoring in business administration.
It is an alternative to the traditional way people take driver’s education in Utah, said Atkinson, the manager and instructor at the school. In some states, an independent driving school is the only way to take it, though.
The class sizes are small and they are aimed at people who didn’t take driver’s ed in high school or need to get their license after moving to the United States, Atkinson said.
A large part of the students are international students. The class is smaller so they can ask more questions and it is catered to their needs, Atkinson said, with about 15 people in a regular class.
Gayathri Samarasingha, a senior in business information systems, said she went to the driving school last summer. She said she didn’t have a license from home in Sri Lanka, so she went to get one.
The school was helpful, Samarasingha said, because she needed to learn the rules of the roads.
It is different in the United States, she said. Here, they drive on the other side of the road and the steering wheel is on the other side of the car, she said.
“I had to start over again,” Samarasingha said.
Shahriar Kabir, a sophomore in business information systems, said he took the class last semester after hearing about it from a friend.
Kabir had a license from Saudi Arabia, so he said he went just to learn the rules of the roads.
“Back home, the roads and traffic rules are totally different,” Kabir said.
He said the biggest difference is traffic lights and here, they let two sides at an intersection go at once, but in Saudi Arabia, they only let one. Kabir said he had to get used to that change.
The roads are safer in Utah because they drive a lot faster in Saudi Arabia, Kabir said, but the drivers are better there.
“There are speed limits there, but no one follows it – even the cops get mad at you for going slow,” Kabir said.
The classes work around a college student’s busy schedule. Samarasingha said the school was good for her and they worked well with her schedule. She said [Atkinson] was flexible, allowed her to make up classes if she missed and helped her finish as soon as possible.
The class was flexible, Kabir said. If he missed a class, he could make it up without a fee.
“This was the best place for me because of timing,” Kabir said. “I didn’t have to take a lot of classes.”
The driving school is college students teaching college students, Atkinson said, so it is relatable. He said he has taught people in his classes and then been in a class with them.
Atkinson said it is less formal because they are the same age and it is easier to deal with. There is no uncomfortable formal structure, he said.
For international students who move to Utah, Atkinson said it is a quick, affordable way to get a license.
The classes last three weeks and are three nights a week from 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. It costs $200 to take the class.
Atkinson said that is a lot cheaper than some of the international students would have paid in their home countries. In some European countries, it will cost thousands of dollars, he said.
“It’s a really good driving school and it’s a reasonable amount,” Samarasingha said.
A lot of people need a license and don’t know where to get them, Atkinson said.
Anyone interested in the school should call (435) 755-8050. It’s open enrollment, which means they can start at any time. He said within a week or two of calling a class should start.
-hollyadams@cc.usu.edu