Common questions about BDE course, lessons & road tests

Yes. SAFA Driving Academy is approved by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to deliver Beginner Driver Education. You can also verify our approval directly on the official Ontario government list of approved driving schools by visiting https://www.ontario.ca/page/government-approved-driving-schools and searching for “SAFA Driving Academy.” Our certified instructors follow the MTO-approved curriculum, and course completions are submitted to the MTO on your behalf.

Yes — supporting nervous and first-time drivers is one of the things we do best. Our instructors keep lessons calm and structured, build skills step-by-step, and adjust the pace to your comfort level. Many of our students arrive feeling anxious and leave each lesson feeling more confident.

We serve Oshawa, Bowmanville, Courtice, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, and the wider Durham Region. Pickup areas may vary by package — please confirm when you book.

Our MTO-approved BDE course includes 20 hours of online asynchronous instruction, 10 hours of asynchronous online homework (completed on your own schedule), and 10 hours of one-on-one in-car lessons with a certified instructor. We submit your course completion to the MTO once you finish.

Students who complete an MTO-approved BDE course will be eligible to take the G2 road test after 8 months of holding their G1, instead of the standard 12 months.

The Driver’s Licence History provides proof of successful completion of and graduation from a BDE course and is widely recognized by the insurance industry as proof of course completion. BDE graduates with a Driver’s Licence History may be eligible for an insurance discount. However, discounts are not guaranteed and depend entirely on your individual insurer. We always recommend confirming with your insurance provider directly before assuming a specific discount.

The BDE course must be completed within one (1) year of registering, as per MTO requirements. This includes the online asynchronous instruction, homework, and in-car portions.

As per ministry regulations, students can only begin in-car lessons once the online asynchronous portion of the course is completed. Students must also provide a valid driver’s license and proof of full course payment before lessons can be scheduled.

Yes. The online classroom portion is asynchronous, so you can work through modules on your own schedule, then book in-car lessons at times that work for you.

Absolutely. We work with first-time drivers, nervous beginners, and people returning to driving after a long break. Lessons start in calm, low-pressure environments and progress at a pace that works for you. Many students tell us they finally felt safe and supported with SAFA after struggling with other schools.

It depends on how much practice you need before the road test. If you are unsure, contact us — we will ask a few questions about your experience and recommend a package honestly. There is no pressure to upgrade.

Yes. We offer both hourly G2 and G lessons. You can also bundle lessons into a road test package if you want use of our cars for the test.

Our standard driving lessons are either 1 or2 hours long, depending on the service area. This allows for a focused, in-depth session that covers multiple skills and scenarios.

Yes. Our road test packages include a focused pre-test warm-up lesson plus the use of fully insured, well-maintained SAFA vehicles for your road test.

Road tests are booked through DriveTest at https://drivetest.ca/ — you can book your own road test slot, or we can book one for you. We then schedule a pre-test lesson and the test-day pickup around it. We are happy to advise on which DriveTest centre is most familiar to your instructor.

No driving school can guarantee a pass — your result depends on your performance on test day and the examiner. What we can do is prepare you thoroughly, point out specific habits to fix, and make sure you are calm and comfortable in the vehicle on test day.

We are available Monday to Sunday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Specific lesson availability depends on instructor schedules — we will offer the closest options when you book.

You can directly contact your instrutor to cancel or reschedule a lesson. We ask for at least 24 hours' notice for cancellations or rescheduling to avoid a late cancellation fee. We understand that emergencies happen — if you need to cancel with less than 24 hours' notice, please reach out and we will do our best to accommodate you.

For late cancellations, a fee of $30 may apply

We accept online payment through Stripe (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and most debit cards), as well as in-person payment by cash or Interac e-transfer. You choose whichever method works best for you when you book.

If you prefer not to pay online, you can pay in person by cash or Interac e-transfer, for driving lessons. Just select the "Book Now" option when booking (instead of "Add to Cart") and our team will confirm the in-person payment details with you.

Please note that BDE course packages will still need to be paid online through e-transfer or Stripe payments in order for us to register you as a student.

No. We never store, see, or handle your credit or debit card information. All card data is entered directly into Stripe's secure payment form and processed entirely by Stripe. SAFA has no access to your card details at any point.

Please read our refund policy in the footer section for more information.