Bay Area Driving School
Bay Area Driving School is a family-owned business established in 1949. We have a passion for teaching safe driving skills and have assisted multiple generations of Bay Area drivers in obtaining their licenses.
Good for you! We used Bay Area Driving School for our teens but I am pretty sure they can help adult drivers as well - they were super kind and patient, both the office staff and instructors. They will come to you (for a fee).
Congratulations on taking the necessary steps toward becoming a confident driver.!
While our offspring were in their 30s when they were taught to drive by Bay Area Driving School,
bayareadriving.com
we are eternally grateful for what they have done for our family.
Our son is a high-functioning AS person. Trying to teach him to drive was the most difficult thing I have done in my life - more so than getting an EECS degree from UCB!
This is a family-owned business. The owner, Erika Vieyera, is the daughter of Henry Ramirez, the retired CHP officer who personally taught our son to drive. Mr. Ramirez is the author of a book designed for older drivers. We certainly recommend Bay Area Driving School.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
July 2011
RE: Driving school for teen daughter
My neighbor is a retired CHP officer and now runs Bay Area Driving School: http://www.bayareadriving.com For Oakland or Berkeley their number is (510) 430-8770. Request Henry or Barbara Ramirez. My son took the driver's training course from Henry, but I think they offer driver's education as well.
I just finished teaching our daughter to drive. We used Bay Area Driving School in Hayward for the required 3 hour behind the wheel professional driving school DMV requirement. They were fine for about $300 for 3 one hour lessons with free pickup and drop off at home/school....
August 2006
RE: Driving instructor for nervous 40 year old woman
I was a nervous 40 year old woman who took lessons from Bay Area Driving School. I found the two different instructors I worked with professional and reassuring and they both taught very safe driving techniques. I can't say that it was cheap, but I felt the service was worth what I paid for it.
March 2006
RE: Good classes for adult learning to drive?
I look driving lessons with two different teachers at Bay Area Driving School and was satisfied with both. They teach you to drive very carefully, and give you pointers on passing the drivers test. One thing I didn't expect when I was getting started: you start driving right away at the beginning of the first lesson. Somehow I was picturing (memories of high school?) an orientation or slide show or something before I had to get in the driver's seat. Sometimes you will be giving the previous student a ride home, or you'll ride in the back while the student before you drives home. Most of the other students were much younger than me, which somehow made me feel better, like at least I had maturity going for me, if not experience. Good luck! anon
July 2003
I don't have any personal experience with him but my teenage daughter learned a lot from Henry Ramirez with the Bay Area Driving School. http://www.bayareadriving.com/ I know she learned a lot because she points out the things I do wrong (!) and tells me what she learned from her teacher. ;-)
Seriously, I really think that many of us adults could use a referesher--I'm just unwilling to pay the $95 for something I feel I can already do. In your case, you have the perfect excuse! I know he was able to articulate many of the techniques required in driving (how to merge comes to mind). I would suggest you contact Bay Area Driving School and ask specifically for Henry Ramirez (my older son did not learn as much from his teacher.) Sally
July 2001
We had very good experience with Bay Area Driving School, whose offices are located in Hayward. We went down there to do the paper work, but they picked my son up for the actual driving lessons both from our home in Berkeley and from BHS. They were very well organized, pleasant, punctual, and he got good instruction. It was a little less than a year ago that he had these lessons. Joan
[After a bad experience with another driving school] I ended up calling the Bay Area Driving School instead, and wish that I had done so in the first place. The woman who handles the calls and schedules the appts ( Erica) was friendly and very professional. They were able to schedule a lesson for my daughter the following week ( though it was during school hours - after school hours would have been a longer wait). The teacher was a woman ( which I think made my daughter feel a little more at ease), her name was Yona, and she showed up for the appt. at our house right on time and gave my daughter a very thorough lesson. We were both very pleased and I think that anyone who is looking for a driving school for their teenager should give them a try. Betsey
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