Joe Losey has seen everything imaginable as a driving instructor and owner of the Driving Schools of Ohio.
Losey recently took over the driving school located at the BMV in town and said he saw a need to serve the community.
“We have about 30 schools all across the state,” he said. “There was a need for a driving school in Knox County. There was a driving school going through hard times, and we purchased the company and rebranded it. It’s a great opportunity to serve the community.”
He said teaching students how to drive has been challenging with the pandemic, but they have found ways to keep class going.
“It definitely has delayed the process of the normal rate of time,” Losey said. “Instead of a more hands-on approach in class, we have switched to a lot of virtual teaching. We offer in-class and virtual teaching, and online you still have a teacher.”
Losey thinks nothing beats hands-on experience, and he said that he often tells parents they are an extension of what they teach in driving school.
“A lot of parents think we're teaching their kids how to drive, and we are,” he said. “Kids also need practice, and I think the biggest thing for parents is to drive with their kids at the wheel without screaming at them but explaining the process.”
Losey said it’s important for parents to understand they may have some bad driving habits of their own that the school tries to correct and urged parents to talk to driving instructors to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their child’s driving skills.
“It’s important to practice the things we teach,” he said. “Take time to talk to the driving instructor so you will know how a child is as a driver.”
Losey said the driving program consists of 24 hours of classroom teaching, along with an eight- to 10-hour driving package.
Losey said a lot of parents buy their kids a top-of-the-line car but should wait to make that purchase until their child graduates and has obtained some driving experience.
“A sedan will work just fine,” he said.
For Losey, a love for driving was passed down to him from his father, who helped him restore a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda from the ground up when he was learning to drive.
“There is nothing like a true American muscle car,” he said. “ I love the '60s era of muscle cars.”
