When you talk to Maria and Richard Wojtczak today, their passion is as evident as it was when they set out on this venture in 2003. Why? Because for them, one teen life lost to an avoidable car crash is too many. “When we researched what was being done in driver training, we were shocked at the lack of professional training and education required to attain an Arizona driver’s license.” said Wojtczak.
“Since opening, our singular mission has been to provide teen drivers with the training and tools necessary to become competent, responsible and safe solo drivers,” said Maria Wojtczak, Chief Operating Officer at DrivingMBA. “Our system is unlike any other driving program available in Arizona and the whole country.”
DrivingMBA, with locations in Glendale and Scottsdale, is the only driving school in Arizona that offers a comprehensive program using a combination of simulation labs and on-road instruction to teach driving fundamentals and defensive driving skills to teens, and other drivers, across the state.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 3,000 people are killed each year in car crashes involving a teen driver (aged 15-18 years old.) Driving is the single deadliest thing teenagers do every day.
Arizona’s high rate of red-light runners, road rage incidents and wrong-way drivers compounds the complexity of educating inexperienced drivers. DrivingMBA mitigates these dangers through its in-depth training for teens that highlights skills needed to avoid these and other issues like distracted driving.
“Our goal was to develop a program that would ensure novice drivers were prepared for the many situations that come up daily when driving,” Wojtczak added. “Driving has changed over the last 20 years, vehicles are faster, roadways are more aggressive, and the level of distraction today is significantly higher with all of the technology available in cars, cell phones, and, of course, social media.”
DrivingMBA trains over 1,200 students each year in a variety of programs, including classes for adults, seniors, exceptional learners and fleet drivers. The most popular program, the DRIVE Certification Training Package is a 30-hour course that is one of the most thorough teen training programs in the nation. Spread out over six months or more, it takes participants from permit to official license and includes 14 hours of driving in simulation labs, both Driving Fundamentals and Defensive Driving, and a minimum of 10 hours of on-road training.
Additionally, DrivingMBA incorporates elements of partnering with parents of teens who play a key role in the total learning process. There’s a Coaching Course hosted by Wojtczak via Zoom to help prepare parents for the journey to getting their teen behind the wheel. It is all part of DrivingMBA’s effort to provide all drivers with the advanced training they need to return home safely every day.
Visit our open house at either location during National Teen Driver Safety Week on Oct. 23 from 5-7 p.m.! Scottsdale Location: 17787 N. Perimeter Dr. A-115; Glendale Location: Il Palazzo at Arrowhead Ranch, 5940 W. Union Hills Dr. Visit DrivingMBA.com or call 480-948-1648 to learn more.
