Super happy I decided on the Defensive Driving School located in Silverdale! Three things made my experience at Defensive positive, stress-free, and successful (as I passed my driving test on the first try!) 1. The instructor: Mitch is such a rad guy. He is patient, laid-back, and upfront-- if you are doing great, he let's you know what you're succeeding in which increases your confidence in driving and reinforces GOOD "habits" (driving techniques)! If you're struggling, he will also not hesitate to let you know where you need improvement without condescending or belittling you. I made some pretty embarrassing mistakes during some lessons, but he never once made me feel silly or discouraged for messing up, instead he provided insight and tips which alleviated a lot of pressure. His style of teaching also makes it so much easier to learn because there are no surprises and there is no awkwardness either. Ultimately, I believe his teaching style would work for anyone because he adjusts his lessons to fit his learner and what works best for them, whether that is more verbal guidance or taking you step-by-step once, twice, fifteen times. I really enjoyed my time spent with Mitch and his success in teaching really reflects in his students' vast improvement-- I never thought parallel parking would be such a snap for me as it is now! Additionally, because he is the main instructor at this location, more often than not you will end up taking your skills test with him which really is a huge benefit for anyone taking the skills test the first time around-- I wasn't nervous at all and my confidence showed because I knew he had given me all the tools I needed to pass. 2. Flexibility of hours and Variety of driving packages: As a recent college grad just getting their driving license, I am so happy I was able to skip the classroom sessions and group car rides and instead get one-on-one lessons with Mitch. I am a much better individual learner than I am group learner, so this contributed to my comfort, lessened my anxiety, and allowed me to really grasp the skills quickly. From browsing around, Defensive is the only driving school I found in the area that had so many different packages, from classes with driving practice for teens to those like me who want multiple 1-hr or 90-minute one-on-one lessons. I liked that I could shape the lessons around my schedule, as someone going through lots of changes-- something which was not offered at other competitors in the area. Additionally, as an adult, there are options of booking lessons as closely/far apart from one another as desired which may be a helpful note for folks like me who are not teens-- just call their customer service hotline and let them know you need them to change your profile to fit this feature. However, it's important to note that teens cannot book lessons any closer than 5 days apart. The schedule agent online booking site they use makes appointment bookings easy as can be. You don't have to wait to call to book lessons and there's no need to walk in with a check, which was convenient for me. If you ever need to reschedule or made a mistake on the site, Defensive's customer line is just as impressive as everything else, as they were always super kind, clear, quick (but not rushy), and helpful on the phone. 3. Price: For my 5 lessons, I thought what I paid was fair and every dollar was well spent. Some people may look at the classroom/driving packages for their teens and be tempted to not book with Defensive and go for a cheaper competitor, but I cannot sincerely say enough that you cannot compete with the level of professionalism and skill that they have here! Overall I'm a happy and safe new driver thanks to Mitch and would recommend Defensive @ Silverdale for new drivers! read more

Dave was on time and was very helpful after the road test in explaining what I did right or wrong.

They have fun competitions (we won). The teacher is fun and an overall good dude (coach mitch) we learn a lot while having fun. read more

Defensive Driving School - The classroom with people - Driving Schools Near Me - Silverdale, Washington

March 2020, signed up for online course. They never offered 6 hours of driving (per state requirements), with COVID and chaos we did our best to get them through, finally getting hours in for kid, call back and they said sucks to be you. You had to be done within 4 months which at that time was still in the heat of COVID. They could have offered to be flexible, they could have offered even a partial refund. Nope. Too late to contest the 1200 we paid for 2 students. Don't do business with them, they are borderline thieves. read more

The school has been helpful and taught safe and defensive driving. The web classes they offer can be helpful to manage learning to drive with a busy schedule. read more

I have had a great experience with defensive driving so far. My instructor is patient and funny. They make learning about driving simple and fun. Scheduling drives is easy and simple with lots of slots available. They are cheaper than 911, but with the same or higher level of commitment to creating great drivers. read more

We had a great experience at Defensive Driving school. David our main instructor was patient and very humanistic. Even cracked a few jokes which put our daughter at ease. Was always on time and very communicative. Paul, who we had 2X was not as great unfortunately. He was late, didn't speak at all even when she asked questions. Overall I would recommend. read more

Took my driver's test here and Driver Instructor Brad was very helpful! I passed with a 90% and instructors aren't rude or impatient, definitely recommend coming here read more

I always feel like I'm inconveniencing them. It's like the whole company has a (that's not my job descriptio) attitude. also they overbook drives. So if you have to miss a drive, your kid could have to wait a year. my other kid went to NW driving school. They were amazing. Treated us like we were family. read more

Very pleasant and enjoyed the classes, I passed and my instructor Mitch was very helpful and paitent with me

Worst driving school ever. They charge excessive fees if a drive isn't cancelled before 48 hours. God forbid something comes up. Also, don't expect to be able to finish all the drives within a year! My son said there are many students he spoke to who finished the course a year ago and haven't been able to get their drives scheduled. My son's course ended a couple months ago and he has only had one drive. Just a complete mess. My other son went to Northwest Driving School and they were fantastic. We had zero issues with them. read more

All I got to say is that Mitch is the best driving instructor and would not ask for anyone else. He took away my fear of driving and made me a more confident driver read more

Very uncooperative when trying to reschedule drives. They charge Ridiculous fees for rescheduling. Very disappointed, this is my third time using their school and most definitely my last! read more

Dave was super awesome help me with my anxiety and he explained everything

We went with this Silverdale location for the hours and so happy we did. Mitch was my sons instructor and my son was very happy in his class. Mitch is very professional and friendly. My son learned more because of Mitch's teaching style. We were sad that the class is over because we truly enjoyed seeing and talking with Mitch. Thanks again for such an awesome experience. read more

If your wanting to have a fun drivers ed experience, this is the place to go. Mitch is the best instructor to have, he made the class a lot of fun and very enjoyable. So glad my parents had me go to this driving school. read more

Our family recently moved to Washington State and was initially shocked that a defensive driving course was required for teen drivers. Our 17 year old is almost done with all of the course requirements and we are beyond pleased with the course! Scott Miller has helped our son tremendously! The classroom instruction was thorough and "defensive" driving focused. Scott was always on time and tried to make the class as enjoyable as possible for the kids. The assignments and projects were very relevant to helping nurture a defensive driving mindset. Scott has been very helpful with our son's behind the wheel instruction. He is straight-forward and clear in his instructions. (I road along during the lesson where parallel parking and backing around a corner were demonstrated and taught. I highly recommend that parents "observe this lesson!!) Scott was available via email or phone to answer questions or give direction, and allowed multiple ride-along observations with our son. As a parent, I cannot recommend Scott and Defensive Driving School enough. The combination of the classroom instruction, observations drives, and behind the wheel instruction has make a huge impact in training our son to drive defensively. We still have three more sons to train and when they are ready, we will be bringing back here! read more

I looked around and found defensive, it was amazing the couch I had was couch Mitch he's was great I had a fun time in his class and the other couches were great there receptacle and gave us breaks when needed. I definitely approve and will tell friends and family to go to defensive driving school!! read more

Mitch is pretty awesome. He has awesome impressions. Especially his grandpa impression. Give Mitch a raise.

My coaches name is Mitch and he's got an awesome teaching style that makes it really fun and easy to work and learn with. The driving instructors are amazing too! 10/10 would recommend :D read more

They lied to me about a multi student discount and cost more than 911 if you include test fees. They would not honor a email detailing my discount even after I followed their instructions to like them on Facebook. I strongly recommend that you do not go here. read more

Silverdale's Defensive driving school is a great environment to learn in! The instructor makes the class fun but also makes sure that we know what we are doing, which I couldn't ask for anything more than that! I am excited for my driving tests and I would like to leave a 5 star review, as I would not and and could not leave a score thats lower than that. If you want to try a great driving school, this one would be perfect. read more

Scott Miller is a great Drivers Ed instructor with tons of experience. He understands his students and knows how to optimize their full potential when it comes to driving and understanding the rules of the road. He is a comedian at heart, and knows how to captivate his audience. I would fully recommend him as a driving instructor and even a role model to his students. On almost every test, almost everyone passed as Scott was able to reach us the information needed, and applied it in a way that stuck with us. This was a wonderful class. Thank You. read more

Easy location with an adequate classroom, and the teacher I have is a great guy with an awesome sense of humor. I'm learning fast and easy, and I know I'll be a successful driver in the near future thanks to these guys. read more

Defensive Driving School helped me get my driver's license! The lessons were top notch and the instructor, Mitch, is a total professional. He is very polite, very helpful, and worked with me to learn the basics before easing into the more advanced techniques and lessons. He knows his stuff and offered some great tips on where I could improve and where I was doing well already. He has great positive energy, and I will always be thankful for his insight. Other positives; booking was a snap thanks to the online booking wizard, and customer service was very professional and very helpful. Parting thought; My first instructor with this school didn't click well with me, so finding Mitch made a huge difference in my confidence. I am very glad I hung in there, and I encourage anyone reading this to keep at it! read more

Don't waste your $500 of hard earned money. I was under the impression that they were the ones who were going to teach my kid to drive, they only give five hours of broken up drive time and some bullshit videos and personal stories the instructors tell them. At the end of the day, I'm the one who takes my kid out on the streets to learn to drive NOT them. So the REAL question here is: WHAT AM I REALLY PAYING FOR??? Don't waste your money and teach your kids yourself because that's what you're going to end up doing anyway!! I hope this helps anyone who is looking at this "school". read more

I recently took several driving lessons, followed by my road test with Mitch. I am an adult who's driving skills were quite rusty after rarely or seldom driving, especially over the past 20+ years. Even though I had attended a very expensive driving school in my youth, I was positive my lack of experience and practice was obvious. I think Mitch is an excellent, very high quality driving instructor. He was very approachable, jovial and encouraging. Mitch comes across as a very competent, skilled and patient instructor. He communicates very clearly, and was extremely helpful in rebuilding both my confidence and skills. I would definitely recommend this school and instructor to anyone. Thanks for all your help, Mitch. read more

The class is engaging and informative, and I feel that I have gotten a good learning experience.

I am glad I made the decision to go to defensive driving school. They allow for more opportunities to gain experience by games and practice techniques. read more

The classes covered everything from car safety to freeway driving. I feel prepared to drive on my own and without any concerns for my safety