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 Less

Fantastic program- anybody can teach a kid to drive but they take it one step further and teach your kid how to not get into a accident and safety tips that I never even thought of to pass on. I highly recommend this course ,especially Greg from Poulsbo - he is very knowledgeable and keeps the kids engaged - which is not an easy task over summer vacation. Well done and thank you for caring about our kids and for passing on your knowledge! Read Less

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 Less

We found Defensive Driving School after having a bad experience with another local driving school.  Our older children had also attended two different driving schools in the area and DDS was by far our best experience!  DDS was a great place for our son to learn the rules and mechanics of driving.  He enjoyed the instructor and the class time and the drives were very helpful in increasing his confidence on the road.  The only reason we are giving 4 stars instead of 5 is that it would be more helpful if the final drive and the final test counted toward getting his license like the other local schools.  However, it is a small price to pay for the quality of instruction our son received.  Thank you! Read Less

Avoid Greg Lente if you can. Tried to shake his hand at the end of the drive (because I passed the test) which he saw and completely ignored me. I'm sure he didn't intend to insult me but it sure felt that way.Read Less

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 Less

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 Less

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 Less

Overall: Six stars for Greg (the instructor), minus two stars for inflexible rescheduling policy.Okay, so I'm a guy in my late 20s who had never had a driver's license. I was scared of driving and when I attempted to drive I was not very good. I started taking lessons from Greg (the drive instructor). He is very patient and great at explaining things. He compliments you the whole time so your confidence builds up. In just nine hours of lessons (plus ~20 hours outside of class), Greg turned me into a confident, safe driver. The end result was a 93 on my driving test!!! (6 stars!)HOWEVER, they have a policy that you must cancel your drives two full business days in advance or you have to pay for the entire lesson even though you didn't drive. I get it, you don't want kids signing up and then not showing up because that is wasted time. I think that if I pay $900 for 10 lessons, you can give me a break if I am sick and call you the minute your office opens. They disagree and told me I should have called two days ago, when I was feeling fine. (-2 stars) Read Less