Defensive Driving School: Advanced (Private)

This is a full 1 or 2 day course with optional independent pre-training beforehand. Below is a detailed breakdown of what to expect.

With this course you are getting the absolute highest quality open roads defensive driving training in all of Canada. Built from military and special forces tactical driving and two decades of international motorsport experience. 

Full G license required.

We recommend first taking Dirt Track: Advanced Car Control, but it’s not mandatory.

If you are looking for a more lighthearted option, check out the Defensive Driving Adventure (Full Day).

Designed for

• ANYONE who wants to learn safe driving on open roads
• Drivers who are often in cottage country
• Serious car enthusiasts who aren't interested in competing
• Driving instructors
• Rally marshals
• Future rally competitors

What's Included

Part 1: Before Driving Day

Pre-training is optional but almost not optional because of how important it is.

✅ Hand-over-Hand Steering Practice - 1 hour, Independent Practice

You’ll receive a video tutorial and guided exercises to practice on your own in your own car on an empty parking lot before your on-track session.

This is a core motorsport technique that delivers maximum control, precision, and safer everyday driving, especially in critical situations.

Part 2: Driving Day

Logistics

Select date and location in the package configurator, or select flexible date to book now and select event later.**

Once you book, we’ll reach out by email or phone to discuss your skill level, goals, and preferred dates and locations. Two-day bookings don’t have to be back-to-back.

Training typically runs from 10 AM to 6 PM, though we can adjust based on your objectives (daylight, night driving, etc.). Once confirmed, we’ll create a customized curriculum and send all details.

Training

The day starts with a 45 min to 1 h in-person safety brief and classroom session, covering defensive driving concepts that you will then apply to your driving.

After the debrief, you will spend the rest of the time out on the roads! You will be one-on-one with the instructor for the whole duration of the training.

The training lasts 6-8 hours per day, with pit stops for gas, food, and breaks. If you get tired, you can stop early—knowing when to rest is a key driving skill.

✅ Curriculum

Train one-on-one on real dirt and gravel backroads, with elevation changes, blind crests, mixed grip, and other unique forest-road challenges. Weather and seasons constantly change the surface, so every session teaches you something new. 

You can drive in FWD or AWD depending on your goals and experience. The curriculum and speed of instruction will be adapted fully to your comfort level and progression.

Defensive driving is a proactive multidimensional style of driving that optimizes speed and safety on the road by taking into account vision, car placement, grip level, and plenty of other elements. You’ll learn to read the road, identify risk early, position the car correctly, manage grip on loose surfaces, and control the vehicle in situations where most drivers panic. You’ll leave with the ability to stay in control, avoid accidents before they develop, and protect yourself, your passengers, and everyone around you in any season and on any road.

Unlike the “advanced driving schools” that teach only on race tracks or skid pads, this program trains you on the kinds of roads you actually drive on day to day: challenging, unpredictable, and real.

Depending on your progress we cover 4 main life-saving skill groups, regardless of season or surface:

I. Learn how to minimize the risk of head-on collisions

Head-on collisions are one of the deadliest types of accidents. We've designed a methodology to minimize the risk of collisions with oncoming vehicles on difficult roads.

Previously only taught to the Canadian Armed Forces, this knowledge is now available to the public.

II. Optimal open road car placement

While car placement will limit the risk of head-on collisions, it will also enable you to save money long-term on vehicle wear by being a smoother driver

III. Reading the landscape

Trees, power lines, lakes, buildings and other elements provide you with important information about the upcoming road and helps you predict corner severity, elevation changes and surface conditions. 

Vision is key in driving, and most ‘advanced driving schools’ teach students to look in two different places: far ahead and to “look where you want the car to go” in case of losing control. At Race Lab, we teach you to look at four different places, which makes you a more well-rounded, safe, and fast driver.

IV. ‘Deceptive’ corners

You will learn about ‘deceptive’ corners - when the road does something unexpected and sudden, which is virtually impossible to predict. You will train how to anticipate them, how to adjust your driving accordingly and how to memorize sections of roads so as not to get caught out in the future.

Additional Focus

• Understanding vehicle dimensions
• Reading, analyzing, adjusting to the road conditions
• Driver psychology & mindset: enjoyment improves learning
• Seating position
• Hand-over-hand steering in real life
• Smooth steering, brake, throttle inputs
• and more...

Part 3: After Driving

✅ Driver Progress Report

Your Driver Progress Report will arrive by email within a week. Based on your instructor's notes and feedback it outlines what you did well, what needs work, and what to focus on next.

Generally recommended next steps would be:

• Retaking this same course, no two training days will be the same.
  • Every time you will encounter new roads, new conditions, and new situations to learn to navigate.
  • We recommend to especially take this course at least once every season, because road conditions change radically from season to season.
  • The location and material is custom-curated for you. So every time the training will increase in difficulty.
• Other custom training, contact us to discuss your choices
• If you are into motorsports, the next steps to look into would be
  • Pacenotes Course for Drivers and Co-Drivers
  • Custom motorsport training, contact us to discuss your choices

Please reach out to us if you have follow up questions about next steps to take, we will be more than happy to help you out! 

** All Race Lab events operate under our Rain Check Guarantee