Amy Loftis
We had a fantastic experience with Defensive Driving School in West Seattle. Nathan, our instructor, is truly exceptional. He brings so much personality to every lesson and clearly cares deeply about the safety and confidence of his students. He shares memorable stories—from his own family to real-life accidents—not to scare, but to help lessons stick and to teach smart decision-making in a city full of hills, traffic, and distractions. I rode along as an observer for four of my daughter’s five drives, and it was incredibly valuable. It gave us a shared experience of Nathan’s teaching style and stories, and allowed me to reinforce what she learned. One of our favorite things he’d say was, “Your parents have taught you well.” Now when we’re out driving on our own, we often ask, “What would Nathan do?”—a great way to deflect frustration, talk about what’s going wrong, and think like an expert. Our daughter has become a confident, capable driver, and I can only hope Nathan is still teaching in the neighborhood when our younger son starts driving. The school itself is also very well organized. They manage Washington’s progressive driver licensing requirements well, communicate completion directly with the Department of Licensing, and have always answered the phone when I had questions. The process for under-18 licensing is detailed and can feel overwhelming, but Defensive Driving School made it so much easier to navigate. I also highly recommend using the Road Ready app to track driving hours. Reaching 50 hours is no small task without a strategy. We’re very grateful for the experience and highly recommend Defensive Driving School in West Seattle—especially Nathan!
