Bill Rehill's Driving School

02/28/2023

For all driving lessons scheduled for today Tuesday February 28, 2023 we have been out and assessed the roads and they are being cleared and treated so our lessons are on. We have a lesson plan designed to teach you the necessary adjustments needed to drive on reduced traction conditions. The wet slushy roads affect our decision making process for entering traffic, making turns, and braking. Our goal today is to NOT fear the conditions but to learn how to RESPECT the conditions and make the proper adjustments in your driving technique.

02/28/2023

Tuesday February 28, 2023. To all of our students we have been out and assessed the roads and they are being cleared and treated so our lessons are on. We have a lesson plan designed to teach you the necessary adjustments needed to drive on reduced traction conditions. The wet slushy roads affect our decision making process for entering traffic, making turns, and braking. Our goal today is to NOT fear the conditions but to learn how to RESPECT the conditions and make the proper adjustments in your driving technique.

06/09/2020

The RMV has not sent out anything to Driving School about learners permit test. I was able to pull this link off the RMV website yesterday. It appears that they will make an appointment for Roadtest for students that were eligible in March April and May I’m not sure about June but for those looking for a learners permit please click on this link


06/07/2020

We are happy to announce that tomorrow, June 8, 2020 we are finally able to get back to doing what we do best … providing behind the wheel driving instruction. We are awaiting word from the RMV their plan for Road tests. Phase 2 of the Governors reopening plan is here. For the safety of our students and instructors the following changes will be in effect during Phase 2 :

1. If students are experiencing any signs or symptoms of the flu we ask that you reschedule your lesson. Please give us as much notice as possible to cancel.
2. If you have been in contact with anyone that has had or is diagnosed with Covid-19 we ask that you don’t schedule for at least 14 days from contact or notification from any health agency.
3. During Phase 2 we will not be able to offer door to door pickup or drop offs. Students will be dropped off and picked up for their scheduled lessons in the front parking lot of the Plimpton School which is the smaller brick school building to the left of Walpole High School.
4. All students and instructors must wear a mask covering their nose and mouth.
5. Students before entering our vehicle will have their temperature scanned by their instructor with a touch less infrared thermometer. Students with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will not be allowed into our vehicle.
6. Upon entering the vehicle students must use our hand sanitizer to disinfect their hands. Instructors will be wearing nitrile gloves. Due to possible control issues students will not be wearing gloves.
7. At the end of the students lesson all hard surfaces in the drivers area will be wiped with sanitizer. This includes door handles, steering wheel, directional/light switch, gear shift selector, parking brake button, and seat adjustment levers.
8. Lessons will last 90 minutes. 60 minutes of behind the wheel instruction and 30 minutes for observation time.
9. All employees of Bill Rehill’s Driving School will adhere to the same health policies outlined above.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

06/06/2020

If the Governor announce this afternoon, June 6, 2020, that Phase 2 for Driving Schools goes into effect Monday June 8, 2020 we will be contacting students to schedule driving lessons. Our Phase 2 plan will have all students dropped off and picked up for their driving lessons in the front parking lot of the Plimpton School in Walpole which is to the left of Walpole High School. Students and instructors must wear their mask at all times. Before entering the vehicle students will have their temperature taken with a touvheess thermal scanner. Students with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will not be allowed in our vehicles. All contact surfaces will be disinfected prior to getting into the vehicle and students will use our hand sanitizer upon entering the vehicle.

05/31/2020

I have been receiving many messages saying the RMV is taking road test & learners permit appointments. The RMV is NOT taking road test and learners permit appointments yet. They are taking appointments for other RMV services but not for road tests and learners permits. We are hoping that the RMV will resume these services during the Governors Phase 2 reopening plan. Once I get the word from the RMV on these services I will update.

05/18/2020

Just in. May 18, 2020 All Driving Schools in Massachussetts offering in car driving instruction will be part of the Phase 2 opening per Governor Bakers orders. Please be patient. Phase 2 is close. Please do your part. Be strong! Social distancing, wearing of masks, and washing our hands will help in reopening our state.

05/02/2020

Due to the stay at home order in Massachusetts Driving Schools are only able to offer a online 30 hour Drivers Education classroom programs. You can preview what ours looks like here https://vimeo.com/410711877/624a962147. We are planning to resume all behind the wheel driving instruction and road testing as soon as the states leaders allow us back out on the road. As of now the order is in effect until May 18, 2020. As we get closer to that date I will update our status. Until then please wear a mask out in public and adhere to the social distancing guidelines set forth by the medical experts. Best in health to us all!

04/16/2020

We are certainly experiencing unprecedented and challenging times in our lives. I am very excited about being part of a new venture in Drivers Education, Online Drivers Ed classroom. This is the first time in Massachusetts history that Online Drivers Ed classroom has been allowed. There are different formats one can use for online learning. I want to make the best experience for all of my students to learn through the online format. Please click on this link https://vimeo.com/410711877/624a962147 Please check out the preview of how the class will work This is a preview of what my online drivers ed course will consist of. I currently am working with this company to customize this program for my classroom. I am taking the course myself and helping the developers to customize the program for Massachusetts and for my needs. It is a program that you will be able to log into, do a module at a time, and complete over a 30 day period. This means you will not be stuck behind your computer for 6 plus hours a day. There are 15 two hour modules and a final exam that can be completed on line from the comfort and safety of your home.

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02/06/2020

Massachusetts New Hands Free Law Takes Effect February 23, 2020

Are You Ready?

Massachusetts’ new hands-free law makes it illegal for drivers and bicycle operators to hold any electronic device or phone (even if stopped at a red light or in traffic). All devices must be properly mounted and can only be used in “hands-free” mode. Penalties start at $100. After two offenses, distracted driving will cost you $500, plus a mandatory course on distracted driving and an insurance surcharge.

10 Things you want to know about the new law

1. Can I use my cell phone while driving in Massachusetts?

Answer : No. Beginning February 23, 2020, MA drivers can only use mobile devices in “hands-free mode.” Drivers under 18 cannot use mobile devices at all, not even in hands-free mode. For those under 18, any use of a mobile phone while driving (even just for talking) has long been prohibited. Use of Mobile Phone/Electronic Device by Junior Operator comes with a $100 first-offense penalty AND a 60-day license suspense and attitudinal course requirement.

2. How and when is the MA cell phone law changing?

Answer : In November 2019, Governor Charlie Baker signed a hands-free driving bill into law. The bill is titled “An Act Requiring The Hands-Free Use Of Mobile Telephones While Driving.” Per the new law, anyone operating a motor vehicle cannot touch or hold a mobile electronic device, “except to perform a single tap or swipe to activate, deactivate, or initiate hands-free mode.” The law allows talking, texting and other tasks to be completed via voice command only. Certain emergency exceptions apply.

3. Can I text while driving in MA?

Answer : No! Under no circumstances can you write, read, or send text messages while driving. Here’s another key point: this restriction applies even when you are stopped in traffic. So don’t try sneaking in a few texts at the red light or during your gridlock commute: it’s a civil offense. The first time you’re caught will cost you $100. Second time: $250, plus a mandatory distracted driving course. Third time: $500 fine, mandatory course AND an insurance surcharge.

4. Can I check my phone for directions or other online information while driving?

Answer : If you have a hands-free navigational device that is permanently or temporarily affixed to your car, you are not running afoul of cell phone driving laws. But you should not be checking directions from a phone that is loose on your lap or in the passenger seat. Similarly, even if you’re checking websites or emails to help you get where you’re going, you cannot access these screens while driving; that would be considered an offense.

5. Can I text while stopped in traffic?

Answer : No! See above answer on texting while driving in MA. Another point of emphasis: you cannot read text messages that have already been sent to you while driving.
What are the penalties for breaking MA cell phone driving laws?
Penalties vary, depending on the type of offense and whether you’ve already been flagged for it or not.
A first-time violation will result in a $100 fine. Your second offense will cost you $250, plus a mandatory distracted driving course. Third offenses and beyond will cost $500 each, plus a mandatory distracted driving course. AND once you’re caught a third time, you’ll be in the “surchargeable incident” category, which means cell phone use while driving could affect your MA car insurance rates. (A surchargeable incident is an at-fault car accident or traffic law offense that may result in an increase in your insurance premium.) Here’s the official lingo:
(e) A first or second offense under this section or section 8M shall not be a surchargeable 66 incident under section 113B of chapter 175 or under a motor vehicle liability policy as defined in 67 section 34A that is issued pursuant to said chapter 175; provided, however, that a third or 68 subsequent offense under this section or section 8M shall be a surchargeable incident under said 69 section 113B of said chapter 175 or under a motor vehicle liability policy as defined in said 70 section 34A that is issued pursuant to said chapter 175.

For full details, visit the Mass RMV’s summary of the Safe Driving Law.https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3219026/Mass.gov_HandsFreeDrivingLawPamphlet.pdf

6. When will the new MA cell phone driving law take effect?

Answer : Massachusetts’ new cell phone driving law will take effect on February 23, 2020. However, there will be a short grace period for first-time violators. If you’re cited between February 23, 2020 and March 31, 2020, you will only receive a warning.
The exact language of the law reads, “notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, an operator of a motor vehicle shall be issued a warning for a first violation…for conduct other than the typing or reading of an electronic message occurring after the effective date of this act until March 31, 2020, inclusive.”

7. Will the new cell phone driving law affect my insurance rate?

Answer : AIt could. See the question above on multiple offenses and penalties.
Where can I get more information on the MA cell phone driving law?
You can download the state’s Hands Free While Driving pamphlet.

8. Do other states have cell phone driving laws?

Answer : Yes! Massachusetts was surprisingly late to get on board with safer mandates. Hand-held use of cellphones was already prohibited in the neighboring states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

9. How dangerous is distracted driving/driving while using a cell phone?

Answer : Every year, more than 3,000 Americans are killed in crashes that involve a distracted driver; roughly 400,000 are injured—which is more than the entire population of Cleveland, Ohio. Statistics show that teen drivers are the prime offenders. Teaching teens to drive (beyond basic driver’s ed) has never been so important.

10. What can I do to protect and educate my family?

Answer : Start by sharing this post on local cell phone driving laws. Next, sit down and have a conversation with all the drivers in your household. There are many forms of distracted driving that are not necessarily against the law, but are still very dangerous. You might want to take a family pledge to avoid them. Consider banning distractions like:
Eating while driving
Smoking while driving (which is doubly bad for you!)
Applying makeup
Looking for things in purse or backpack
Driving without adequate sleep (see our post on drowsy driving prevention)

09/14/2019

***Please see attached flyer for an upcoming community presentation