It has been 25 years since Stop and Go Driving School first placed an advert for its driving school offerings in the local Yellow Pages.
With now five locations throughout the valley, owners Jan and Joe Zahara officially opened the Stop and Go location in Fountain Hills last spring, offering area students a dedicated classroom where they can learn Arizona’s traffic laws.
Although Stop and Go only recently opened in Fountain Hills, it has been a long-standing presence on school grounds.
In the late 90’s, Joe was a driver’s license instructor at FHUSD. He was also a science teacher at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community while Jan taught kindergarten and first grade at the former Fountain Hills Charter School.
For years, Fountain Hills drivers have made the trek to Stop and Go’s Valley locations for driver’s education opportunities, so Joe and Jan finally decided to open a classroom in their hometown.
“We wanted to offer our services to the residents of Fountain Hills because we live here and it is our community,” Jan said. “The class size may be smaller, but we still want to serve our community.”
Stop and Go offers driving school courses for novice drivers, road survival training for red light offenders and drunk drivers, and driver safety training for those who want to get rid of a traffic ticket.
The new location attracts Scottsdale residents to Sunflower.
A one-stop shop
Since its inception, Stop and Go has been offering driver training in Maricopa County and has a fleet of 40 vehicles.
Stop and Go offers its four-hour defensive driving course for $49, giving Arizona residents the opportunity to learn or brush up on the rules of the road.
From understanding roundabouts to navigating temporary school zones, Jan says everyone can benefit from a refresher, especially those coming from out of state and unfamiliar with Arizona traffic laws.
Stop and Go also offers a monthly course called “Alive at 25” which provides young people ages 15 to 25 with information on distracted driving.
Stop and Go also offers Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) test waivers to students who complete at least 10 driving lessons at Stop and Go Driving School.
“We like to say we’re the one-stop shop because, technically, parents never have to set foot in a vehicle registration office,” Joe said.
Joe’s teaching certification and degree in traffic safety were required in Washington State, where he taught for three years before moving to Fountain Hills. The degree is not a requirement in Arizona, but it gives Stop and Go an advantage when it comes to knowing and teaching the rules of the road.
When the two educators moved to Fountain Hills in 1996, they were desperately looking for ways to keep themselves busy during their free time.
“We thought, ‘Okay, we can start our own school,'” Jan said. “We were just young and stupid enough to think it was a good idea.”
The following year, the two opened their driving school in Mesa.
“As far as I know, we are the only school in Arizona owned by the teachers,” Jan said.
Stop and Go Driving School has been in business for nearly three decades and offers a unique opportunity for anyone looking to gain hours behind the wheel, take a defensive driving course, or simply learn more about driving in Arizona.
“There are a lot of shady companies out there, so you should look for someone with a good reputation, who has been in the business for a long time and who believes in education above all else,” said Jan. “Fortunately, we fit into that category.”
Stop and Go in Fountain Hills is located at 16742 E. Parkview Ave., Suite 1 and can be reached at 480-837-9606. For more information, visit stopandgo1.com.
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