BOUNTIFUL—After being behind the wheel for 30 years the average driver probably feels pretty comfortable about getting where they want to go in a safe way. However, that expertise didn’t happen overnight. It took learning how to drive and lots of practice. 

Utah Elite Driving School has that down. The Bountiful business works with both high school students and adults to teach them the skills needed to be safely out on the road. 

“It’s our responsibility to teach driving,” said co-founder, Jake Martin. “We take it seriously.”

Martin said they’re certified in state driving education with the Department of Safety. “We have to have background checks, etc. We had to be with a driving school for two years before we could do our own thing.”

Martin and his partner Wes Mora have been friends since junior high and started the business in 2023. “We go way back,” said Martin. “We’ve been close for about 33 years.”

“I went to Bountiful High and Jake went to Viewmont,” said Mora. “We had our first job together too. We worked for Paul Colosimo who invented Dip & Dots.” 

“We were around 13 years old,” said Martin. “We’d go to carnivals, fairs and Lagoon and offer samples.” 

The two went different directions in high school but remained close friends. “I moved to Denver during high school then served a mission in Chili for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” said Martin. “Wes started a cell phone business.”

The two came back together working at a drivers ed school in 2020, said Martin. “We decided to open up our own school two years ago. We realized there was a hole that needed to be filled.”

Utah Elite Driving School is a local business in Bountiful. Courtesy photo

 They started out with one vehicle, said Martin. “Wes and I had to trade off. We started from humble beginnings but we’ve grown. We have seven vehicles and eight instructors.”

The driving school covers from Ogden to Utah County, he said. “We also cover Summit and Toole counties and support down south. We’ve even had people come from Cache Valley. We’ve grown in terms of staff, cars and area covered.”

They offer full service, Martin said. “We give private lessons to adults who are trying to get their drivers license and the standard teen driver lessons and the state road test you have to take to get your license.”

High school students often opt for their program because it can be completed more quickly than at the high school, he said. “That frees up credits they can use toward something else. Parents appreciate the scheduling with extra curricular activities. It’s a flexible service that meets the needs of people who are very busy.”

It’s self paced, said Martin. “Some students consume it faster than others. There’s an online instruction class or an in-person option then the (actual) driving test.”

The school also offers English and Spanish services. “Wes and I are proud of our beloved USA and we’re proud of our Latino heritage,” he said. “We’re proud of where we live, who we are and where we came from.”

They’ve learned how to help students keep calm, Mora said. “We have to get them out of the nervous headspace so they can learn. While they may be driving I’m a second driver. I can take over and pull them out of dangerous situations. They might not even realize they’re in danger.”

“We’re constantly paying attention so we can catch it before it happens,” said Martin. “I tell them exactly what to do before they make a move. Sometimes we have to pull over and have an in-depth conversation.”

“We might have them parallel park over and over and over,” said Mora. “If you continue to do it enough you get it and then you can continue learning.”

Utah Elite Driving School offers classes in the morning, day and evening Monday through Sunday. Office hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. For more information call 801-810-8660 or visit https://www.utahelitedrivingschool.com/.