Driving Instructor Michael Mercadante | Driver Training Services

Driver Training Services Instructor Michael Mercadante

Mike Mercadante, Instructor and Marketing Specialist

Michael Mercadante was born in Doylestown and grew up in Bucks County. A Pennridge High School graduate, he earned his degree from Temple University in American History. He is married with two young children: Georgia Rose is 3, and Giovanni Danger is 2.

Mike has compiled thousands of hours supervising children and teens as a summer camp counselor, kindergarten teacher and teen programs coordinator. He has served as an Adjunct Professor and Guest Lecturer at local colleges and as a private tutor.

Prior to joining Driver Training Services, Mike spent nearly eight years working in traffic safety research on projects for a variety of private and government clients. He:

co-developed an on-board driver performance monitoring system used in the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS) study, “The Causes and Consequences of Distraction in Everyday Driving.” As a co-author of the final report, Mike was a recipient of the 2003 Scientific Paper of the Year award from the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM).
provided documentary video services and graphic design in support of a project to update and enhance the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) road test for the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).
has created hundreds of audio and video clips demonstrating safe driving techniques and concepts.
developed training scenarios and provided voice-over instructions for a driving simulator designed for teens, one of which is used by the Pennsylvania DUI Association to train students at hundreds of high school across the state.
helped revise text and provided new illustrations and photography to demonstrate safe driving concepts for the PA Driver’s Manual, published by PennDOT.
developed video content for the AAA product “Roadwise Review”, a safe driving assessment tool for seniors.
performed various research duties on a variety of NHTSA projects.

Mike has driven cross-country and has explored roads in 38 states. He has served as a Chase Crew Chief for various hot air balloon companies since 1996 and is a student balloon pilot. He has trained professionally as a rally racer and recently performed precision driving maneuvers in a Hollywood film. He is also a filmmaker and artist.

At Driver Training Services, Mike instructs students in the classroom, behind-the-wheel and on our state-of-the-art virtual reality driving simulators, and is a certified National Safety Council® Defensive Driving Instructor. He recently participated in 8-hour continuing education seminars presented by the Pennsylvania Association of Professional Driving Schools (PAPDS) and the Center for Autism Research (CAR) at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Here are just some of the students Mike has helped get their driver’s license and become safe, defensive drivers.