Drivers education programs 

Beneficial or a waste of time?

   It has never been a secret that I have never been a big fan of Drivers Ed  programs that are offered in our schools and the courses offered by Driving schools are not much better… just more expensive.  So everyone ask, well then why do you recommend Drivers Ed?  Let’s start here.

The Drivers Education program offered in high schools is the same drivers ed I took sometime back.  The program and the driving techniques taught are the same from 50 years ago.  About every four years the text book publishers put out what they refer to as a “New edition” but that’s generally just so you have to by new books with a more colorful cover.  Next, drivers ed classes spend way too much time in the classroom and not near enough time driving.  Most state requirements are from 50 years ago also.  Driving is a learned skill and you can not teach someone to drive by reading to them.  Would you take time to explain to your children how to ride a bike and then push them off to ride down the side of the road and not expect them to get hurt.  I don’t think so but in most cases, that is what we are doing with our teen drivers.

We offer a 12-hour, Novice Driver program that is different from most programs.  We take teens after they have had their learners permit for at least 30 days.  We give them the drivers manual and tell them to go home and study it.  Then we get in the car and drive.  Lessons range in duration from 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the student.  In the typical drivers ed programs there are 4 kids in the car and your son or daughter may get to drive 15 to 20 minutes.  That counts as 1hr 15 minutes towards the required 6 hours on the road driving.  Here are a  couple tips to help you pick the best available driving school for your son or daughter.

· Ask how the total hours you are paying for is broken up?  So much classroom, so much driving.

· Ask how many kids go out on the road at the same time.

· Ask if their instructors have any training besides what is required by the state.

· Ask how long they have been teaching driving.

And, don’t be fooled into thinking your son or daughter is ready to be turned loss in an

automobile just because they have completed drivers ed.  After the first couple of months and you have started moving your teen into highway traffic, now is the time to start having them drive everywhere.  You may need to park a little further from the front door of the store, but you need the exercise anyway.