Driver's Education Class- first time on the road-yikes!

[luvflorida]

DD15 started driver's education classes a few weeks ago. They need 30 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of actual driving time to successfully complete the course. They can then send away to the state for their driver's permit. I assumed the teens would get in their 30 hours of classroom time before they hit the road. Not so. After only 12 hours of classroom time, they start driving.

Yesterday was daughter's first time driving with the instructor. She has never been behind the wheel of a car except for last weekend when husband took her to the high school for a short lesson. I asked him how it went and he said, "Not too bad, but I ended the lesson when she said she needed to practice something more difficult and she suggested I get out of the car so she could manuever the car around me."

So, back to yesterday. I dropped daughter off with the instructor, then went home, (crying all the way because she is growing up too fast, and I was very nervous about the whole driving thing).

When I picked her up I asked her how the lesson went. I also got a written report from the instructor to confirm the following: Daughter almost went through a stop sign, (would have except for the instructor using the brake on his side of the car), she pulled out in front of a car, (other driver slammed on his brakes and proceeded to lay on his horn), she put on left blinker to turn left but turned right instead, realized mistake in the middle of the road and proceeded to turn left, and performed numerous rolling stops. There was also a long list of 'minor' infractions.

I figured daughter would be a little hesitant to drive again but she was pretty upbeat about the whole thing and can't wait for her next lesson.

I can't believe that driver's education classes put the kids out on the roads so soon and that they go out on major roadways. Kind of scary for everyone involved! I remember when I took driver's training, way back in the dark ages, and we used those driver simulation machines, kind of like the arcades have. I don't remember going right out onto the highway after a few hours of classes.

Are most driver's education classes taught this way? Anyone else with teen driving stories to share?

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

At least at my high school this is how it was taught. There were two "classes". One was where you's sit in a classroom, read a boring textbook, and watch cheesy videos. The second was actual driving time. These would switch on and off: Monday-classroom, Wednesday-driving. The first driving class had us drive the car around the parking lot. The next we went onto side streets near the school. Then we graduated to the main roads and the last class was parallel parking. There were 4 kids in my car and 2 had never been behind the wheel before, not even once. So it was kind of scary even in a parking lot.

I don't understand why the instructor would allow your daughter to make rolling stops. My instructer would slam on the breaks if he saw that you were about to do that. And then make you sit there for 30 seconds and he'd lecture you about it. We used to have to count outloud for like 5 seconds or so before we could move from a stop sign.

I don't know about your schools drivers ed but ours you were supposed to have something like 4 hours of driving time at home for every 1 hour you spent in class. So the best thing to do is take your DD out yourself. I know its scary but honostly I didn't learn much from drivers ed. I learned most from my parents taking me out and clutching onto the dash board screaming "What are you doing!!!!" And remember, when in need there is always the Oh &#%$ handle. Good luck.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

My DD got her lerner's permit a week after her 16th Birthday (9/8/05) and before that I had her driving during the Summer in the school parking lots for her to get a feel of the car. After she got her permit we went driving all around town, mostly weekends . . .She started driving school November 7th (couldn't get her in for the October class) and completed her 30 hours of classroom time on December 28th. She now has to do 8 hours of on the road time to be done with her instructor . . .we are waiting to see when that is going to be . . .she is scheduled to get her license at the end of February, so I'm hoping to hear from the driving instructor soon . . .She is getting pretty anxious about actually driving all by herself and she would love to be able to get out there on her own . . .I don't blame her, but I am not trying to hurry things up either . . .

 

[luvflorida]

I don't understand why the instructor would allow your daughter to make rolling stops. My instructer would slam on the breaks if he saw that you were about to do that. And then make you sit there for 30 seconds and he'd lecture you about it. We used to have to count outloud for like 5 seconds or so before we could move from a stop sign.

I learned most from my parents taking me out and clutching onto the dash board screaming "What are you doing!!!!" And remember, when in need there is always the Oh &#%$ handle. Good luck.

I'm assuming the instructor used his brake when he realized daughter was not stopping completely. I hope he didn't let her roll on through a stop sign!

I know what you mean about parents "clutching onto the dash board screaming "What are you doing!!!!" After our daughter's parking lot lesson with my husband, he said at one point he exclaimed, "Where in the **** are you going!!!" Apparently he thought she was getting too close to a parked car. Daughter says he was hysterical. Husband says he was calm.

 

[luvflorida]

Do most driver's education schools put kids out on the road with so little, if any, driving experience? Is this the norm where you live?

 

[Towncrier]

How else are they going to get driving experience unless they actually drive???

In Ohio, not only must someone under 18yo take a formal driver's education program (classroom and "in car"), but they also have to complete 50 hours of driving with a parent or guardian (with 10 hours of that driving to be done at night). All of this must be completed before a student is allowed to take the test for a probationary license.

I will admit that the first 10 or so hours behind the wheel, both DD Sarah and DS James were a bit rough, but they did show improvement the more hours that they spend behind the wheel. Sarah just started her "in car" portion of driver's ed and her instructor remarked at how well she was doing on her first night out. Then again, she has had at least 30 or 40 hours behind the wheel of our family car, so I'm not at all surprised.

I am not surprised that a child who has had little or no experience behind the wheel would make a lot of mistakes during driver's ed. Those first few hours are very scary.

 

[DVCLiz]

OMG, I share your pain!!! DD had had about two or three sessions behind the wheel of a car when she started driver's ed. In other words, we'd been up and down the driveway several times, and had taken a few cruises around the neighborhood, mostly to the corner of our street and back. The SECOND day of driver's ed, she went out on a MAJOR highway (Interstate 85 for those of you who know NC) and practiced feeding on and off. I asked her how it was (after I stopped hyperventilating) and she said fine, except for when she got between two 18 wheelers. I said, "Did you scream?" and she said, "Not out loud, but I was screaming in my head."

She's a great driver today, and in only 2 and a half years I get to go through it all over again with younger sister!!!! To answer your question, yes, I think most kids are getting out there with very little experience. I wish we had some sort of place to go and legally practice - here kids have 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of driving, which they can do when they are 14 and a half. They get their permits at 15 and their license at 16.

 

[luvflorida]

Sarah just started her "in car" portion of driver's ed and her instructor remarked at how well she was doing on her first night out. Then again, she has had at least 30 or 40 hours behind the wheel of our family car, so I'm not at all surprised.

This is what I don't understand. How did she get 30 or 40 hours of driving the family car BEFORE she took driver's education?

I assumed most kids would have no driver's training before taking driver's education, but I guess this isn't true. My daugher is in a small class with only two other students and both kids had already been behind the wheel of someone's car before taking the class.

 

[Chicago526]

I'm young enough to remember when I was in driver's ed, so I can relate from the student's point of view.

My parents started with making sure that I was paying attention when THEY were driving the car and I was with them, being sure to ask questions if I didn't understand why they did something, or if I saw another car on the road do something. While driving they'd say things like "Notice how I checked my blind spot when I changed lanes" and things like that.

Then, once I got my permit (at age 15 in IL, unless they've changed it since I was a kid), my dad took me to a parking lot to practice. I was driving around in big circles in a totaly empty lot when he yelled "STOP!!!" at the top of his lungs. I slamed on the brakes, and once stoped, I asked him why he yelled, I wasn't about to hit anything, the lot was empty! He said "I just wanted to see if you would obey me, even if you didn't think there was a reason to!".

Then they took me out driving as much as possible (mainly my mother, but dad would go out too). And of course I had practice at school, both on the road and in the "simulator" (God, those things were hoaky!).

But inspite of all of this, I swear I learned more about driving the first 3 months I had my license and I was driving alone, then in all the time I had my learners permit and was practicing. Nothing replaces actual experiance when you are out on your own!

 

[Towncrier]

This is what I don't understand. How did she get 30 or 40 hours of driving the family car BEFORE she took driver's education?

I assumed most kids would have no driver's training before taking driver's education, but I guess this isn't true. My daugher is in a small class with only two other students and both kids had already been behind the wheel of someone's car before taking the class.

She got her learner's permit at 15 1/2 by simply taking the written test. She studied the rules from a booklet provided by the Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles. After she got her permit, she was allowed to drive as long as either myself or my wife was in the front passenger seat. She has been driving us everywhere (including crazy) for the past 6 months. That's how she got 30 to 40 hours of experience. As far as I am concerned, the driver's ed "in car" training is overkill. She already knows how to drive. The "in car" experience will teach her how to pass the Ohio driving exam.

 

[stinkerbelle]

She got her learner's permit at 15 1/2 by simply taking the written test. She studied the rules from a booklet provided by the Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles. After she got her permit, she was allowed to drive as long as either myself or my wife was in the front passenger seat.

same here...way back when.On my 16th birthday (in Mass) I went down to the DMV with my mom, sat in front of a computer, answered some basic "road" questions, and got my learners permit.

after that i could drive with my parents. They basically taught me. Back then, Driver's Ed was NOT mandatory...but it got you a break on your car insurance if you went through it. So I did. I drove on some CRAPPY cars (not the nice ones I see marked as 'student driver' cars these days)...and I rode in the back seat while some seriously stupid kids attempted to drive (way to put the rest of us in danger!)

I don't remember having to have "hours" to show for driving skills...but I definetly learned more from my parents taking me out on the roads/highways in the car I would eventually be driving, and in bad weather. (driver's ed was cancelled in bad weather? wth? how else will you learn?)

 

[luvflorida]

She got her learner's permit at 15 1/2 by simply taking the written test. She studied the rules from a booklet provided by the Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles. After she got her permit, she was allowed to drive as long as either myself or my wife was in the front passenger seat. She has been driving us everywhere (including crazy) for the past 6 months. That's how she got 30 to 40 hours of experience. As far as I am concerned, the driver's ed "in car" training is overkill. She already knows how to drive. The "in car" experience will teach her how to pass the Ohio driving exam.

Okay, I thought you were just letting her drive before she got a permit!

In order to get a driver's permit in Maine 15 year olds have to first take driver's education classes, (30 hours in the classroom, 10 hours on the road, and pass a written exam), BEFORE they can send away to the state to get their permit. But even that doesn't stop most kids from getting lessons beforehand from parents. I'm guessing they are driving in parking lots, home driveways?

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I know the ages have changed since I got my permit...

Once you turn 16 you can take your permit test. Its all questions from the little book they give you. Then if you want to get your license at 17 you have to take drivers ed. Otherwise you can either get your junior license (to school/work and back) or you have to wait until you are 18 to get you license. Well all depending on whether or not you pass your road test. And some of the test givers are real you-know-whats.

My parents took me to the parking lot of the beach during the early spring to start to learn to drive. It was mostly empty, except for a few other new drivers. It's a large parking lot so it was a great place to learn. After that my parents took me out on the sidestreets near my house. Then I took drivers ed and there I upgraded to the main roads and then parkways. You cannot live on LI and never drive on a parkway, let alone the expressway. Was it scary my first time on the parkways? Oh ---- yeah! But you live and learn.

To answer the OP's question: At least around here a lot of kids parent's won't take them out driving so their first time behind the wheel is with drivers ed.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

DS 15 1/2 got his permit last week. He failed his written test the first try so we had to go back the next day. I made him drive home after dark in the rain and he did fine. He drives from our house to his grandparents - about 1/10th of a mile every day (yes even before he got his permit). I let him drive to school the next day, when we stopped to make a left turn at a traffic light - he asks me "So I can just go ahead and turn - right?" "No honey you can't make a left turn on a red. You can only make a right turn on a red - if there is no traffic coming..."

I actually think I felt that last truely brunette hair on my head turn grey...

 

[mermaidlady]

My DD is in the middle of driver's ed. She went to a private school. She had to comlete the 1st week of classroom before she could get her permit. We were encouraged to take her driving. In IL you must have 25 hours with parents before you can get your licence. Classroom was all completed before she was taken out driving. She is on her third lesson today and next week will have an on the road test with her instructor. She drives us on a daily basis and has greatly improved. BTW she will turn 16 in May.

 

[monarchsfan16]

In NH we can start driving with our parents at 15 1/2 without a learners permit (those don't exist here). That being said, I didn't get behind the wheel until just before I started drivers ed. I guess we started on the road about 12 or 16 hours into the 30 hour classroom course. We had to have 10 hours behind the wheel with our instructor, 8 hours observation (sitting in the car while another person drives) with the instructor, and 20 hours behind the wheel with our parents. Drivers ed started a month or two before our 16th birthday, depending on how long the course itself was. My dad had me drive with him for about 5 or 6 hours before I even started driving with the instructor. He wanted me comfortable (somewhat) with the mechanics of operating a car before I was driving with someone I barely knew. He also didn't want to be embarassed by my bad driving, as a reflection on his lack of parenting
And I can totally relate to the parents grabbing the dashboard, the "holy crap" handles, slamming the invisible break, and even shrieking when I drove over sand that was in the middle of the road because she thought that I had driven onto the shoulder All of those came from my mother. My dad was surprisingly calm. I actually didn't drive with my mom in the car until I had driven about 4 hours with the instructor and 10 with my dad