Driver Education Programs

There are many different driver education programs out there for a student to learn how to drive. The student can learn at a public or private school or a private business. The requirement for a student to be qualified for a learner’s permit and driver’s license is to have a certain amount of classroom hours (knowledge), get their permit, a certain amount of hours behind the wheel with a qualified instructor (experience), and then a certain amount of time behind the wheel with a parent or guardian. The number of classroom hours and hours behind the wheel can vary from state to state.

We have found that one of the most beneficial driver education programs is called the four phase program. There are also beneficial 2 and 3 phase driving programs. The 4 phase program involves four different aspects of driving; classroom, simulator, range and behind the wheel. We will talk about and explain each phase.

Phase 1-In the classroom the student learns the skills of driving, rules and laws.  A good classroom program can include a textbook, lectures, guest speakers, videos, and discussion.

Phase 2-The simulator involves a student sitting in a room with a steering wheel in front of them, a gas and brake pedal, seat belt, gear selector and signal indicator. While the student is sitting at the simulator the instructor will play a video for them to watch on a screen. The video can put the students in different situations such as driving in a residential area, driving in the big city, night driving, freeway driving and driving in bad weather. The simulator can be hooked up to a computer which will monitor how the student is driving. The computer can then give feedback if the student is speeding, didn’t use their blinker or ran a stop sign. The simulator is the closest a student will come to driving in a car.

Phase 3-The range is a closed course such as a school parking lot. The student is usually alone in the car with the speeds kept at 5 to 10 miles an hour. On the range students can learn and practice stops, starts, turns, parking, and driving in reverse. While they are driving the instructor can give them feed back and correct any mistakes they may be making.

Phase 4-Behind the wheel involves a student driver driving with a qualified instructor. In this phase the student starts out driving in a residential area, driving on some busier streets, highway driving and driving in the city. This is a progression where the student will not move on to the next step if they can’t handle the easier situation. The driving program you choose for your student is totally up to you but you want to be sure to find out what your son/daughter has to do to be qualified for their permit and license and check the reputation of the program.