Road ready: Students take the wheel in driver’s ed

photo courtesy of Lila Rose Features_SHaynes_Senior Lila Rose hesitates getting back on the road after a harrowing experience with her driving instructor.

Driver’s Education (Ed) is something teenage drivers may dread, but looking back, some share that they have crazy, but memorable stories. Driver’s Ed is required by state law, and there are many different websites such as Joshua’s Law Course, DriversEd and Drive Smart Georgia that it can be accessed through. There are pros and cons for both in-person and digital Driver’s Ed, two being the amount of time spent and the prices. For the class, it only takes five days to complete whereas the online course takes up to 32 hours to finish. On the contrary, completing it online costs around $30 depending on what website is used while the in-person class costs anywhere from $200 to $1000.

“Driver’s Ed was very helpful for me because it helped me learn the safe and correct way to drive,” junior Lilly Sherwood said. “If I didn’t go through the course, I definitely would’ve gotten in a lot of wrecks.”

Completing Driver’s Ed is required for teen drivers who want their license because it not only teaches them road rules and laws, but also how to be safe. While it helps them to better protect themselves and other drivers, some have had unique experiences with it.

“I was doing the online Driver’s Ed course, and basically, the website glitched and sent my time back eight hours,” junior Zeke Morton said. “Instead of doing the regular 40 hours, I did 48. I ended up having to wait an extra eight hours with the computer screen just sitting there. A pop-up window would pop up every few minutes to make sure I was still there.” 

When a student utilizes the digital version, they receive notifications that show up on the screen occasionally to ensure that they do not work ahead after they have finished the lesson.

“One night I had time, and I went back to my computer [to complete it], and it said that I had to restart the whole thing,” freshman Claire Coggins said. “I was very upset, I literally spent so much time on it all summer, and now I have to redo all of it.”

Senior Lila Rose had an unpleasant experience when she took her second driving lesson. The instructor was rude and unhelpful in many ways. She didn’t help Rose when she didn’t know when to merge. She aggressively grabbed the handles of the car and gasped whenever Rose braked or turned. She was critical when Rose slowed down in a school zone.

“She told me to turn left, so I put my blinker on and accidentally turned right, rammed the car into a curb and popped a tire,” Rose said. “She screamed a cuss word and told me to pull over so that she could examine the damages.”

When students obtain their driving permit and complete Driver’s Ed, they can take driving lessons to further their education and learning. This provides them with hands-on experience and teaches them about traffic laws and rules.

“I would just pay attention and do the [in person] class to knock it out in a week,” sophomore Sofia Freeman said. “It’ll be nice because you won’t have to do it throughout the year.”

Rose offers unique advice to those who are about to start learning how to drive.

“Learn your right from your left before you start driving.” Rose said.