Are Driver Education and Training Really Necessary?

There seems to be some confusion regarding whether or not teens are required to take driver education to obtain a license in New Jersey.  It’s popped up a number of times in the past few weeks as I’ve talked to parents across the state. 

First, I think it’s important to differentiate between driver education and driver training.  The former takes place in the classroom, while the latter behind the wheel.  For those of you, like me, who went to high school a few (gulp!) decades ago, you may have received 30 hours of classroom instruction in your sophomore year as part of health and physical education.  As for in-car training, my high school offered it when I was student (not so in most schools in New Jersey and nationwide today) and even though I already had my (Pennsylvania) driver’s license, my father insisted that I take it for the insurance discount. 

Today, the vast majority of New Jersey teens (and teens in many other states) still take “driver’s ed” in their sophomore (or junior) year, but it’s not required to secure a driver’s license in the Garden State.  Rather, driver education is provided in high schools to ensure that students meet the “safety” education requirement included in New Jersey’s Core Curriculum Content Standards.  Teens who take driver education in high school typically sit for the written test required to obtain a learner’s permit at the end of the course and receive a card from their classroom instructor if they pass (must achieve a score of at least 80%).  However, they may take the 50-question test at a licensed driving school or at a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Agency.  (Teens are also required to pass a vision screening test, which is administered at MVC agencies and some driving schools.)

As for driver training, 16-year-olds seeking a learner’s permit in the Garden State are required to complete at least 6-hours of one-on-one (this was added to the driving schools regulations in 2010 on the recommendation of the Teen Driver Study Commission), behind the wheel instruction under the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program (New Jersey’s three-step process for obtaining a license).  The in-car driver training requirement is waived if a teen waits until he or she is at least 17 years of age to obtain a permit.

Do driver education and training produce safe drivers?  This debate has been raging for years.  The DeKalb Study, the largest experimental evaluation of high school driver education ever conducted in the U.S., looked at whether driver education produces safer drivers.  Unfortunately, the 1970’s study, which involved novice drivers who did and didn’t complete driver education in DeKalb County, Georgia, seemed to prompt more questions than answers. 

What  we do know is that driver education and training are important for teaching teens the rules of the road and basic vehicle operation.  Additionally, teen driving and driver training experts and safety advocates believe that driver education and training should be an integral part of any GDL program.  Recent studies of driver education and training programs in Oregon and Nebraska do point to the positive impact these initiatives are having on reducing risk and increasing teen driver safety in these states.  However, there is no doubt that additional research is needed.

In the meantime, work is underway to bolster the current 30 and 6 standard first introduced in 1939.  Under standards developed and endorsed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), AAA, Driver Education and Training Administrators (DETA), Driving School Association of the Americas (DSAA),  American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA), Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), Transportation Research Board (TRB) and American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), novice drivers would complete 45 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of both behind the wheel and in-car observation.  Whether states will adopt the new standard remains to be seen. 

An effort is underway, through an assessment program developed by NHTSA, to help states plan and implement effective driver education systems that positively impact teen driver safety.  Currently, three states -- Maryland, Oregon and Vermont -- have taken advantage of the program.  It’s my hope that New Jersey will follow their lead and use this tool to address critical administrative issues including education and training, instructor qualifications, parental involvement, coordination with driver licensing, andfunding.  Used as a management tool, the assessment can guide planning and help states make decisions about how best to leverage limited resources.  

Coming back to the driver education and training requirements currently in place in New Jersey, I encourage every family to make the most of these programs.  There are many driver education and training professionals who are working hard to help novice drivers not only pass the written and behind the wheel tests, but develop a thorough understanding of what it means to safely operate a motor vehicle.  They’re engaging teens in discussion about attitudes and behaviors that put them at risk.  They’re helping them understand how and why GDL works to ensure that they survive the most dangerous time of their life.  And they’re partnering with parents to help them coach and mentor their teens to become good drivers for life.

If your teen is turning 16 and you’re looking for driver training, I encourage you to do your homework (AAA has a helpful brochure worth checking out).  Take the time to find a “quality” driving school -- one that puts your teen’s safety, rather than cost, convenience or passing the driving test, first.   And if your teen is currently taking driver’s ed in school, query him about what he’s learning and use it to prompt regular discussion about what it means to be a safe, responsible driver.