As students approach their sixteenth birthday, stress and excitement come from the thought of taking the permit test. Many people are afraid of driving while others can’t wait to escape needing rides and experience the freedom of driving wherever they want.
“I can’t wait to be able to help my family run errands and to get food for myself by driving somewhere like a restaurant,” says soon-to-be driver Parker Putnam.
Learning to drive can take a long time. There are many skills that come with driving that often people are not aware of. Drivers must know street signs, intersection rules, parallel parking, three point turns, how to use blinkers, and many other skills.
It is a good thing that in order to get your permit the only requirement is to pass the test. You may need to study for it because the questions asked cover a wide variety of topics. Questions include information about legal blood alcohol levels, street signs, intersections, scenarios, safe driving habits, and speed-limit laws.
After you pass the permit test you are allowed to drive, but there’s a catch: you need someone 21 or older with you in the vehicle who has a valid license. This can be a problem if you are trying to drive as much as possible, but it is to ensure the safety of yourself and those on the road.
Unfortunately, the homework does not stop there. In order to receive your license after your permit you must drive for 50 hours. Ten of these hours must come from driving at night. Also, drivers who have passed their permit test must take either Driver Education or a five-hour course.
To apply for the five hour course you must find a driving school or certified organization. From there you will follow a process online and schedule when to take it.
For Drivers Education the school will announce when sign ups are available, and students can go to the counseling office and sign up.
Choosing one of these courses over the other has pros and cons.
If someone chooses to take the five hour course they will be able to save money and time. The five hour course is roughly $65-70 and takes place in less than a day. Whereas Drivers Ed has a large fee of $400 unless you take the course during the summer when it is offered for free. The course also takes several weeks to complete.
Many people choose to take the five hour course instead of Driver Education. Senior Kareem Mosaad who just received his license stated, “it was easier to save time and money, and I remembered the information better because it was close to my road test.”
On the other hand, taking Driver Ed allows you to gain close to 20 hours of driving required to gain your license and some insurance companies provide reduced rates for insured drivers who have completed Driver Ed. This course also supplies much more information than the five hour course.
New Hartford Driver Education instructor Mr. Bisaccia explains, “Driver Ed takes place all year round. There are three different sessions: one in the spring and one in the fall that mirrors the school semesters, and one in the summer which is an accelerated course that lasts six weeks.”
Through Driver Education, new drivers are able to drive in all sorts of areas. This allows students to practice skills and navigate the roads with more knowledge.
“Students meet one day a week with me to practice driving several different types of drives, from beginners in the parking lot learning how to apply the gas and brakes and make simple turns to highway driving. We drive anywhere from New Hartford to Syracuse to Old Forge. DMV has very strict requirements for Driver Ed and students need to be able to show competency in all areas of driving, not just turning and parking,” continues Mr. Bisaccia.
With becoming a new driver comes new fears. Many people are afraid of driving as a whole, and others are scared of select portions of it.
“I am not really that afraid, but getting into an accident that isn’t my fault and other things such as getting a flat tire are some of my fears,” explains Kareem.
It is a good thing that Mr. Bisaccia instructs Driver Education and teaches students about what to do in these situations.
“The course is designed to promote safe driving habits. We not only work on how to drive, but also what to do in the case of an emergency such as an accident or even a flat tire,” explains Mr. Bisaccia.
With this knowledge students and drivers should be able to make learning to drive a success. It may be nerve-wracking at first but through driver’s education or the five-hour course new drivers are able to learn how to stay safe and how to keep others safe at all times.
