For some students, driving can feel like a necessity. And, driver’s education classes offer an opportunity to earn a license with students typically learning alongside their own peers.
Students in driver’s ed attend class, take notes and view videos. The student needs 50 hours of in-person classroom instruction, six hours of behind the wheel, and six hours of observation of other new drivers if they want to take a drivers ed class in person.
If the student is attending classes online, it’s the same opportunity as the in-person classes, but it’s more at the person’s own pace. Student drivers need 30 hours of online classes, and can take up to two hours for each lesson per day.
The hybrid class is both of the classes combined but it would be five days of attending the class in person, and the other half two hours at the person’s own paced online school.
Their hours would have to add up to 20 hours of online classes according to “Driver’s Education in Fox Valley.”
But, once the class begins and they practice driving they realize it’s way more than “just learning.”
“Probably like after a few lessons of doing drivers ed, I didn’t realize that I was actually getting there, but it does take a while,” sophomore April DeLeon
Driver’s ed is responsible for teaching the students learning how to drive responsibly and be comfortable as they approach their license.
Another really important part about driver’s ed is safety. Checking mirrors, making sure all passengers have seatbelts on, and keeping eyes on the road are all small but important things when it comes to driving.
“Check your blind spots every single time. No matter what, always check your blind spots,” DeLeon said. “They worry more about where they have to go. So, you have to observe a lot of where people are coming from, and a lot of people will honk at you if you go a little too slow for them.”
It can be scary to actually begin driving,which can amp up nerves and decrease performance.
“I’m not good at the round abouts. I tend to go too fast and that usually makes me scared. They are really scary,” sophomore Melissa Kurczek said.
When people get their licenses, it can be a big deal, but it can be overwhelming.
“I was happy, kind of surprised. It was scary at first because it was like I was actually alone, driving by myself,” Kurczek said.
But Kurczek only lost a few points on her driving test
“I only got five points off because I was driving in the bike lane, and I forgot to turn my hazards on when I was going backwards, but then I remembered,” Kurczek said.
For many people it’s like having their own taste of independence. Being able to drive can mean going to a friends house, going to school, work, or grabbing food. These can be motivations for students to start driving. For some people, it can be family members.
“My mom motivated me and said she would show me, and I just started,” sophomore Jimena Diaz-Banuelos said.
Some want to start driving because it has a special memory connected to them.
“Pretty much ever since I grew up, I’ve ridden four-wheelers and dirtbikes and driven other vehicles,” sophomore Riley Johnson said.
