ATLANTA – Many teenagers will use the summer to take driver education, but not all of them are required to take a formal driver ed course.
Why?
For many parents and students, it’s a no-brainer. More than 80,000 teenagers in Georgia completed a driver’s education course in 2017.
But times have changed from the days when driver education was part of the school curriculum and nearly every student took it even though it was not required.
Now, the state of Georgia requires 16-year-olds to take a formal driver education course before they can get a driver’s license.
If you wait until 17, drivers education is not required.
“There’s so much beneficial points and lessons to it,” said student Johnathon Deshan-Webb. “Every person needs it.”
11Alive’s Why Guy spoke to Deshan-Webb during his driving lesson at Drive Smart Georgia. Deshan-Webb is 18 years old and not required to take driver education, but both he and his parents agreed it would help him once he gets his license.
More than 30 years ago, the federal government reduced its funding for driver’s education. The decision was based on a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that concluded that “novice driver education does not seem to reduce unsafe driving behaviors by young drivers.”
NHTSA instead promoted a graduated licensing system that places restrictions on younger drivers while removing restrictions as the driver gets older and more experienced. School systems around the country dropped driver’s education.
After a series of fatal crashes involving teenagers, Georgia went to the graduated licensing system, placing heavy restrictions on young drivers. Those restrictions were lighter if a teenager took a formal driver’s education course.
Even then, driver education was not required.
After the 2003 death of 17-year-old Joshua Brown, the Georgia state legislature passed “Joshua’s Law.” It requires driver education of any 16-year-old who get a license.
Alan Brown, Joshua’s father, pushed for the law in hope that it might require 17-year-olds take driver education in order to get a license. But legislators settled on 16-year-olds only.
“I think it ought to be mandated just the same as algebra is mandated,” Brown said.
Georgia Senator Renee Unterman was one of the sponsors of Joshua’s Law. She told our Why Guy that under Georgia law, 17-year-olds are often considered adults. If you’re arrested here, you’re charged as an adult at 17.
Therefore, Senator Unterman said the focus of Joshua’s law was on new,16-year-old drivers who are not yet considered adults.
At least 15 states don’t require driver education at all.
Teenagers who wait until 17 still need 40-hours of driving under adult supervision before they can get a license whether they decide to get driver education or not.
