Driver's education

{{Short description|Formal class or program that prepares a new driver for obtaining a license}}

{{Redirect|Driver Ed|the episode of Veronica Mars|Driver Ed (Veronica Mars)}}

{{Redirect|Driving school|other uses|Driving School (disambiguation)}}

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Driver's education, also known as driver's ed, driving education, driver training, or driving lessons, is a formal class or program that prepares a new driver to obtain a learner's permit or driver's license. The formal class program may also prepare existing license holders for an overseas license conversion, medical assessment driving test, or refresher course.

History

Driver training began as a business in the United Kingdom in 1909–1910. The British School of Motoring (BSM) was founded in 1910 in South London by Hugh Stanley Roberts.{{cite web |url=http://www.derf.org.uk/history.htm |title=A Brief History of Driver Education in the UK}}{{cite web |url=http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/britishschoolmotoring.htm |title=The British School of Motoring in the Edwardian era}}

In the United States, Amos Neyhart, a professor at Penn State University, started the first high school driver education course in 1934 at a high school in State College, Pennsylvania.{{cite web |title=Driving Instruction Pioneer: Amos Earl Neyhart |url=http://www.road-and-track.co.uk/driver-instruction-pioneer-neyhart/ |website=road-and-track.co.uk |access-date=2 September 2018 |archive-date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420174813/http://www.road-and-track.co.uk/driver-instruction-pioneer-neyhart/ |url-status=dead}}

Curriculum

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Driver's education is intended to supplement knowledge from government driving manuals and prepares students for tests to obtain a driver's license or learner's permit. Programs include classroom instruction and in-car training. The classroom covers traffic laws, vehicle operation, and safe driving practices. In-car instruction offers hands-on experience, often in dual-controlled vehicles.

=Online courses=

Online driver's education allows students to progress at their own pace and is accepted in some jurisdictions.{{cite web |date=2022-03-06 |title=How Driver’s Ed Online Can Help You Become a Safe Driver |url=https://www.dmvedu.org/how-drivers-ed-online-can-help-you-become-a-safe-driver/ |website=DMVEdu |access-date=2023-09-05}}{{cite web |title=Online Driving Courses Allow Participants to Work at Their Own Pace |url=https://ticketschool.com/online-driving-courses/online-driving-courses-allow-participants-work-pace/ |website=Ticket School |access-date=2023-01-26}}{{cite web |title=Which States Allow Online Drivers Education? |url=https://www.aceable.com/blog/which-states-allow-online-drivers-education/ |website=Aceable |access-date=2017-11-08}}

Government regulations

In the United States, each state regulates driver education through its own transportation department. For example, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) sets rules for driver education, approves course providers, and allows point reduction and insurance benefits for course completion.{{cite web |title=Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles |url=https://www.flhsmv.gov/ |access-date=2025-05-23}}{{cite web |title=Florida Statutes - Driver Improvement Schools |url=http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0322/Sections/0322.095.html |access-date=2025-05-23}}

In Canada, each province or territory regulates driver education. Programs are often aligned with national guidelines developed by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).{{cite web |title=Canadian Driver's License Reference Guide |url=https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/international-programs/canada/canadian-drivers-license-reference-guide |publisher=Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration |access-date=2025-05-23}}

Effectiveness and incentives

The effectiveness of driver's education in reducing crash rates is debated. A 2012 NHTSA report found limited evidence that such programs reduce collisions among new drivers.{{cite web |title=Evaluation of Novice Driver Education Programs |url=https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/811615.pdf |publisher=National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |date=2012 |access-date=2025-05-23}}

However, a 2011 study in *Accident Analysis & Prevention* found that driver training programs may reduce crash rates by about 5% in the first year of licensure.{{cite journal |last=Mayhew |first=Dan |title=Do driver training programs reduce crashes and traffic violations?—A critical examination of the literature |journal=Accident Analysis & Prevention |volume=43 |issue=3 |pages=1115–1122 |year=2011 |doi=10.1016/j.aap.2010.10.019 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0386111211000021 |access-date=2025-05-23}}

A 2021 study by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia also found that drivers licensed at age 17 had 19% fewer crashes in their first two months compared to those licensed at 18, highlighting the benefits of earlier and more structured education.{{cite web |title=Study Suggests Policy, Education and Training Make Youngest Novice Drivers Better Prepared |url=https://www.chop.edu/news/study-suggests-policy-education-and-training-make-youngest-novice-drivers-better-prepared |publisher=Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |date=2021 |access-date=2025-05-23}}