Drivers Ed *rant*

[Milo]

WHAT A SHARDING RACKET! People NEED their license. You cant function (aka make money) without being able to drive to your job, unless you have a parent at your constant beck and call. Most people DONT. Ok, established that people NEED a license.
If you are under 18 in the great state of Ohio you are REQUIRED to take drivers education courses regardless of the fact that your parents and other people can teach extremely well how to drive. If you are over 18 you dont have to take it, regardless of the fact that your parents/other people may not have time to drive, so the kids are incapable of driving safely (I know a few).

You cannot get your license without the courses, only certified driving instructors can give the courses. They charge $320!!!!!!! Its highway robbery! :mad: :banghead:

suffice to say i'll be paying the $320 dollars. I dont really have a choice. :noface:

[maiken]

lol. It cost $620 here because I can't do it at my school. #1 they don't offer driver's ed anymore, #2 I'm homeschooled now so couldn't take it there anyway! $320 is nothing dear.

maiken :2cent:

[Milo]

Sweet mother of holy manure!!! I'm sorry Maiken! I guess that puts things in perspective (although it still ticks me off).

$620 is obscene. I'm homeschooled too, I guess the going rates are just alot lower here.

[maiken]

I know...lot higher where I am going to take it than other places, but the teachers are top notch and I don't have to take a test the day I get my liscence. Right now i'm saving up for it and my books for my school work $200-$400 a course is outrageous for school work!

[Priscilla]

I sympathise! Still, I suppose you should be grateful you don't have someone (like my mother) teaching you! Her method was to get me behind the wheel, as terrified as possible, have me take her somewhere that she already knew how to get to (I did not) and get halfway through intersections before she'd scream turn left/right here! :roll: It was horrible. My kids both took drivers training, I think it was around $300, and it's been worth it. Good luck to you!

[maiken]

lol. That sounds like the way my dad would teach me! He's lost no matter where he goes though... :)

[Silverspirit157]

Good heavens! :faint:

Here you have 2 options...take the "approved" ie Ministry of Transport certified route and pay about the equivalent of what you pay or going to a private driving school and pay less than $20! Both are valid and will get you in to take the test. What makes the government approved one so ridicilous is that you get only 4 lessons and no car to take thye test with while going private will for $20 get you that four lessons as well as a car to take the test with...if you require more lessons..they're the equivalent of $5 a lesson, so... :roll:

[Rabble]

I sympathise! Still, I suppose you should be grateful you don't have someone (like my mother) teaching you! Her method was to get me behind the wheel, as terrified as possible, have me take her somewhere that she already knew how to get to (I did not) and get halfway through intersections before she'd scream turn left/right here! :roll:

OMG! We have the same mother!!!
:faint:

[Priscilla]

Perhaps we should start a support group for children of scarey mothers?! :devil: Mine thought she was doing me a favor, by instilling in me a healthy "fear" of driving. To this day I'm still far too timid behind the wheel. Oh the wonderful things our parents do to us in the name of protecting us! :roll:

[Rabble]

I'm currently reading up on the road code - taking my Learners' test soon. :bouncy:

[Rabble]

Perhaps we should start a support group for children of scarey mothers?! :devil: Mine thought she was doing me a favor, by instilling in me a healthy "fear" of driving. To this day I'm still far too timid behind the wheel. Oh the wonderful things our parents do to us in the name of protecting us! :roll:
Ah... I took only one driving lesson with my mum.

:group:

[Lily]

C'milo, how much to you value your own life and that of passengers in your care?

What is it worth to recognise mistakes about to be made by other people and how to keep yourself out of their accident?

Rules are NOT made to annoy you - imagine what would happen if there were not some basic rules everyone had to keep to

A driving instructor is registered, up to date and will teach you the correct procedure for everything you need to know. A GOOD one will NOTyell at you or ask you to do anything he feels you are not ready for. He will also encourage you to practice between lessons with another fully licenced driver

Go for it C'millo. You'll be a much safer driver, your family will have more trust in your ability - and you might be able to teach them a thing or two with your new found knowledge and expertise

[Lily]

Ah... I took only one driving lesson with my mum.

:group:

Rabble,you should not be driving at all until you have your Learners Lcience

[Bobbsy]

How many hours of tuitition do you get for your $320, c'milo? I think that would be the deciding factor as to whether or not the price is reasonable.

Over here in the UK, schools don't offer Drivers' Ed; you either have to be instructed by your parents (or other adults) or pay for a private driving school which will charge £15-£20 per hour (say $25 to $35). However, your chances of passing your test are greatly improved with a professional instructor doing the bulk of the teaching and your parents just offering extra practice. You don't want to fail too often. Tests here cost £20.50 per time for the written exam, and £42 per time for the driving test.

However, parental instruction isn't free...when I added Si to my insurance to practice, my annual premium went from £160 to over £1000.

Bearing all this in mind, $320 might be money well spent.

Bobbsy

[NeouofPern]

At least your parents let you drive. My parents say not until I'm 18.... Guess who won't be working? LoL. They'll get sick of it.

[maiken]

lol. Sorry for you Neou. I start ded this summer. Will be 16 in October.

[Bobbsy]

In the UK you can't get your provisional licence (the local name for the "learners permit") until you're 17 anyway.

Bobbsy

[Ez]

I sympathise! Still, I suppose you should be grateful you don't have someone (like my mother) teaching you! Her method was to get me behind the wheel, as terrified as possible, have me take her somewhere that she already knew how to get to (I did not) and get halfway through intersections before she'd scream turn left/right here! :roll: It was horrible. My kids both took drivers training, I think it was around $300, and it's been worth it. Good luck to you!

My friend's mother thought this was a good way to teach her how to drive. That is, until she suddenly yelled "STOP!!!!!!!!!" and Caz panicked, hit the accelerator and unfortunately also hit the car in front. After that her mum got her some professional driving lessons.

[Faren]

My son will be taking driver's ed this summer...$500. I think it will be worth it because we'll get a lower insurance rate if he takes the course. :good:

[Steller]

At least your parents let you drive. My parents say not until I'm 18.... Guess who won't be working? LoL. They'll get sick of it.
My parents said i had to wait until i was 18 also. My uncle had to set up the drivers ed because my father didn't want me to drive in the snow. :roll:

[Priscilla]

Our kids both waited until they were 18 to get their licenses, voluntarily. The older (daughter) had a couple good friends who had their licenses who were willing to drive her around, and our son's best friend who is his age got into a bad car accident a month or so after he got his license, and that gave them all something to think about. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, but they all took getting their licenses a bit more as a privilege rather than a right. And, that's very true Faren. Taking the drivers classes does lower your insurance rates. (Can't believe your son is old enough to drive! :eek: :D )

[C_ris]

How many hours of tuitition do you get for your $320, c'milo? I think that would be the deciding factor as to whether or not the price is reasonable.

Over here in the UK, schools don't offer Drivers' Ed; you either have to be instructed by your parents (or other adults) or pay for a private driving school which will charge £15-£20 per hour (say $25 to $35). However, your chances of passing your test are greatly improved with a professional instructor doing the bulk of the teaching and your parents just offering extra practice. You don't want to fail too often. Tests here cost £20.50 per time for the written exam, and £42 per time for the driving test.

However, parental instruction isn't free...when I added Si to my insurance to practice, my annual premium went from £160 to over £1000.

Bearing all this in mind, $320 might be money well spent.

Bobbsy
what car was that on? :eek:

[C_ris]

I cant drive yet, and its bugging me. Each time that I am just about ready to take the test, then I can't get a damn test booked because of the stupid way they are booked! :irked:

And talking about mums and cars... my mum won't drive with me (very often) :evil: but then i got to do some country lane driving, which is great fun! :whee:

But what is most annoying is that my oparents recently bought a new car for my mum (i can't drive my dads as it is a company car) and they have me insured on it - yet won't let me drive it!!! :irked: and thats really annoying!!!

[Bobbsy]

what car was that on? :eek:

That was an elderly Citroen AX, Group 1 insurance.

I once priced adding Simon (at age 19) to my Saab turbo...3 companies wouldn't even quote; the 4th wanted an annual premium greater than the value of the car!

Insurance is EXPENSIVE for under 26 males!

Bobbsy

[Priscilla]

It certainly is, Bobbsy! That's why our son is lucky to have the use of a 10 year old Ford Taurus (in good condition, I might add) when he's home. He did use some graduation money and put a nice sound system in it! :ok:

This doesn't quite fit here, but it has to do with young/old drivers. My husband recently read or heard a study that said that 20-something drivers on cell phones are as distracted in their driving as a 70 year old about to fall asleep at the wheel. So, please don't talk and drive! And, yes older people do talk on the phone and drive too - but I believe they were also adding in a factor for experience. Never a good thing to gab on the phone and drive, at any age! :box:

[C_ris]

That was an elderly Citroen AX, Group 1 insurance.

I once priced adding Simon (at age 19) to my Saab turbo...3 companies wouldn't even quote; the 4th wanted an annual premium greater than the value of the car!

Insurance is EXPENSIVE for under 26 males!

Bobbsy
lol!

i am insured as a learner on my parent's brand new Haonda Jazz, and it barely cost them any extra! (as fourth driver)

[C_ris]

It certainly is, Bobbsy! That's why our son is lucky to have the use of a 10 year old Ford Taurus (in good condition, I might add) when he's home. He did use some graduation money and put a nice sound system in it! :ok:

This doesn't quite fit here, but it has to do with young/old drivers. My husband recently read or heard a study that said that 20-something drivers on cell phones are as distracted in their driving as a 70 year old about to fall asleep at the wheel. So, please don't talk and drive! And, yes older people do talk on the phone and drive too - but I believe they were also adding in a factor for experience. Never a good thing to gab on the phone and drive, at any age! :box:
there is actually a law against it here as well! But far too many people still do it. :irked:

[Milo]

Fortunately, as far as insurance is concerned, neither of our cars was made this century. As far as the coolness factor is concerned.... :noface: But who really cares, I mean, it gets you places right?

[Bobbsy]

<snip>

This doesn't quite fit here, but it has to do with young/old drivers. My husband recently read or heard a study that said that 20-something drivers on cell phones are as distracted in their driving as a 70 year old about to fall asleep at the wheel. So, please don't talk and drive! And, yes older people do talk on the phone and drive too - but I believe they were also adding in a factor for experience. Never a good thing to gab on the phone and drive, at any age! :box:

I suspect this fits in with a documentary about drivers and driving that I watched a while back.

They did a study where they monitored eye movement and brain waves of drivers with various amounts of experience. It turned out that newly-passed drivers are using a large percentage of their "brain power" doing the mechanical parts of driving...looking ahead, checking mirrors, operating accelerator and brake, etc etc....and had limited extra capacity to take on extra tasks or react to an emergency. As experience grows, much of this basic stuff is moved from the "voluntary" part of the brain into the areas that handle "automatic" functions. As this process goes on, drivers gradually get more ability to handle extra tasks...or emergencies.

(The programme I watched gave a lot more detail, but I didn't take notes.)

I guess this is just another way of quantifying experience....but it does seem like there's a scientific basis for it.

One other point...similar things happen with airline pilots. When new to flying, (which is far more complex than driving) it is quite easy for the mental workload to shift to "overload" and for things to be missed. This is why pilots go through so much repetitive training, and also why experienced professional pilots have a much better safety record than weekend private pilots.

Bobbsy

[Faren]

Our kids both waited until they were 18 to get their licenses, voluntarily. The older (daughter) had a couple good friends who had their licenses who were willing to drive her around, and our son's best friend who is his age got into a bad car accident a month or so after he got his license, and that gave them all something to think about. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, but they all took getting their licenses a bit more as a privilege rather than a right. And, that's very true Faren. Taking the drivers classes does lower your insurance rates. (Can't believe your son is old enough to drive! :eek: :D )
At age 15 you can get your restricted Driver's license. You have to have that for a year before you can test for your regular one.

And I can't believe it either. :faint:

[Faren]

I suspect this fits in with a documentary about drivers and driving that I watched a while back.

They did a study where they monitored eye movement and brain waves of drivers with various amounts of experience. It turned out that newly-passed drivers are using a large percentage of their "brain power" doing the mechanical parts of driving...looking ahead, checking mirrors, operating accelerator and brake, etc etc....and had limited extra capacity to take on extra tasks or react to an emergency. As experience grows, much of this basic stuff is moved from the "voluntary" part of the brain into the areas that handle "automatic" functions. As this process goes on, drivers gradually get more ability to handle extra tasks...or emergencies.

(The programme I watched gave a lot more detail, but I didn't take notes.)

I guess this is just another way of quantifying experience....but it does seem like there's a scientific basis for it.

One other point...similar things happen with airline pilots. When new to flying, (which is far more complex than driving) it is quite easy for the mental workload to shift to "overload" and for things to be missed. This is why pilots go through so much repetitive training, and also why experienced professional pilots have a much better safety record than weekend private pilots.

Bobbsy
This makes a lot of sense. I actually have a pilot's license (but I haven't flown for years :roll: ), and so much of the training was repetitive drills. My instructor (who had been a career navy pilot from WWII thru 'Nam) was a fanatic about emergency instruction though...always always think about what you would do if such and such happened...where will you land, etc...it affects the way I drive my car to this day because I'm looking at the other cars and figuring out what ifs.

And I won't even answer my cell phone if I'm driving. :D

[Tabra]

lol!

i am insured as a learner on my parent's brand new Haonda Jazz, and it barely cost them any extra! (as fourth driver)

My parents did the same with my brother and I. When I got a car and had to insure it, I got the 60% no claim bonus and saved a fortune, even though I wasn't listed by name. I actually don't think I'd been driving long enough, but the policy had 'person under 25' dated back far enough for me to qualify. But it was my brother who was driving it back then. :good:

[Milo]

Finally finished!!! :D Now just for the incars, and the test! :evil: