The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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September 11, 2008

Driver’s education should begin younger and last longer

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety got it right when they said it would be a “tough sell” to convince states to raise the driving age to 17 or 18.

In fact, it’s a bad idea.

We agree the issue of crashes among young drivers needs to be addressed. However, instead of postponing the age for people to drive, the driving training process should actually begin younger and last longer.

How do you encourage better and safer driving among young people? Train them to drive. Make the educational process longer.

Driver’s education today typically includes an eight- to 12-week course taught in the schools, then perhaps a six-month supervised driving program. Oklahoma and other states now have a graduated driving license process in which 16-year-olds still have to wait a few months before having full driving privileges.

What should happen is driver training should begin in the classroom as early as 8th grade. Students could start learning the basics of driving, the book learning process. When a student becomes 15 or 151⁄2, more classroom training, plus supervised driving training could take place. Another idea might be to have a “refresher” driver training course before high school graduation, perhaps in the form of an exit exam. Or, perhaps states could require a two-year renewal for teens who receive their license at 16, and as part of that renewal, students have to take another refresher exam.

Postponing driving for teens doesn’t fix the concern regarding safety. Driver training is the key, and that is where we probably fall short. We think a six-month course in driver training is enough, and it’s not.

Kids today can learn about driving and rules of the road at an earlier age, and they should. Begin the process earlier and make it last longer, but keep the licensing age at 16.

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