We all know that teen drivers need all the experience they can get, out on the road. After all, they have the most dangerous driving record of any age group. They also have the highest rate of driving-related fatalities. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for drivers between the ages of 16 and 20, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. So why are so many states eliminating school-based driver’s education training programs?
Budgets Over Teen Safety
Without a doubt, safety officials believe that driver’s training programs help to make safer drivers. These courses give teen drivers a chance to gain some skill and confidence behind the wheel, before officially getting their license. Yet many school districts around the nation plan to eliminate – or already have eliminated – school-district-related driver’s training programs.
Many school districts have adopted this as a way to cut their already cash-strapped budgets. Schools in several states, including Georgia, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Florida, have already make reductions or have completely stopped offering students driver’s training. In some cases, it is saving the schools hundreds of thousands of dollars in their budget. For example, when the Volusia County School District, located in the Daytona Beach area, limited access to driver’s training programs, the district estimates that it saves roughly $400,000 per year.
Getting Teen Driving Practice
For those parents counting on driver’s training being offered to their teen through school, they are left with the options of either doing the training themselves or paying for a company-based driver’s training program. Many of those programs are less intense, and some parents may not have the money to pay for such a program, and that creates a greater risk of less-skilled drivers being on the road.
Cutting out, or even just reducing, the access to school-based driver’s training could put teens at risk. Along with the possibility of more accidents, it may also lead to increased auto insurance rates for teens. This is because they may be more accident prone, due to the reduced amount of driving practice, and auto insurance companies may find them to be an even bigger liability than before, prompting them to raise rates.
Car Training and Rates
If you have a teen who will soon be driving, and the school district has cut out the training program, do some homework. Find the best driver-training programs in your area. Also, speak with your insurance provider about any program recommendations they may have, as well inquiring about other ways you can help keep your teen’s insurance rates in check. Many auto insurance companies offer discounts based on a teen being a good student or maintaining a good driving record. Often, however, you need to inquire in order to find out about such discounts.
