Redesign Road Test Requirements

Redesign Road Test Requirements

Brittany Hickman

In Atlanta, GA, it’s almost comical to have anything less than a 30-minute drive to wherever you are going. I got my license the summer before senior year and started driving my brother and I to school every day. To get there, I had to drive across three different highways and by second semester it was routine. One afternoon, less than 5 minutes from home, the only way to describe it was extreme bummer cars. I got rear ended. “They say most car accidents happen 10 minutes from home” was the only quote that came to mind.

All the drivers ed courses I was required to take were practically the same. The greatest focus was the risk of drunk driving. There is a myriad of other skills that need to be taught to new drivers before they are “road ready.” Drivers ed should not be limited to using scare tactics on young drivers with statistics. Most can’t fully comprehend the gravity of the numbers nor feel the need to heed warning to situations until they have actual experienced them. I think that the requirements for getting a driver’s license need to be changed.

My parents put me into an extreme defensive driving course before I got my license. The class was sanctioned on a BMW test track where we were thrown into extreme road scenarios at highs speeds. This gave us the opportunity to experience those situations and learn to properly navigate them. After that class I was fully aware of potential road hazards and was not afraid to handle them if they happened. They had us drive down a declined skid pad to make ourselves hydroplane in different ways to teach how us how to safely maneuver out through them. I never knew there were different solutions to different types of hydroplaning. They also taught us how to use our Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) effectively and efficiently. We had to accelerate to high speeds and stop and maneuver on command. Basic skills like this are not taught before you get your license unless you are put in a special circumstance. In urban areas that require travel on major highways, as a young driver, these skills are imperative. Not only can this reduce the amount of deaths, but it will lessen recklessness in dire situations on the road.

During the beginning of COVID-19, people who had their permit for over the required time in the state of Georgia were granted their license with no test. This was a dangerous thing to do. I not only thought of the new teens that had nearly no experience driving on the same roads as me, but of the people who didn’t have the defensive driving skills I was taught. This regulation was redacted almost as sudden as it was brought on. It was a disservice to putting new drivers into situations they might not have been ready to handle.

Even now as I am nearing the age of 20 and have 2 years of driving under my belt, I am not a perfect driver. I don’t think anyone is perfect driver. I feel everyone should be required to take a more comprehensive defensive driving course before being qualified for a license. This will insure they are adequately been prepared for the unexpected hazards on the road and make commuting safer.