Most people are confident about their driving skills that they believe they can multitask while they are behind the wheel. For one, many drivers think that they can text or use their mobile devices while driving and not get embroiled in an accident.
In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), close to 500,000 drivers in the United States use their cell phones while driving during day time.
Distracted driving is very dangerous. It doesn’t matter if the one behind the wheel is experienced or not. Doing other activities like using a mobile device while driving accounts for 1,000 injuries and 9 deaths each day in the United States.
This unfortunate reality is one of the reasons for mandatory drivers education for teens who are planning to get their license in several states.
What Is Drivers Education?
This course is meant to equip students with the knowledge they need to drive safely. It tackles topics on automobiles, particularly the different parts and their function. The most important part of the course though is the lesson on safe driving practices.
Students learn about what defensive driving is, particularly how to drive under various conditions. They also learn about driving laws in general and those specific to their location.
Many confuse drivers education with the behind-the-wheel training. It is worth emphasizing that these are two different programs. In most states, teens applying for their driver’s license are required to take both.
Decades ago, drivers education classes were only taken in-person. Nowadays, however, the ubiquity of the Internet has made it possible for this course to be taken online.
How Many Hours Does Drivers Ed Online Take?
The number of hours required for the online course is no different from the in-person or traditional one.
So, how much time is a student expected to put in for this program? The mandatory number of hours varies per state. Let’s take the case of California and New York. The required number of hours for drivers ed is 30 for the Sunny State and 24 for the Empire State.
There is this notion that drivers ed online courses are longer than the in-person types. This isn’t true at all! Whether you take a California classroom-based or online course, you have to put in the same number of hours – 30.
In-person programs only seem faster because they stick to a schedule. The classes have set starting and ending dates.
Meanwhile, online driving classes have no fixed timetable. Students can begin studying the modules right after registering or weeks later. They are also not required to finish the course in 3 or 6 weeks. In fact, most providers allow clients to continue accessing their modules for 6 to 12 months.
Simply put, with drivers ed online, the student dictates the pace of the learning. She has the freedom to decide how much time she would spend on each module. For example, she can opt to allot more hours for topics which are difficult for her. This is basically why many think that online courses are longer.
In summary, a student can finish the Internet course in 2 weeks or 2 months (even longer depending on what your provider allows). What is important is that she completes the course – the number of drivers ed hours required in her state. Upon finishing the program, the student receives a certificate from the driving school.
Are you looking for a state-approved drivers ed online course? Visit our website today or call us at today at (510) 848-5508 to learn about our driving classes.
