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When is the best time to take a driver education course?

If possible, a driver education class should be taken prior to, or immediately after

obtaining the permit.  Driver's ed. can be taken as early as 15 yrs. and 5 mos. old

(a month before getting a permit). 

By taking driver education early, it can ease the burden for parents to teach their

child how to drive.

Students who drive for an extended period of time prior to attending driver's ed.

have a tendency to be some of our worst students on proper driving techniques.

Teaching your teen to drive:

It is ultimately the responsibility of the parent(s) to teach their child how to

drive.  The law requires parents (or an *Eligible adult) to spend at least

50 hours (10 of which are nighttime driving) accompanying their child as they drive prior to them taking their driving test.

When it comes time for your child to start driving, many parents struggle with knowing how to, or what to teach.  Tri-County has put together guides to help  parents in making this task easier.  As a teen starts to drive, they immediately 

begin to develop their driving habits.  If proper habits are not taught early on,

it is very difficult, if not  near impossible for a driving instructor to correct.

Poor driving habits can increase the possibility of putting the teen at risk of
being involved in a traffic crash.  Driver’s ed. teaches good basic driving skills,
defensive driving techniques, traffic laws, handling vehicle emergencies,

and much more?  

"Teaching Your Teen to Drive"

"Defensive Driving Techniques"

(Documents are downloadable under the Applications & Forms tab)

*Eligible Adult:

If a child is under the age of 16, the only person able to drive with the child is a

parent or legal guardian, unless the parent authorizes another person to drive

with their child by means of completing a form known as "Loco Parentis

Affidavit".  This form allows a parent to identify a particular person(s) to drive

with the child.  An  eligible adult is someone who is 21 yrs. old, or older,

and holds a valid driver's license and is not under the influence of alcohol

or drugs at the time the vehicle is being operated.  By using this form, it can

ease the burden of a parent to do all the 50 hours of driving time.

(Document downloadable under the Applications & Forms tab)

50 hours of driving time:

KEEP TRACK OF ALL DRIVING TIME.  From day 1 when your child obtains

their permit, all driving time should be written down.  Keep track of ACTUAL

driving time.  If the driving time is not documented, you will have no idea when

your child has achieved the 50 hours.  As a parent, you will have to sign, and

have notarized, a "50 Hour Affidavit" swearing that your child has completed

completed at least 50 hours of total driving time, to include 10 hours of night

time driving.  This form is to be turned in to the state on the day of your child's

driving test.  Many parents underestimate the importance of the nighttime

driving.  The majority of teens killed in traffic crashes are between 9pm and

midnight.

(Document downloadable under the Applications & Forms tab)

Traffic crashes are the #1 cause of deaths for teens in the United States.

The #1 reason for most all traffic crashes is Driver Inattention.

• Talking to passengers is the #1 reason for teen distracted driving crashes.
• Texting while driving is about 6 times more likely to result in an accident than driving while intoxicated.
• Talking on a cell phone while driving can reduce a driver's reaction time as slow as that of a 70 year old.

Meet Jacy Good.

Jacy was 21 yrs. old, driving home with her parents on graduation day from college when their paths intersected with an 18 yr. old who was talking on his cell phone.  This is her story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P54ln1139JM

Below is a video of Jacy talking to teens who admit using their phone while they drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9swS1Vl6Ok

TEEN DRIVING LAWS

Teens that are planning on driving past the state curfew times without a parent present in the vehicle are only permitted to do so under the following circumstances: 

• To and/or from work, provided the teen as a BMV2825 in their possession,
• To and/or from an official school sponsored event provided the teen has written documentation in their possession from a school official,
• To and/or from an official religious event provided the teen has written documentation in their possession from an official affiliated with the event.

For complete description of the teen driving laws, view the document below.