Graduated driving license
The point of this program is to reduce the risks of an accident when a young person learns to drive. At the age of 15 and-a-half, the provisional permit is available after taking the driver’s education course. At 16, the driver is entitled to an intermediate license. At 17 and-a-half, the driver can apply for a provisional permit without having to go through driver’s education. At 18 or older, the application can get a driver’s license without first getting a permit. For the first twelve months of holding a license, the young driver cannot drive between 11 pm and 5 am unless there’s an emergency and no passengers under the age of twenty can be carried unless the driver is supervised by someone aged 25 or above.
Learning to drive
The process of learning to drive involves both theory and behind-the-wheel practice. The DMV has licensed both commercial driving schools and public and private secondary schools to supply the right level of training. Californian law requires every driver under the age of 18 to go through:
• 25 hours of classroom instruction or the equivalent online — this will include videos sometimes showing graphic details of injuries received in traffic crashes to encourage young drivers to take greater care;
• at least 6 hours of training behind the wheel spread over not less than three days; and
• 50 or more hours of driving while supervised by a responsible adult or parent — 10 hours of this practice must be at night.
If you go to an approved driving school, all the vehicles must be fitted with a separate footbrake allowing the instructor to stop the vehicle in an emergency. This reduces the chances of an accident. Obviously, it’s less safe for parents, the legal guardian or a responsible adult to use an unmodified vehicle. In an emergency, all the person in the passenger seat can do is grab the steering wheel which may not be enough to avoid the crash.
Choosing the right driving school
Unless there’s an emergency, trainers should remain calm and professional. Shouting at the teen driver or trying to push him or her out of the way is not considered appropriate unless the danger is dire. Parents can check the DMV website for details of all the driving schools and the instructors licensed in your area. The local Better Business Bureau may also have details of complaints about local schools and instructors. Before parents sign up for a course, they should have gotten comparative quotes from a number of commercial schools and should not enter into the contract without a clear understanding of all the fees and charges — this includes the procedures to be followed to cancel a scheduled lesson and whether there are charges involved.