In the state of Georgia under Joshua’s Law, 30 hours of drivers education is one of the requirements for a 16-year-old to get a driver’s license. With Coronavirus affecting the entire world this past year, the drivers ed curriculum has also been impacted. Before the pandemic took its toll, drivers ed was only available for in-person lessons, but now drivers ed can be accessed online by anyone for a small fee of $98. 

To be eligible for online drivers ed, you must have a Georgia class CP instructional permit admitted by the Department of Drivers Services. Anyone can take the course online from the comfort of their home as long as they pay for the fee to DDS, Nathan’s Driving School, or Drive Smart.

While this alternative form of instruction resulted from restrictions and challenges posed by the pandemic, I think the change should be permanent and drivers ed should only be offered online instead of in person. Even though the opportunity for in-person interaction is limited, I believe online drivers ed is way more effective now than it was when the classes were face-to-face.  

Online drivers ed features the complete in-person course online, which includes 30 hours of instructional videos read aloud to the student. The program requires nine units with tests at the end of each unit and quizzes distributed throughout your progression of the material. At the end of the curriculum, each driver has to pass the drivers ed final, which is an exam composed of all the information learned in each unit. 

The first reason online drivers ed is more effective is that you can retake quizzes and tests, an option you don’t have with in-person learning. This opportunity really lets you analyze the information more, making you more likely to understand and learn the concepts of driving. 

When you have completed your course and successfully passed all tests and quizzes, an official certificate is emailed to you. This way of receiving a certificate is super handy because you can easily print it out and bring it with you to the DDS in order to take your road test. 

Convenience is another advantage to taking online drivers ed. While trying to keep up with things like school, sports, and maintaining health, most people don’t have time to attend an in-person class for a total of 30 hours. With online classes, I can participate in my class course whenever and wherever I can.

For example, I was able to get my full course completed within three weeks of starting it. I worked on drivers ed when I had free time at school or when I was in the car traveling to volleyball tournaments. If I had taken in-person classes, I would not have been able to learn the material the lessons while at school or traveling. 

If drivers ed is made completely virtual, teenagers will be able to work at their own pace while taking the course, more likely to absorb the material, and able to maintain and balance a healthy social life. This is one positive impact of the pandemic that should remain permanent.