Our thanks to the more than 70 people who attended February’s PTA-sponsored parent education night on teen driving.  Thanks also to presenters Officer Ton Phan of the Davis Police Dept., DHS Driver Education instructor Bob Johnson, and Leticia Saez of the Davis Driving Academy. 

For those who were unable to attend, or prefer their information in capsule form, we offer the following:

Obtaining an Instruction Permit (also known as Learner’s Permit)

In the state of California, teens may apply for an instruction permit at the age of 15½.  Requirements for doing so are available on the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffdl19.htm or in the California Drivers Handbook available at the Davis DMV office at 505 Pole Line Rd.  (Note that requirements change once a teen turns 17½.)   Application will require the consenting signatures of both parents/guardians.  The instruction permit is valid for one year.  Renewal requires reinitiating the same process.

Driver Education

In order to obtain an instruction permit, teens must first complete a driver education course.  This is offered by private vendors for a fee either online or onsite.  The requirement is also fulfilled by the DHS classroom course, Driver Education, described in the course calendar as “designed to improve attitudes, teach the rules of the road, car maintenance and care, causes and prevention of accidents, and related information. [The course] also includes consumer education for new and used car purchases, evaluating honest repair work, and purchasing insurance. Students will have experience in completing the Driver License Application, accident report, DMV title changes, and insurance forms.”  This course is one quarter in length (45 classroom hours) and is currently full for this year.  Students wanting to enroll for the 2007-08 school year, should so indicate on their planners for next year, as the frequency of offering is demand driven.

Driver Training

To obtain an instruction permit a teen must also provide proof that they are currently enrolled in a behind-the-wheel driver training course.  This course is offered only by private vendors for a fee, and typically includes 6 hours of instruction in 3 two-hour lessons.  A teen’s instruction permit is not valid until signed by the driver training instructor at their first lesson.  Following that, lessons are interspersed with practice driving with parents or other adults.

Driving Test

Teens may take their driving test when they are 16 and have held their instruction permit for six months.  Parents must verify that their child has completed 50 hours of practice driving, including 10 hours of night driving.

Insurance

Insurance companies generally do not require parents to report when their teen obtains an instruction permit, but car insurance rates will increase when the child becomes a licensed driver.  Check with your insurance carrier to find our how much.  In some cases, discounts are offered when students maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

License Restrictions

Once a teen receives a California driver’s license, restrictions on their driving continue to apply.  As of January 1, 2006, for the first twelve months of license, teens must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 25 when they transport passengers under 20 years of age, or drive between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am.  There are some exceptions and these are detailed on the DMV website listed above.

Parent’s Role

Many parents feel the need for guidance as they teach their teens to drive.  To support them in this, PTA has donated to the DHS Library two copies of Crashproof Your Kids: Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver (Fireside, 2006) by Timothy C. Smith.  These may be checked out by your student.  More information on the book is available at http://crashproofyourkids.com.  The DMV also offers the free publication, Parent-Teen Training Guide, in their office or online at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl603/dl062.pdf.  These publications encourage parents to become actively involved in the instruction process and to clearly communicate to their children their high expectation of safe and legal driving. 

We welcome your comments on this and other parent education topics.

~Susan Lovenburg (SLovenburg@sbcglobal.net)  and Kris Inouye (756-3408)
DHS PTA Parent Education Coordinators

Note from DHS PTA:  Private for-profit businesses mentioned in this article are for information only and do not constitute any endorsement by DHS PTA.