Drivers Education has changed a lot since its Humble Beginnings

Driving on the road is one of the most dangerous things in today’s world. Tens of thousands of people die every year in car-related accidents. Nowadays, driver’s education is a process that virtually every single driver on the road had to complete. However, this has not always been the case. In the beginning days of driving, there was not any instruction whatsoever. As cars gained popularity and became the world’s preferred method of transportation, a need for a system that teaches road safety also became a necessity. In this article, we will cover the history and implementation of the Driver’s Education service.

The Beginnings of Driver’s Education

  • In the early days of driver’s education, there were no formalized programs or curriculum. There were very few requirements for who could purchase and drive a car on the road. Though there was not much need, the number of cars on the road was in no way comparable with the amount we see today. As cars lowered in price and gained in popularity, interactions with vehicles on the road became much more common. This shined a light on the need for an organized system of road and traffic safety that would be uniform for all drivers.
  • Drivers ed first became popular in the 1920s as a way to reduce the number of accidents among young people, people saw that many students coming out of high school were starting to get on the road and felt that it was necessary to implement drivers education into a high school program.
  • In California, drivers education was first required in 1913 as they saw the highest amount of car usage in the United States, though it took the rest of the country a much longer time to implement
  • The first universal driver’s education program was created in 1924 by the American Legion, this program covered the necessary basics of traffic safety and driving with respect to other people on the roads.
  • In the 1930s, states began to require that new drivers take some form of driver education, while licenses were not yet created, these states implemented a mandatory education system for anyone who wanted to operate a motor vehicle on the road.
  • In 1959 driver’s licenses became a requirement in all states, these licenses were only able to be obtained after completing a driver,s ED program and a driving proficiency test.

Driver’s Education Today

  • Today, driver’s education is a requirement for any person who wishes to obtain a driver’s license, and it is far more rigorous than in the past.
  • Most programs consist of both classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training, depending on the state you are getting the license the required hours may differ.
  • The goal of driver education is to teach new drivers the skills they need to be safe on the road. Classroom instruction typically covers topics such as traffic laws, understanding traffic signals,  guardrail and other road related signages, defensive driving techniques, and how to handle emergency situations. Behind-the-wheel training gives students the opportunity to practice driving in a controlled environment with an experienced instructor.
  • Driver education has changed significantly since its humble beginnings. It is now a vital service that helps to ensure the safety of all drivers on the road.
  • Driver’s education programs play an important role in helping new drivers learn the skills and knowledge they need to be safe on the road. By taking a driver’s education course, new drivers can reduce their risk of being involved in an accident.

While the road will always be a very dangerous place, drivers ed has done an excellent job of preparing people for the uncertainties that come with being in a car.