Driver's Ed in the US is terrible and focused entirely on the wrong things, amirite?

idk, the drivers ed i took covered most of that

by Natural-Increase2437 2 days ago

Same, do think the driver's test is still far too lenient

by Amiya35 2 days ago

The state authorities have a tacit understanding that in most places in the US, it's difficult to impossible to be a productive member of society without having a car

by Walshmilford 2 days ago

Yea and I could see that, still putting many people's lives at risk by making that compromise though

by Amiya35 2 days ago

Do you think the problem with drivers is that they do not understand the rules of the road?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Among other things, yes, absolutely.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

In PA you get 3 strikes.

by ScheduleThink 2 days ago

Yeah same, our driver's test is way too easy but it did cover those

by Anonymous 2 days ago

This is my reaction when most people talk about what "wasn't covered enough in X school" I genuinely think that it is usually covered and people just weren't paying enough attention. I say this as someone who has done a ton of training and there are always a few who later claim to have not been told something which was absolutely covered in training they attended.

by Narrow_Cellist 2 days ago

I think mine did too. Also, I feel like a lot of scenarios can't be "taught" until you actually experience them. It'd be cool if they made driving simulators similar to what pilots use to practice emergency situations.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Maybe my high school just sucked. Very likely.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

The problem is most likely that it was your high school teaching it. My drivers ed was a separate course I had to pay for and was only like 2 days of in classroom stuff. We covered everything you mentioned as well as 6 hours of behind the wheel training

by Anonymous 2 days ago

My school covered all of that, and they all should. Yes not knowing a road sign should fail you, there aren't that many

by Diligent_Mind_2509 2 days ago

Sure, because it's easy, but maybe we should fail people on more important things?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Uh I'd say that road signs are very important

by CraftyMost7698 2 days ago

No don't get me wrong they are, but most of them literally have words on them explaining the sign or a diagram. Also many aren't ubiquitous so in some places you need to be able to make decisions independent of a sign. That seems like a better focus to me because then you are prepared regardless of signage.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

My son just did it in our state and they still focused on stuff like turning your wheels towards the curb when parking on hills, but didn't do any parking in parking lots. And we live in a relatively flat state. My whole life I don't think I've used the wheels towards the curb technique. But I'm getting in and out of tight parking spaces everyday.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Same on the wheel turn parking thing. Only place I've seen that wheel technique actually be common is the pacific northwest where it's SUPER hilly.

by Walshmilford 2 days ago

I would argue that driver's ed in the US is adequate in that driving in the US is so easy and low effort. I would also say that teaching 15 year olds, who are also in the phase of their lives where they basically don't pay attention or take anything seriously does not make sense. Way too many Americans finish school and say "I'm done learning" and go on living the rest of their 60 to 80 years refusing to accept that they should continue to pursue learning. I could go down a path about civics and politics, but this applies to driving also. You have a bunch of grown ups refusing to update their thinking about how they should drive because they decided that whatever they were taught when they were 15 is all they need to know. This is why proper lane usage and signaling is only used and understood by less than half of Americans.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

The primary thing I remember from drivers ed is that you should enter the car KEY IN HAND, because once you're sitting down in the car, it's harder to get the keys out of your pocket. Everything else I know about driving I learned from GTA.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

That's why I'm saying we should be teaching good decision making practices and critical thinking instead of facts and figures. Those things stay with you.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

My driver's ed class basically went through the state issued manual cover to cover. It covered all of that stuff. Most signs say what they're for on them, so I'm not sure why your class would spend much time on that.

by Sensitive-Chemist969 2 days ago

To me it sounds like your specific driver's ed class is terrible, I learned all of this in driver's ed.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Every single one of those was covered when I took drivers ed

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Drivers ed isn't required

by Accomplished-Bar 1 day ago

Entirely false it formally required in 37 states

by Kind_Commercial_2601 1 day ago

It's important to note that this doesn't mean you are required to take a driver's education course, just that you had driver's education, which is proven by you passing a permit exam most of the time. For example, in my state (and most states), you can get that education from a parent teaching you how to drive or helping you with your permit exam. Driver's ed is required in most states, but that doesn't mean a formal course is required.

by Thin_Assistance 1 day ago

Isn't driver's Ed only required for younger drivers? Is there ANY state where a 30-year-old getting their license would have to complete driver's Ed?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Entirely false it formally required in 37 states So it's not entirely false then, is it?

by bayerchaz 1 day ago

It isn't required in every state to drive in the United states. So I'd say drivers ed isn't a requirement. Sure some states might but as a whole there is no across the board requirement to take drivers ed.

by Accomplished-Bar 1 day ago

Can you get licensed in another state and then still drive in the other states that require it, or no? Cause it'd be very funny crossing state lines and catching a major charge like that lol

by Jaded-Association 1 day ago

Yes if you have a license from one state, it is recognized by every other as valid. Even international licenses are recognized

by Kind_Commercial_2601 1 day ago

My driver Ed cover almost everything besides parallel parking lol and I cannot parallel park lol

by Anonymous 1 day ago

My son just got his learner's in VA, and they make you do the sign test for the permit, which strikes me as a decent way to do it - get your base of knowledge and then go out in the field. He's starting the classroom portion of the course now - I'll try to quiz him on the focus of it at some point.

by Kohlershania 1 day ago

That's a sweeping statement.

by Kautzersterling 1 day ago

This is not unpopular

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Rural VA. I literally just had to drive around back roads and make a couple turns. No traffic lights, no parking, no reversing.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

"Check your blindspot" Yes Where, how, why, and when not so much

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yes, you are responsible for your blind spot. But why would anyone deliberately cruise in someone's blind spot? Bikers are the WORST about this.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yinz got drivers ed?

by Longjumping-Fan6265 1 day ago

Drivers Ed I took was about watching car crash videos and saying this could be you!

by Anonymous 1 day ago

While all the things taught are important, someone should be able to know how to navigate before driving. And it's easier than ever now with phones What should be taught is actual driving. Closed course, taking it to the limit, learning how to correct a spin, etc

by Stoltenbergdee 1 day ago

I think everything that driver's ed teaches is important and It should teach the other things that you are mentioning.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Kind of how our schools teach nothing about economic literacy.

by okonagnes 1 day ago

Driver's Ed in the US is a beyond a joke at this point.

by ProfessionalMeal 1 day ago

lol our drivers ed car had bald tires, so the instructor let us do burnouts in it

by Mathew72 1 day ago

To keep the tires smooth and shiny

by Anonymous 1 day ago