Seventy-eight hours made up of driving with a parent, learning in a classroom or online, practicing with an instructor, and observing other student drivers: that’s how much time MA drivers under 18 must spend in preparing for and qualifying to take the road test so that they can achieve the goal of earning a driver’s license.
Drivers education, the 30-hour classroom experience that is part of this requirement, provides the necessary tools for students to begin driving even if they do not have any previous experience. In the class students learn the rules of the road as well as the responsibilities they will have as new drivers.
“It was helpful to learn about some of the rules, like when you can take a left turn or a right turn and when you can’t, and what the signs mean,” said sophomore Eleanor Fischer.
Many students find that the thirty hours of supervised practice behind-the-wheel is when they learn the most about driving.
“The most helpful step is [driving with] your parents, when you’re asked to sit in the front and observe some of their maneuvers, and let them talk through some of their habits and how they encounter situations,” said senior Jacob Liu.
Due to the lack of on-road experience that new drivers have, in-person lessons with instructors offer time to review maneuvers such as parallel parking and three-point turns, both of which are assessed on the driving test.
“My instructors made me repeat the [maneuvers],” said junior Alec Lago. “In the preparation of getting your license, you lose the nervousness. You get more used to being on the road and [driving] starts to become more and more second-nature.”
These lessons teach students how to have a smooth experience while learning to drive.
“It’s mostly just little tips that help with the maneuvers, [like] when you’re parallel parking, you can look at the mirror,” said senior James Lundberg.
Instructors also teach students why and how to maintain safety.
“I learned what the different road signs meant and the importance of safety, like wearing your seatbelt,” said Fischer.
While many students find in-person driving lessons to be practical and helpful, others find them repetitive.
“It’s not really like they taught us things,” said Lundberg. “Just from existing I knew what a three-point-turn vaguely was. I knew what all the maneuvers vaguely were and about how you would do it. But I don’t know if that is the same for everyone. Driving came easy to me.”
Other students find the lessons with their instructors help them develop confidence and a positive spirit.
“It’s not anything very specific like a method or like a certain maneuver or like a move [which we learn],” said Liu. “I feel like it’s the spirit, it’s the consistency.”
The feelings about the online classroom instruction, however, were less positive, and caused some students to react with humor about the time they were forced to spend on them.
“I’ll just list a couple of things I learned,” said junior Evan Ma. “One of the things I learned was stopping at an intersection. Basically, when you’re driving and come to an intersection, there’s usually a stop light. When the light is red, you can’t go, and when the light is green, you can go, and when the light is yellow you go as fast as you can.”
Although receiving a driver’s license is a long and lengthy process, many upperclassmen believe all the time and energy is worth it since having a license is a great convenience and a significant step to independence.
“It gives you a sense of responsibility and freedom,” said junior Samuel Kerr-Jarrett. “You are able to go wherever you want, whenever you want.”
While many who achieve that goal of receiving their license may reflect on the fact that the driving laws in Massachusetts are strict, that fact can make the accomplishment even more valuable.
“In the very first page of the driving handbook, it states: Driving is not a right; it’s a privilege. It is something that can be taken away from you, so you better cherish it,” said Liu.