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Driver's Education...Summer classes in full swing at Osage High School
For most parents, one of the "rites of passage" for their son or daughter is the time they first begin driving a car and more specifically, obtaining a driver's license.
This occurrence signals several things to a parent. "My gosh, my little baby is growing up" and also "I'm not real sure I want this child of mine on the road."
Normal parents generally begin to worry about traffic, safety issues, friends distracting their son or daughter while driving and more recently, young drivers talking on their cell phone and trying to also drive at the same time.
One hope of every parent is that their child wil receive adequate training in a driver's education program so that they are aware of the fundamentals of driving and safety issues before they actually take to the road fulltime.
The three phases now used in Iowa for the graduated driver's licensing program are: 1.Instruction permit 2. Intermediate license 3. Full License
The instruction permit is available at age 14. The driver must hold the permit for six months and log 20 hours of supervised driving that are accident or conviction free. The driver must complete an approved driver's education program which consists of 30 hours in the classroom and six hours behind the wheel, after which they can apply for an intermediate license with written approval by a parent or guardian. After driving accident and conviction free for 12 months, he/she can apply for a full license at age 17.
Although there are several options, the most commonly used driver's education program in the state of Iowa is through the local school district. The state of Iowa has very specific rules that school districts or any other driver's education program must meet.
Any approved program must have properly licensed teachers. If a teacher now holds a current teaching license, then he/she can take classes to gain the necessary license or endorsement to teach the classroom and lab (car and simulator) areas of the approved drivers education program. UNI and William Penn offer the nine semester training programs in Iowa.
Osage Schools have three certified driver's education instructors. Ron Betts handles classroom instruction and driving, Jim Hendrickson is responsible for simulator training and driving and Keith Mayer also gives classroom instruction and driving lessons.
Students in driver's ed programs must have instruction permits and they will complete at least 30 hours of classroom instruction. This instruction also normally includes substance abuse education, railroad crossing information and organ donation materials.
Osage requires 32 total hours of classroom instruction for their students.
Students must also complete at least six hours of laboratory time and a minimum of three hours of actual driving time. Many schools use simulators to aid in laboratory work.
Osage requires their driver's ed students to use the simulator nine hours and spend another 3 1/2 hours behind the wheel in actual driving time. Driving time usually includes two or more students, one is driving while the others observe. Driving time is limited to 30 minutes per session and a maximum or 60 minutes driving time per student in one day.
School districts, by law, can charge a fee for their driver's education instruction. These fees generally cover the cost of instructors and materials needed for the course.
Osage charges each of their students $205 for the course.
All driver's education vehicles, by law, must be equipped with a dual brake system for safety purposes. They also must have a special mirror system and be properly marked with "student driver" signs.
Osage uses three school vehicles in its driver's ed program that conform to state standards.
Students in the Osage program spend time going through the required classroom and laboratory training and then begin their actual "behind the wheel" instruction.
The students learn to drive in town and on the highways. They practice passing and learn proper angles in perpendicular and parallel parking. They also practice driving on the interstate highway system. The final test drive for students normally takes place in Mason City where they are given the opportunity to show various driving skills and knowledge.
Students that pass the driver's education course are issued a certificate of completion that is necessary for proof when the student applies for an intermediate license.
Teaching drivers education can be very rewarding and also interesting at the same time. Keith Mayer told of one experience where a student driver turned a corner and did not turn the wheel back to straighten the vehicle.
"I told them to brake and instead they hit the gas," Mayer said. "We jumped the curb and by the time I got us stopped, we had all four tires on someone's lawn. I said, 'Well there's the driveway right ahead of us.' So we drove to their drive and got back out on the street."
Rest assured as a parent, that this incident is an "exception to the rule." Osage students are receiving outstanding driver's education training and will be well equipped to be on the roadways in the future.
--by Warren Haacke, Press-News Reporter
Story created Jun 12, 2007 - 15:55:43 CDT.
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