If you’re in high school, you might find that the faculty offers a driver’s education program. If your school does not happen to feature one, you’ll need to locate a driver’s ed course somewhere else. Most towns and cities offer at least one or two, so look online, check out some reviews, and schedule your classes.

While in high school, you can learn about subjects like math, science, and history, and all of those are practical, but you can’t neglect those driver’s ed classes either. Here are a few subjects that you will likely tackle when you attend those classes. Each of the ones we’re about to mention will come in handy when you’re ready to take the driving test and begin your life as a motorist.

You’ll Learn About Alcohol and Driving

In most states, you can get your driver’s license when you turn 16, and at that point, you’re still several years from being able to drink legally. However, some teenagers like to experiment with alcohol if they can get their hands on it.

If you decide to imbibe, then you should never get behind the wheel. If you do, you can rack up a DUI if the police catch you, and that’s an inauspicious way to start your time on the road.

Depending on what state you’re in, you can face different drunk driving penalties. For instance, in California, a judge can give you three-to-five years of informal probation if the cops catch you driving while intoxicated.     

In driver’s ed, the instructors will hammer home how dangerous drunk driving is. They might show you some videos about it, and they may provide some anecdotes that reinforce how perilous the equation of alcohol plus a vehicle can be.

You’ll Learn About the Right of Way

In driver’s ed, your instructors will probably tell you all about the right of way. Right of way is a legal term. It refers to who gets to go first in various situations.

Depending on the scenario, a car might be able to go first at an intersection, though the driver may have to let a pedestrian or cyclist go first if they are in a crosswalk. In class, you will also learn who goes first at a four-way stop, and you’ll likely run through a few other scenarios as well.

The instructors might show different traffic situations and ask the class who has the right of way in each one. By the time you finish with the course, you should know what to do in each real-world traffic encounter you face.

You’ll Learn About Distracted Driving Dangers

Your driver’s ed instructors will also probably want to talk to the class about some distracted driving dangers. They might talk about how you should not use your smartphone to text or talk while you’re driving. They may mention keeping your eyes on the road, even if you’re talking to someone in the passenger seat or one of the rear seats.

They might discuss how the radio can distract you, or billboards can. They will speak about how you need to keep your focus on the traffic around you since a car can stop suddenly, or a traffic jam might materialize on the highway at any moment.

You’ll Learn About Poor-Weather Driving

Your instructors might spend some time talking about how to drive in the snow, rain, or fog. They will likely talk about how you should stay off the roads if you know that there’s bad weather coming unless you need to go somewhere urgently.

They will talk to you about how to use your high beams and windshield wipers. They will also probably go over how to use your air conditioner and heater. They usually spend some time talking about the various dashboard lights that can come on and what each one of them means.

You May Learn About Some Basic Vehicle Maintenance

Your instructors might teach you some essential vehicle maintenance as well. They may bring up changing a tire and how to do it. They might run through how to put air in your tires and how to check each one to see what PSI it has.

Some instructors will talk about how to change your car’s oil, how to check the wiper fluid level, and how to check the various other fluid levels too. They might talk about the different noises that a car makes sometimes and what each one of them means.  

 

Additional resources: 

*For more tips on safety, go to JJS Justice.

*Find out more about defensive driving and why it matters.

*Car tech to help you stay safe on the road.