The California Department of Education requires California public high schools to offer Driver’s Education as a class. Unfortunately, many schools choose to ignore this in favor of offering more academic classes, as noted by Varsity Driving Academy. As the number of licensed teens continues to drop, the need for driver’s ed curriculum to be offered in California schools is increasingly necessary.

The process of obtaining a driver’s license is a lengthy one, especially for young adults. Online Driver Education requires high schoolers to spend 30-plus hours completing an online course and studying for their permit test. Schools expect students to have enough schoolwork to worry about while also balancing sleep and often jobs, to spend a substantial amount of time outside of school just to get their license. But what do they do if they are unable to pay for all of the expenses along the way?

The mandatory six hours of driving lessons with a licensed instructor can cost up to 180 dollars per session, according to Zutobi Drivers Education. Because of the price, some teens choose to wait until they are over the age of 18 to get their licenses, when they are no longer required to complete in-person driving lessons. According to Progressive, the percentage of students who secured their license under 18 has dropped from 80 percent in the 1980s to 60 percent in 2022.

Before the 1990s, public schools across California offered driver’s education to all students. But an article from Varsity Driving Academy states that high schools want to favor more academic classes and adapt to dynamic college requirements. By 2007, only 7 high schools in California offered driver’s education. There was no more recent information available at the time of this publication.

Studies from the Center for Infectious Disease raise concerns about teenagers from lower-income families having the resources to receive their driver’s licence. Teens under the age of 18 must follow the rules of the Graduated Drivers Licensing program (GDL), which was set in place to help decrease the number of teen crashes. The GDL limits the number of people a teen can drive with before they get their licence, as well as making sure they are with a licensed adult. For teens who choose to wait until they are no longer 18 to get their driver’s license, whether that be because of payment and accessibility issues or something else, these rules no longer apply. This can raise the risk factor for everyone on the road, as they no longer have these safety nets in place.

In California, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that teen drivers are responsible for almost 12 percent of crashes, which brings up the question: How focused are students during their online curriculum? Without dedicated class time or instructors, students have too many chances to overlook significant details. While it is true that each teen is required to spend six hours of behind the wheel training, instructors are not focused on teaching the smaller laws that teens are expected to have already learned. Relying on just online curriculum can be dangerous when it comes to the laws of the road because of the little details that, despite not seeming important before getting behind the wheel, could save someone’s life. 

Pushing for driver’s education to be part of the school curriculum is not just about cost savings; it’s about prioritizing the safety and well-being of our community. Making this education available to anyone who wants or needs it helps strengthen the upcoming generation of young drivers. If driver’s education were to be offered in schools, it would not only reduce the many hours spent studying, but also give those unable to pay a chance at freedom.