Green behind the wheels

Few students being taught to drive through a high school course actually get enough practice behind the wheel to adequately prepare them for the road, area driving instructors say.

And while the majority of students still ride a bus to school, the number of vehicles in the student parking lots at area schools continues to grow.

This is the second in a two-part series by the Southeast Missourian that looks at how students get to and from school.

First Student Inc. transports between 1,200 and 1,300 children to school by bus in three area districts, including Cape Girardeau and two in Southern Illinois. But that means a large percentage of children either get a ride with their parents or drive themselves.

Missouri now has a graduated driver's license for drivers under the age of 18. The graduated license law took effect a year ago and is designed to curb accidents and fatalities among teen-age drivers. It requires first-time drivers between 15 and 18 to have a permit and then an intermediate license that limits driving late at night before getting a full driver's license issued by the Missouri Department of Revenue.

And first-time drivers must now have at least 20 hours of behind-the-wheel training before applying for the intermediate license.

Some student drivers say it's not really a bother having to drive with an adult in the car. Others think it's just a silly regulation.

Jeff McGowan, 18, received his license well before the law took effect but still completed a driver's education course.

He believes that course helped his driving skills but wasn't a crucial key to his instruction.

"It helped but just with the general stuff," he said. Most of his practical, on-the-road experience came from driving lessons with his mother.

Most new drivers don't have the experience McGowan has now and likely won't get it until they've been driving for at least five years, said Ron Cook, a driving instructor for the Jackson, Mo., school district.

Cook doesn't believe young drivers are getting the experience they need before their parents turn them loose at the wheel. Missouri's new law isn't nearly as strict as what some other states require, he said.

"We all have the tendency to turn them loose too soon," Cook said, admitting that's what he did with his own teen-age daughters.

Most of the instruction is left to parents, but students, and some parents, believe that driver's education will provide them with enough experience to handle anything they'll encounter as a driver, Cook said.

"Driver's education doesn't give you enough to qualify as an experienced driver," he said. Students only spend about six hours actually driving during the course of the semester.

"All driver's education does is introduce you to the safety factors of the road," he said.

Parents teaching their children to drive have to keep a log of their child's hours in driver training, as required by law. The same is true for instructors in area schools where driver's education is taught as part of the curriculum.

But the number of driver's education instructors in the region is dwindling though the course remains a popular one with students.

At Central High School in Cape Girardeau, students enroll in the course through the Area Career and Technology Center. Driving lessons are held at a time convenient for both instructor and student -- which is usually after school, at night or on weekends.

The class is popular and gets a lot of interest from parents, said Rich Payne, assistant director at the CTC.

Jackson High School offers a course at the high school, with two part-time instructors.

Students have driving lessons in pairs, while two other students ride in the car to observe. Cook drives with his class on Monday between 8 and 9 a.m.

He tries to give them experience in the city, on rural roads and on the interstate. But there have been situations that could have ended in accidents if other motorists hadn't been paying close attention.

It takes longer to teach the skill, Cook said, comparing it to training an athlete. Some youth are just naturally more athletic than others; some are naturally better at driving than others.

"It's hand-eye coordination," he said. It also depends on what kind of experience they've had driving before they take the class.

The most common problems are with acceleration and braking, Cook said. Students are just nervous.

Will Hood said he didn't think learning to drive was too difficult, but then he's only been a licensed driver for a year. He just celebrated his 17th birthday Wednesday.

Danny Hays has another year to go before he can even get a learner's permit. He rides to Central High School with his brother, Randy, 18.

But not having a license hasn't stopped Hays from dreaming about his ideal vehicle: an extended cab, black Ford Ranger. However, he knows whatever vehicle he does drive won't be brand new, and there are some conditions.

If he's an athlete and can keep up his grades, his parents will help pay for the expenses. If not, it's left up to him.

Parents have to set some rules for their children who drive, Cook said. "We try to teach them attitude and respect for driving and respect for the car," he said of the driver's education course.

But most of the work is really left up to parents, he said. "How good of a driver they turn out to be depends on what happens at home."

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126