New Georgia drivers ed law now applies to 17-year-old drivers
A new Georgia drivers ed law begins on July 1, 2021. Joshua’s Law (also known as House Bill 466) was amended to make driver education mandatory for all 17-year-olds to be able to get a Georgia driver’s license. Prior to the change, it was only required for 16-year-olds. Drivers aged 17 were exempt from the 30 hours of Drivers Ed instruction and six hours of in-car driving lessons.
Beginning in less than one month, the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) states anyone under the age of 18 must complete the required training before being issued their initial Class D Georgia driver’s license. 16- and 17-year-old drivers can still get their GA driver’s license but must now take the required 30-hour DDS-approved Drivers Ed class plus 6-hours of in-car driving lessons.
For a list of DDS-approved driving schools, CLICK HERE.
How to pick the best driving school
As most parents of teens can attest, the milestone of getting a driver’s license comes much too quickly. Your teen may be ready to go full throttle with Driver Education, but as a concerned parent, you might want to pump the brakes first to make sure you pick the best driving school for your new driver.
Do your homework. All schools will meet Joshua’s Law requirements. Most will offer both a classroom session and driving lessons. That’s why it’s important to dig deeper. What you see is not always what you get. So, go ahead and jump in. Start your research, but Drive Smart Georgia suggests that you consider these things when choosing the best driving school in Atlanta for your teen driver.
Below are our top 8 tips for choosing the best driving school
to comply with the new Georgia drivers ed law.
- Is the driving school approved by AAA? – If you’re a concerned parent who is uncomfortable evaluating driving schools, the AAA network of approved schools is a good place to start. Through its local managers and safety experts, AAA continuously monitors the quality of driving schools, ensuring that its standards are constantly met. In Georgia, there are only two AAA-approved driving schools, including Drive Smart Georgia.
- Tour the driving school facilities – When looking for the best driving school in Atlanta for your teen driver, be sure to tour the facilities. Are the classrooms bright and sunny or dull and outdated? Are the books dog-eared and worn-out? Does it use flat screen TVs large enough for all to see, even those students in the back row? You can tell a ton about a driving school just by walking around.
- Will you be informed of your student’s progress? – All driving schools will gladly take your hard-earned money, but not all will follow-through with you. When choosing the best driving school in Atlanta, ask schools if they will provide you with report cards on your child’s progress. Ask to actually see one. If it doesn’t clearly communicate the skills your child has mastered and those that need work, move on. It’s important that driving schools keep you informed every step of the way.
- Examine the fleet – When it comes time to send your child out on his first in-car driving lesson, you want to make sure the car is safe, dependable, and clean. If you wouldn’t want to drive the car, you certainly don’t want your teen learning how to drive in it. Be sure to ask questions about the automobiles and accident rates before choosing a driving school. Plus, make sure the school has an area to practice their newly learned driving skills.
- Does the driving school offer online scheduling? – Busy parents never seem to have enough hours in their days. Before picking a driving school for your new teen driver, make sure that you can sign up and schedule everything online. This will save precious time in what can be an otherwise time-consuming process. If you can’t schedule everything online, then skip on over to another driving school.
- Read online reviews – Don’t just look at a driving school’s website. Hop on to Google or Yelp and read reviews from other parents that have used a particular driving school.
- Is it a DUI school? – If you’re looking for a place that specializes in teaching teens how to drive, a driving school that puts a big emphasis on their DUI program may not be the best fit for your teen driver. Look for one that specializes in teen drivers only, like Drive Smart Georgia.
- Is there more than one student in the car at one time? – Most driving schools offer in-car driving lessons, but many will put more than one student in the car. If you want individualized, one-on-one lessons, look for a driving school that offers driving lessons with one student and one instructor in the automobile at a time.
In review – New Georgia Drivers Ed law
According to the new Georgia drivers ed law that begins on July 1, 2021, all young drivers under the age of 18 must complete a 30-hour Drivers Ed course. While an in-person class is always best because teens retain more information when entrenched in interactive activities, Drive Smart Georgia also offers the class on Zoom.
For even more answers to your questions, be sure to visit our new online Help Center and type your question into the search bar.
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Related articles:
- Why have teens delayed getting a driver’s license?
- 5 reasons to book Summer 2021 Drivers Ed now
- What is Joshua’s Law? A guide for parents to limit teen driver dangers