Learning how to drive is a big moment in the lives of most teens. Getting in a vehicle and heading out of your parents' driveway can be a fulfilling experience. This is one of the first actions of freedom they take on the path to adulthood. 

So many young adults don't learn how to drive in a professional or educational setting. Often parents or older siblings do the heavy lifting and stand in for a traditional teacher or driving school instructor. This certainly adds a layer of comfort for the newbie behind the wheel, but it also means that qualified people aren't handling the driving education process.

There are many different ways to get a better driving education. We'll take a look at the history of driver's education courses as well as the different varieties and drawbacks. Driving school prices have always been the most crucial factor in enrollment, as not everybody can afford these options. 

Still, everyone learns to drive in one way or another, and we'll look at as many of these ways as we can below.

The Early Days of Driver's Education

It is almost unheard of for public schools to still teach driver's education in their classrooms in 2021, but that wasn't the case a century ago. Some of the first driver's education classes were taught as regular middle and high school classes as far back as 1920. 

Textbooks and classroom instruction accompanied the behind-the-wheel practice. These publicly-funded affairs started to branch off into private classes in the 1960s and 1970s, but it is nice to know that the government at least put some thought into training 15-year-olds how to operate two tons of metal.

Why is driver's education important?

You would think that learning how to drive would be considered at least as necessary as some random date from World War I or the quadratic formula, which will go out of teens' minds quicker than the sports cars they want to own. 

Despite how important learning road safety is, there is no longer a focus on it. Each parent must find their own way to educate their kid before they get their permanent license. When there is no set way to decide how to do this, it leads to a generation of kids who are unaware of safe driving habits.

There is so much more to the driving experience now than there was in the early days of driver's education. Cars and trucks have so much new technology that didn't exist a decade ago that it can lead to distracted driving and confused teenagers. While cars are much safer now than they were in the 1970s, drivers may be less careful. 

Perhaps there needs to be motivation for parents to get creative in their child's driver's education. Some insurance companies will give discounts or cash back for safe driving to young drivers, and these drivers can combine that policy with other discounts for good driving. 

This highlights the problem with how education is motivated throughout U.S. history: Business or labor has always pushed progress forward. People rarely motivate themselves to think about learning or safety without a financial reward. They should want to learn for the good of it and the safety it adds for other drivers. 

There are opportunities for advanced learning if so desired, though. Let's take a look at some of the out-of-the-box driver's school options. 

What options are there in contemporary culture?

Just because driver's education is hardly ever a public concern anymore doesn't mean there is a lack of choices to learn how to drive. With private options, parents can get their kids a good education before they hit the road.

The best way is to enroll in a driving school that is specifically designed to certify young drivers and prepare them for their driving tests. Most of these schools will even give the exam themselves, so all you have to do is bring proof of passing it to your local department of motor vehicles for your license. 

There are a variety of driving schools in nearly every state that could be a viable option for you and your new teen driver.

If this route is too expensive for your family, you can get more creative. With everything being online, especially during the time of the coronavirus pandemic, remote classes are available. These don't always allow for hands-on instruction with a professional during the course, but they are better than winging it with relatives playing teacher. 

Public libraries might sometimes provide classes at more affordable rates than the above options, but library access is a problem in more financially constrained areas of the country. Check into your local library to see if they offer any of these classes.

Does driver's education make better drivers? 

It's hard to answer this question. One would assume that drivers who have taken a course will have a better understanding and knowledge of the road. Still, there is no evidence that people who take these classes make better decisions in the real world.

When looking at the past 100 years, it should be assumed that driver's education will continue to change. Funding will probably never be put toward the subject in public schools again, but there will always be options for people who want professionals to train their teens in the rules of the road.

Driver's Education Classes Can Be Beneficial

Learning how to handle new technology is a pretty personalized area of expertise. Folks who put in the effort and want to get better from a young age will most likely become better drivers in the future. If society can clarify how beneficial such education is, there is hope for a safer future on the road for everybody. 

You should enroll in a driver's education program that focuses on person-centered driving, which evaluates your own habits. The driver can build strong habits that create responsible behavior on the road and calm reactions to the bad drivers around them. 

You can only control your own driving, after all. 

Shawn Laib writes and researches for the car insurance comparison site,  CarInsurance101.com. He prioritizes the health and safety of young drivers and their families by educating them on their available options for learning how to drive.