For years, many Illinois schools have been shortchanging tens of thousands of young drivers. Instead of the state-required six hours of behind-the-wheel practice, the Tribune reported in 2006, many kids were getting as little as 1 hour 40 minutes to 3 hours of street driving. The rest of the time was spent on indoor simulators and converted parking lots. As anyone who has driven with an inexperienced teen knows, the more supervised time behind the wheel, the better.
Illinois fixed that shortsighted practice and greatly strengthened its teen driving laws last year. As of July 1, every driver’s ed student must complete six hours of teacher-supervised street instruction.
But now, even before that part of the law takes effect, schools are lining up to be excused. Some 19 high schools — including several in Chicago’s suburbs — have asked to be exempted from that requirement. They complain that abiding by the six-hour rule could cost each school district hundreds of thousands of dollars more. That’s money the state promised but hasn’t delivered — yet.
They also contend that their driver’s education programs, heavy on simulators and converted parking lots, are effective the way they are.
Let’s step back for a moment. Six hours of street instruction is the benchmark for driver’s education across the U.S. It doesn’t seem like too much to us. Measured against the 50 hours that a parent is supposed to co-pilot with a student driver, it’s minimal. So the schools need to step up to this responsibility.
We don’t oppose using simulators or converted parking lots; they provide valuable experience. But they don’t substitute for real, teacher-supervised on-the-road driving with real on-the-road hazards. If a teen gets his or her training from a commercial driving school, the six hours is mandatory, no exceptions, according to Henry Haupt, a spokesman for the Illinois secretary of state’s office. Teens need this critical experience to become safe and responsible drivers.
That said, the state should find some cash to help the schools meet this crucial goal. State Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), who doesn’t favor granting waivers, said he’s exploring ways to get schools more money. We fully support his efforts. That would be money well spent.
Chances are, however, that a cash-strapped state won’t pay the full ride. So some schools may want to think about boosting fees for driver’s ed so they can meet state requirements. Some parents may squawk — and no, we’re not fond of piling on more fees, either. But what’s your teen’s safety behind the wheel worth?
Passing these new teen driving standards was a major accomplishment. It’s bringing Illinois up to speed and, we hope, will translate into fewer teen accidents and fatalities. Let’s not start granting waivers and backing off key provisions before the law has a chance to work.
