The following appeared in a letter to the school board in the town of Centerville.
“All students should be required to take the driver’s education course at Centerville High School. In the past two years, several accidents in and around Centerville have involved teenage drivers. Since a number of parents in Centerville have complained that they are too busy to teach their teenagers to drive, some other instruction is necessary to ensure that these teenagers are safe drivers. Although there are two driving schools in Centerville, parents on a tight budget cannot afford to pay for driving instruction. Therefore an effective and mandatory program sponsored by the high school is the only solution to this serious problem.”
Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
‘All students should be required to take the driver’s education course at Centerville High School.’ Does the school board really need to mandate driver’s education for all students? This seems like a simple enough question, but the answer depends on a host of factors, including the state’s laws, the costs involved, and the school district’s policies.
First, let’s consider the state of Iowa. Iowa is one of 45 states with a form of graduated driver’s license law. The graduated license involves a series of progressively higher limitations on when, where, and for how long a driver can drive a car. The first step requires that a 16-year-old driver have a licensed passenger in the car for at least one hour. At 17, they must be accompanied by a parent. At 18, the driver may drive between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.
m., and with a passenger only if that passenger is at least 21 years of age. At 19, the driver may drive alone, but must do so between 6:00 p.
m. and midnight. At 20, the driver can drive alone at any time and with a passenger who is at least 21. At 21, the driver can drive anywhere between the hours of 6:00 p.
m. and midnight. Clearly, states with such laws have a vested interest in ensuring that drivers have adequate education before they are licensed to drive. In fact, most states require drivers education courses to be completed by 16-year-old students.
The cost of driver’s education varies from state to state, but in most states it is between $100 and $200. In some states, including Iowa, the insurance discount for completing a driver’s education course can offset part or all of the cost. In addition, some states offer discounts on the license itself. In Iowa, the cost of a learner’s permit is $25, but drivers who successfully complete a driver’s education course receive 25% off their learner’s permit and qualify for a 50% discount on the full license. In addition, many states offer driver’s education courses online, which saves money by eliminating the cost of classroom space. Many states also offer extensive online practice tests to help prepare students. The practice tests may be used to prepare students to take the written test, which is required by all drivers 16 and older. The cost of written test is $15 in most states, but the license itself includes free lifetime retesting.
Driver’s education courses vary in length and content. Iowa requires a minimum of 40 hours of classroom instruction. In addition to classroom time, students must also complete a 60-question written test and a 20-question multiple-choice test. Some states, like Iowa, allow students to use expired learner’s permits as proof of completion of a driver’s education course. However, most states require students to obtain a certificate of completion from a driver’s education course, or qualifying test, before applying for a learner’s permit. While course completion certificates can be conveniently obtained by simply completing the course, some states require students to submit proof of completion to the DMV. These requirements vary from state to state.
Driver’s education courses are also expensive because they include vehicle use. Most states require students to complete a minimum of 30 hours of classroom instruction, but require additional hours for night driving, driving in bad weather, and driving with a passenger. In addition, some states require students to take behind the wheel lessons with a state-licensed instructor. Again, the cost of these lessons varies depending on the state, but it usually ranges from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.
Driver’s education is also expensive because students must often purchase a vehicle in order to practice. While many students can practice by driving with family and friends, many have to purchase a vehicle for this purpose. In addition, students must purchase their own insurance, which can be expensive. Many parents, especially those with teenagers, cannot afford to purchase a vehicle for their teenager, much less pay for insurance. If the school board in Centerville is serious about ensuring that students are prepared to drive safely, it should explore ways to reduce the cost of driver’s education, such as offering online courses or allowing teenagers to use expired learner’s permits as proof of course completion.
The school board in Centerville may not be aware of all of the costs of driver’s education. If the cost of driver’s education is prohibitive, the school board should consider offering alternative courses for students who cannot afford the fees. For example, some states allow students who are 17 or older to take an online course, in subjects such as defensive driving or driver’s responsibility, instead of completing a state-licensed driver’s education course. In addition, the school board could explore other options for saving money, such as allowing students to use expired learner’s permits as proof of course completion. Driver’s education can be a valuable and necessary part of a teenager’s education. However, it is expensive, and school boards need to ensure that the costs of driver’s education are reasonable before mandating that every student take the course.