You would probably assume that a teen who attends a driver's education course before getting his or her license will be better equipped to take to the road. These high school students sit in long classes and learn how to drive on tracks with instructors. Naturally they have the tools needed to be a safe driver when they get their license, right? Well, think again. The U.S. government admits that driving schools don't have any impact on the teen fatality rates. They openly stated that they don't believe that driver's education has any influence on your teen's driving. So just because your daughter aced her written drivers test and received a certificate doesn't mean that she is immune from a terrible accident in the future.

The National Highway Traffic Association says that these schools don't produce safer drivers. It might be common sense to think that driver's education is the best way to learn how to operate a vehicle, but the traditional courses involve a lot of classroom time and not a lot of on-the-road experience. Teens can only learn so much by watching safety videos and reading textbooks. Instead, they need hands on driving experience and a teacher who help them learn to anticipate the dangers that happen in real-life situations out on the road.

While driving courses might be a good place for a first test-run behind the wheel, teens need to learn how to dodge swerving vehicles, brake in sudden traffic, or decide when to rush through a yellow light and when to stop. All of these are things that you cannot learn unless you are driving in real time on a real road with real people. Most drivers' education courses simply explain how to operate the vehicle and show teens where all of the various functions of the car are. These are only sometimes applicable, because cars are all built differently. Also, schools may spend exorbitant amounts of time on complicated exercises like parallel parking, but they won't teach teens how to accelerate properly or brake slowly.

In California, teenagers who want to obtain their license before they turn 18 must complete the driver's education course in order to test for their license. Some states have similar statutes. However, not all states require drivers' education programs for teens. Also, the driver's tests are regulated differently in each state. While large cities normally have difficult tests to pass, many counties take drivers for a spin on empty roads and then bestow a driver's license. In states where the driver's test is easier, driving schools are also easier. Many of the programs are run by small-business owners, and they are not regulated strictly by the government. While public high schools used to offer driver's education courses, budget cuts have almost eliminated the course from the classroom.

States don't have the funding to create government sponsored driver's education programs, so the students are subject to the sub-par standards of small classes. Government officials have continued to look at the effect that driver's courses have on teen driving to see if it is a worthy cause to spend money on. So far, they haven't seen any evidence that it is a commendable investment. The NHSTA recently published a list of important concepts that driving schools should teach. However, there is no mandate requiring that schools communicate these concepts, and they are simply suggestions.

If you choose to enroll your teen in a driver's education course, then be picky. Look for a place that uses a nationally recognized textbook and gives real-time behind-the-wheel training. Some children may come from families that are broken or have parents that are too busy to teach them to drive. These children will rely on the instruction that they gain from their driver's course to give them the skills they need to operate a vehicle.

Choose a drivers' school that does not boast of its pass/fail rate. Often schools who claim that all of their students pass simply have low standards. Look to see how many hours the driving school will devote to behind the wheel training. Ask your local DMV or the equivalent for recommendations. Most importantly, remind your teen that his or her classroom participation doesn't guarantee that he or she will be a good driver. Teach your child how to be aware and safe out on the road by following traffic safety laws and staying alert.