1. Teen Driving Responsibility

A note about screen readers:

Many free text-to-speech screen readers are available that can read this course to you. For example, the Microsoft Edge browser has a built-in screen reader called Read aloud.

Privilege:

An earned, special right, obtained through merit of achievement, and granted by an authoritative body.

Driving is a privilege, not a right, and it is important that people remember this simple fact. Look at your Credit Card...is it really yours? No, it belongs to the financial institution that issued it to you. It bestows upon you the special right of having that institution pay your bills, for which you repay them, plus interest. You earn the privilege by showing you are credit worthy. If you stop paying your bills, the issuer will take back, or revoke, your credit privileges.

Similarly, your driver license is issued by the State, and belongs to them. You earn the special right to drive by proving, through knowledge and skill testing, that you are capable of handling this enormous task, at least in its simplest form. Should you show, by traffic citations or accidents, that you are NOT capable, or that you are a safety hazard to the community, then the state will revoke your privilege, and take your license away.

Having a driver license is a privilege, not a right. All California residents must have a driver license to operate a vehicle of any kind on a public highway or parking facility.

Other drivers and pedestrians will expect that you will follow the laws and rules of the road, be courteous, and will not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or otherwise be impaired while you are driving.

If you are a minor, your parent(s) or guardian(s) are responsible for the financial consequences of your driving. If you have a driver license, they will expect that you will drive safely.

Passengers in your car have put their safety in your hands, and expect that because you have a driver license, you will drive safely.

A vehicle is capable of causing extensive property damage, injury, and death, and should be handled with the caution you would show a dangerous weapon such as a gun.

Driving safely includes how and where you park your car. In particular, you must ensure that you park your vehicle so that it will not roll away on a hill, and that you do not impede traffic or pedestrians.

Although it may not seem important to strictly obey everyday laws, it is important to do so.

Why should you stop completely at stop signs? A stop sign means that you stop fully behind the limit line, crosswalk, or at the corner. Most accidents occur at intersections, resulting in millions of dollars of damage, injuries, and deaths. Choosing to stop completely could mean the difference between life and death.

What does yield really mean? Failure to yield the right-of-way to other drivers is one of the top 5 causes of accidents in the U.S. Yield means to let other drivers, pedestrians, and bicycles have the right-of-way before you proceed. Sadly, thousands of accidents, which could have been avoided, are caused each year by drivers failing to yield the right-of-way. Again, simply following the letter of the law could save you a lot of pain and suffering.

Safely sharing the roadway with other drivers and pedestrians is essential for avoiding accidents.

The traffic laws and rules of the road cannot address all possible driving situations. If you remember to be courteous, you can help avoid accidents and keep traffic moving in an orderly fashion. The golden rule of driving is to treat other drivers the way you want to be treated. You should obey traffic laws, drive responsibly, and avoid taking unnecessary risks.

Understand that the main purpose of driver education is to help you learn the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed for greater safety both as an operator of an automobile and as a pedestrian.

Using the knowledge, skills, and attitudes you learn in driver education lowers your chances of being involved in costly, injurious, and sometimes deadly accidents.

Using the knowledge, skills, and attitudes you learn in driver education also reduces the costs of law enforcement, property replacement, and results in a much more pleasant driving environment.

How to get your Provsional Instruction Permit

The California DMV video below provides a great heads up for the process of getting your provisional instruction permit (or "learner's" permit). You are starting the process now by taking this driver education course. When you complete this course, we will send you a certificate of completion of driver education. You will take that certificate with you to the DMV, along with other documents, to test for your provisional instruction permit.