I took my Driver’s Ed in high school 45 years ago. It was an elective and we did have to pay for it (I don’t remember the cost but it wasn’t expensive).

The instructor was one of the teachers, and we’d go out 3 students and the instructor, taking turns driving. It helped to learn from others mistakes, too.

I don’t know when they stopped it, but kids nowadays don’t seem to be much interested in getting their DL. Back then it was a step toward adulthood and everyone wanted to get theirs asap.

Liability.

Years ago it made insurance a little cheaper if they took driver's education. They quit that discount a while back.

Cars are expensive! We used to have a local Mom and Pop Chevy dealer donate a two steering wheel model every 5 years or so. He sold out to a Mega dealer and no more cars. That was 45 years ago.

Discount is still offered.

Two different classes when I was that age.

"Driver's Education"............all classroom stuff. Movies from the CHP with pictures of burnt "baconized" bodies in the front seat of drunk driving wrecks. I think those were later determined to be too "graphic" for some students and were stopped. Mostly going over all the rules of the road and safety stuff high school kids are so interested in.

Then, if one passed the classroom aspect, there was "Driver's Training", which was the on the road portion. Ours was cool, first there were a few days in the trailer on the simulators, then actual combat. Ours was a '68 or so Buick Electra 225 with plenty of power. One session was out on the rural roads in the area, at that time 65MPH limit. Pulled over, switched drivers, this gal I went to grade school with was next up. She was sort of the shy, clumsy type. Gravel/dirt shoulder to that road. Gal slowly, ever so slowly starts to pull out onto the rural highway after checking her mirrors and hitting the turn signal. SLOWLY, and I mean that. Teacher reaches over the transmission hump with his left leg, mashes the accelerator, the big four barrel opened up and horsepower hit those rear wheels. Dirt roostertail. Looks at the gal and said if there was traffic you'd have likely gotten hit. This thing has power, learn to use it. I think I could enjoy a big old boat like that nowadays.

I can't recall the folks ever having to send extra money for it, part of the package of education as far as I know.

Drivers education is probably racist now

We took it thru school but on 2 Saturdays
Even had drivers Ed cars to use.
Teachers were the instructors

When I was in high school (80's), it was a regular class period. I always drove first, because whoever was second had to parallel park when we got back to the school! Lol
Other kid never did catch on to that one!

When I took drivers ed nearly 30 years ago it was still done at the high school and taught by teachers mostly during the summer. There was fee but it wasn’t a whole lot. Book work, simulators inside of some trailers and three kids to a car driving with an instructor. Now it’s all taught through private driving schools.

Getting a DL and being able to ride around and chase girls and whatnot was huge. I agree that overall kids today seem to care less and do more on there phone compared to driving around looking for the party spots ect. like we did when I was that age.

I agree 100%.
My son is 20 and got his Lic the second it was legal.
I had him driving my truck on dirt roads and trails when he was 10.
He has friends who still don't know how to drive.

The kids don't want to learn to drive--- they are waiting for the self driving cars

They are hoping the children will rely on public transportation for the Greater Good of our Planet..... plus it gets rid of the freedom of self travel. Do y'all remember the freedom of your first car. These generations are being trained to rely on others for everything......

"Red Asphalt"

Farm bureau is what we have & they give no discount, but they screw me on everything else to.

That sucks.

My drivers ed was with mules..... up hill both ways

In Idaho you can get a license at 15 with DI and 17 without it. In the 50's, they started DI and in about '62 they dropped the driving age from 16 to 15. I was born in the wrong month and wasn't able to start at 15. It's still offered in most high schools.

We had three parts. Took up the better part of a semester of PhysEd, which was still mandatory for sophomores.

Actual time on the road, classroom, and simulators, given in no particular order to get everyone covered. I think I got my training in exactly reverse order of what one would expect. They pulled me and two other guys out of gym, put us in a car, and made us drive.

Why did they stop drivers ed? Because it's a skill you NEED in life. Wood shop, gone. Auto shop, gone, welding shop, gone, ag shop,gone...anything of any practical real life use, gone. Any subject that can help a kid raised by Mommy, any subject that has even a hint of masculinity, is taboo...replaced by touchy-feely BS designed to make the kids swallow the ultimate socialist immersion coming in college. Ka-ching, that'll be fifty grand please.

1973 for me. All done in school. There were 2 of us at a time. Bonnie Hoffman, cute as hell, don't remember saying more than 2 words to her. We actually ran errands for the teacher. We would go to garden centers and a local big box store and then drive it up to his home. Potting soil, flowers etc. He lived in Turnbull Canyon in SoCal so that was actually pretty good training for twisty roads and hills. Our freeway driving was 1 on ramp, about a mile and then the road turned into a 2 lane highway.
As far as no interest in DL, I have a great niece that waited until she turned 18 and a great nephew that is 18 and still doesn't have his. He is a sweet kid but really a momma's boy.
All the kids in my town went for their licenses on our 16th birthdays.

They claimed to have built homes for people in our previous Building Trades classes.


All we ever did was watch RoboCop, Alien, Predator on the VHS or Jerry Springer and Rikki Lake on the TV from 1-3pm

lmao

Grand theft Auto 3….

Just don’t run over the hookers ?

I remember Coach Stiggins showing us this old Dick York classic. This was 50 years ago! 🤣🤣🤣 He did in on purpose so we’d all get a laugh!! Was corny as hell!

My oldest grandson is almost 16, doesn’t have much interest in driving. How can you get pussy without driving??????

Most kids don’t want to drive because most kids have pussies for parents.

You hear all this “In my day” bullschit as you watch the grandparent strap a bicycle helmet onto the kid.

Who's the good lookin' doll in the passenger seat?

Way back there i had it in school for 1 semester.

Had classroom first that included driving simulator time,then hit the road.

The Teacher we had used a car that Ford donated to the cause for the year.

Torinio i think it was,not the fast one a 4 door,Man was it big.

Both my kids had it here and like me we had to pay for it,something like 65 dollars.

Their teacher was a football coach.

In school we had a driving simulator when you passed that you progressed to a real car dodge reliant - gold color . Two friends and I were driving wide open throttle -well- we were doing everything you weren't suppose to and were taken out of the class .
So I went to paid driving school called Bick's - 25ish year old guy instructor - normal stuff - only thing different than the car being a normal car was he had a brake on his side .
He was banging or trying to bang every good looking girl that got in the car . We'd drive around here and there then we'd drive ourselves home and he'd end up with one student left in the car - cute girl .

Kissma, Kissma Windscreen

Haha!

Certainly beats mom and dad lessons, as constructive comments/suggestions are often viewed as criticism.

Montana has a graduated drivers licensing program and once they have completed the steps they get their drivers license. My oldest grand kid turns 16 next week and has been soloing legally since January. He lives in Billings, which isn't a little town, and he does real good. He also works and needs a vehicle. Hopefully he continues on being responsible. When I was a kid we took drivers ed as Sophomores and when we our licenses, we went ape [bleep] and drove like maniacs. Nowadays, drivers ed lasts much longer and the kids actually know how to drive decently! ??
I think in Montana, even the kids from the cities get their drivers license as soon as they can.
My drivers ed vehicle was a brand new 61 Ford with a six cylinder with a three speed on the column donated by Davey Motors. No radio, and no air conditioning.

I'll never forget a film we had to watch in Driver Education, circa 1973. It was produced courtesy of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and starred many drivers who breathed their last behind the wheel. There's nothing more sobering or illuminating than seeing a limp and very dead driver pulled from behind the wheel of a wreck.

I'd like them to at least teach folks how to behave at, and deal with a 4-way stop. It seems no one knows the choreography anymore.

Still have it here, as Ken said.

They still showed that film for my DE... it was a hot day and most of us nap'd.



Agreed, but I always heard it was also because when Sex Ed was instituted they couldn't have both classes use the car at the same time.



Ya'll should have been nice and dropped the lady off first, and then run the kike out of town.

Beyond that it reminds me of a MSF class I had to take to get my M1 license while under 21. 2 week course, Wednesday nights were classroom, Saturday mornings were driving skills. On the last day, Saturday and my 18th birthday I was paired against a woman who weighed as much as the Honda Rebel she was riding and we had to negotiate a merging situation. I was on a TW200, and deciding I'd make it easy on both of us and get out ahead and complete my merge so that she only had to navigate into the opposite lane. Well I gave it what for, and accidentally let the front wheel come up about half way before I let it back down and completed the merge. Instructor chewed my ass for at least 2 mins before he told me to return to the group and if I did it again, he'll fail me. I putted around the next hour and half and got my certification. A year later I bought my DR650.

In 1977 we used a 77 Pontiac Ventura 4dr. Pussufied no guts.

Connecticut Motor Vehicles sent an examiner to the school and we took the written and driving tests at school. I was waiting for my turn watching out the window for the car to come back.

A cute blonde returning found out she was going to fail and lost it on approach. She came in to hot screeching brakes and hit the wall of our classroom. Freaking room went nuts laughing.. I was next, went out with the shaken DMV guy. He told me to slow down on a curve, he was still reliving the previous test. I passed.

Fast forward 8 years another driving test. This time I’m driving a 1973 Hahn 1500 gpm pumper with an 8v71 Detroit. I don’t remember the model Allison in that pumper but it had ranges. We used 2 gears 3 and 4. Straight pipes it was loud as f#ck without the siren. The examiner this time was a small male with a disability. He jumped up looked at me and asked if he could ring the bell. I drove for the next 15 minutes and he yanked the cord on the bell the entire time. I was laughing so hard I was crying. Next guy same thing. He loved the bell, lol.

DE was taught as part of the PE class in our school. Didn't cost anything and you had classroom and hands on training. Lasted 6 weeks. Most of us farm kids had been driving around for a while and the instructor knew me pretty good. When it came my turn to drive, 3 students and the instructor took off to the nearest town with parallel parking. First student drove the 15 milea to the town and parallel parked. My turn next, drove around the block and parallel parked. Last student drove around the block, parallel parked, and drove the 15 miles back to school. When we got out of the car, the instructor called me over and told me I didn't get to drive because I had already been doing it for 2-3 years, without a license. Had to wait 4 months until I turned 15 to get my license.

Our Football Coach taught my Drivers Ed Class. We drove around looking for new deer leases in the country. 🤠

We had a brand new 1975 Grand Torino for the car we used. 😬

Simple, they stopped it there for the same reason they stopped it here...you can't go about teaching the ungrateful little snots something useful that would actually be of benefit in life.

...now can you.

Better question is why did they start it.

Lazy fugking parents is why.

We still have it,I think it helps.
Oldest 2 took it,youngest couldn't due to covid.
Youngest really doesn't give a hoot about driving.

Whatever happened to turning 16 and going to the DMV to get your learners permit? I turned 16 in 1966 and I can recall guys who skipped school on their 16th birthday so they could go get their learners permit. I didn't do that but felt like a nerd because it still took me over 4 months after turning 16 to get a license. Took driver ed in 1967 in a 67 Chevy on loan from the local dealer with one of the gym teachers who also taught driver ed. Even got to watch a couple of those gory car accident movies. I see 20 year olds today who have never even gotten a learners permit yet.....WTF ???

probably teachers teaching the kids about "inspiration point" parking.

They still teach it here in south Arkansas you have to provide proof of insurance before your kid can actually drive!

Same in our area.

What's a learners permit?

Still have it here. It's not the only option, but you can still take it inside the school.

the movies were a right of passage. "wait til you see the gory DE movie". late 40's, early 50's tanks wrapped around trees. most probably staged. me and my buddy took it together. used to burn a fatty out back of school and then go drive the mercury zephyr around town. teacher would be like "hands at 10 and 2". "check your mirrors", "signal to merge". meanwhile we were friggen toasted like cheech and chong.

We still have it here.

I’ll never forget the look on Coach Cousins face when he got handed the blinker handle.

We don’t need no steenkin blinker !

I’d been driving on our farm & dirt roads & a lil bit of asphalt for a couple of years before I took drivers Ed, so had an advantage over town kids. It was between hilarious & frightening riding w some town kids when it was their turn.

I couldn’t get my drivers license until 2 mos. into my junior year, I lived in the biggest podunk town in a county of podunk towns. They only gave the test on Mondays.

I turned 16 on a Thursday, so I skipped school the next day w my best bud who had turned 16 in Feb. of our sophomore year & he drove my grandparents LTD to a neighboring county to a town that was our arch enemy in football. The only game on our schedule that we played on Saturday afternoon instead of Fri. night due to all the past violence between the two schools.

Since it was a Friday I had on my white jersey that all the footballers wore to school that day since we had a home game that evening where we’d Don our blue jerseys. I was nervous as hell they’d fail me for being where I was from.

But I passed ! Yippeee! And would have my dl for the weekend 💪🏼 The examiner did take some points off cause he said I drove too slow. I made up for that over the next several years, by driving too fast.

In my 71 Charger or his 68 gto we’d often cruise to places doing 120 mph. The Bible says god looks out for fools & lil children & I had pretty good heaping doses of both in those days . I

The less involvement a school has in anything, the better.

Of course, I don't expect our taxes to come down as a result. LOL

We had a mandatory class called Safety.
My understanding was you watched graphic movies, and wrote extensive reports. Only after you passed Safety, could you take Drivers Ed.

There was a summer safety course with a different teacher, much easier.
And not the fat, lazy, perv that normally taught it.

I was Vo-tech. We had to lose a mandatory credit to meet scheduling.
Safety was it.
I wasn't going to pay for summer school, and lose work.
So, 🖕!

Yep. I paid 10% of 600 dollars for several years.
But figuring in the $100 fee, and a weeks money, and I didn't have
do do the BS stuff. I was happy.

Spent 5 weeks in truck driving school.
Two, on the road training.

Later spent a week in a trainer training course.
And three years as a trainer. On road and in house.
So, I guess I eventually got wrapped up in Drivers Ed.

Some one mentioned "Mom and Dad lessons".
Wife also went to CDL school. And drove long haul.

One daughter has been through Mom and Dad school.
Still gets "refresher" training. And put in the seat when we go
to high traffic places.
The 14 year old tomorrow daughter has been getting situational
lessons since her sisters training started.

I'll put our training up against any paid course.
We might not come out on top.
But will beat most.

How many set up cone obstacle coarser.

A bunch!

How many back through it?
Using the side mirrors?
Not a marked lane, but serpentine. Like on a CDL course.
But with 5 cones.

you a funny dude sometimes!

A little off tangent but vividly remember going in for the final Va test/driving session. Kid ahead of me was firing up his brother's cammed up 4 on the floor Dodge that he'd obviously not driven before. It was parallel parked with a rig behind and pickup ahead. Kid started letting the clutch out and the Dodge literally leaped into the rear end of the pickup ahead. Without a word, the DVM guy calmly stepped out of the car, ripped the test/performance sheet in half, and left it on the passenger's seat. Big brother was none too happy, as I think he had at least 4 headlights and maybe a grill and bumper to replace.

Had no troubles with mine as I'd schooled up on a 3 on the tree 58 Ford, but the old man acquired a huge 63 wide track automatic Pontiac station wagon the week before I went in. The parallel parking exercise was the most feared portion of the exam. As I recall, I don't think we even had to buckle in back then.

Thank God gas was cheap then. If one floored that Pontiac to get around the rig ahead, the gas gage made an obvious advance toward empty by the time one was pulling back into the right lane.

Here in this small Oregon town, the now retired lady that administered the driving test never ever passed a kid on their initial try, as she could always find some fault in the driving exercises. I don't recall a single parent voicing a complaint either.

They still have a form of driver's ed at the high school I teach at in TX. Just sayin...

I took DE for the insurance discount, after I had my license. We would take the PE teacher who taught it, to Dunkin Donuts.

Both my kids attended Dads Driving School. They are not fans at the time, but appreciate it later. They've both told me about ass holes that would not have passed my class!

Probably because it is a well-known fact that all parents are much more qualified to teach than anyone else.

Good one happened last week.....

One day last week, right at daybreak, it came a shower. Not much rain, but enough to get the roads good and wet. About 9 am, beeper went off..... single MVA , gave the location, no entrapment. We get up there and it's a drivers ed vehicle. I see it's a girl student and woman teacher. My first thought was, this isn't gonna be good for the student driver, but come to find out, the teacher was driving. Went around a curve too fast and slid off the road. Teacher and student ok.