Mount Pleasant Magazine Nov/Dec 2019

83 www.MPMcalendar.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com feature I have fond and scary memories of taking driver’s education at my high school many years ago. My training car had three student drivers. One afternoon, my friend Krista pulled out from a side street in front of a speeding semitruck. While Mr. Frye, our instructor, screamed, “GOOOO,” I stared out the window as the Mack Truck closed in on me in the back seat. Somehow it missed us, but I’ll never forget how my heart raced and that the angry driver blared his horn and rode on our bumper for several minutes. The incident made me a more aware and better driver. In over 40 years of driving, I’ve never had an accident, and neither has Krista. A lot of things have changed since I took that driver’s education course. High schools don’t offer the class anymore. Students learn the rules of the road from private companies. And, only one student can be in the car at a time. On the other hand, several things have remained the same. Being able to drive is still a rite of passage. It’s freedom. Prestige. Coolness. And, driver’s education is still one of the most memorable and important classes a person will ever take. The course provides the necessary tools to boost confidence, relieve anxiety behind the wheel, develop pertinent defensive-driving skills and pass the DMV written and driving tests. In South Carolina, driver’s education is required for all would-be drivers under the age of 17. Mount Pleasant has at least four driving schools. They are regulated by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. All schools teach an eight-hour class that reviews the rules of the road, vehicle safety and everything students need to know before they get behind the wheel for the first time. The schools also provide six hours of driving practice with a licensed driving instructor. All instructors must have a clean criminal background check. Driving BY TONYA MCGUE The Road Ahead. PreparingTeens for the Driver’s Seat