I'm just wondering because a lot of people here drive and taken drivers ed but there's an upcoming class and my mommy as a birthday gift is going to pay for my drivers ed (which I am SO thankful for) but I don't think I'm ready yet. I'm pretty scared to drive and IRL I'm really shy and nervous and I'm pretty afraid to be in the class with tons of people I don't know. I've also been debating whether or not to wait until I just turn 18 to take the test and not do driver's ed (which my mom said not to do). If you've taken drivers ed what's your experience? Is it really that "bad"? I'm just super scared I'll drive and end up like crashing or something awful along those lines or I'll screw up and never get to drive.

OMG. Take drivers ed. I think I took it when I was 14 years old, and I really learned a lot. Unless you have someone in your family who is going to sit with you in a car for hours and teach you how to drive, and be as hard on you as a driving coach. And they teach you all the random things that someone might not think to let you know.

Plus, the drivers ed cars, at least in my state, are required to have an extra brake pedal in the passenger seat for the instructor. It's perfectly safe. They let too many people on the roads that just turn 18 and take the test and drive like fools.

TAKE IT!!!! I'm turning 21 next month. I didn't get my license until I turned 20 - and I'm still terrified to drive. I went to a private driving school for a week, got my license, and have just sat on it since. I'm a super nervous driver - but no where NEAR as bad as before I took the private lessons! The longer you put it off the more you're reinforcing your fear! I WISH I had gotten my license at 16 like everyone else and just DONE it! Do it, do it, do it!

Take it!

You'll totally love the sense of freedom you'll have when you get your driver's license. I took driver's ed the summer between my freshmen and sophmore years of highschool and knew absolutely nothing about driving and was scared as ****! I unfortunately didn't get my waiver because I was so nervous during the range portion and I did fail the driving test at the dmv two more times after.... But then I passed the third time! So I was seventeen when it was all said and done with but having your license means you don't have to wait around for anyone! Its absolutely wonderful! My mom didnt get her drivers license until she was 36 and she was miserable always waiting around for someone.

If your moms offering to pay for your class, don't miss the opportunity! Just do it! & you'll be fine!!
good luck!

Driver's Ed was offered through my school. I can't remember now if it was required or not.

Anyway, it was fine, nothing scary to it at all. We watched movies, talked about road rules, had some practice time driving, too a practice test, etc. I was 16. I got my permit and then my license after that.

A.

I HATED driver's ed/driver training, but I have more than one friend who chose not to learn to drive in high school, and now in/after college is having a hard time for one reason or another because of that choice. Learn to drive now while you live with your parents and they're willing to pay for it.

Drivers Ed (where I'm from) is the classroom learning bit you take before you can get your permit. I took it twice: once in my high school and once through a driving school in town. My HS teacher was so old, his credential allowed him to teach it; however, he wasn't qualified and kept giving us a lot of wrong information. So i took it through the city. It was two weekend mornings, then the instructor signed off on it, i turned the paperwork into the DMV when I applied for my permit. It was easy enough, kinda boring. However, I did much better on my written test than my Bestie, who didn't take drivers ed.

Driver's training is when you actually drive in a car with a certified drivers instructor. IDK what the rules are in your state by in CA, i had to have 6 hours of drivers training before I could take the driving test at 16. It was nice, the instructor helped calm a lot of my fears about driving. Plus, his car had a break on the passenger side, so he could prevent any potential accidents. Plus, he took me on the same course that the DMV driving test takes you on, so I was better prepared for the actual test.

Liv, my friend, waited until she was 18, got her permit after reading the drivers manual. She took her actual drivers test a couple months later, after doing some driving with her mom. If I remember correctly, her insurance was much higher than mine, since I had taken the class AND had 6 hours of in-car training.

Honestly, if your mom is willing to pay for it, I say go for it.

Oh wow. I didn't realize all of that. So it's not scary at all, well I'm more worried about the being alone part, but it's not like I'm thinking it is, right?

You're not alone - there's a very experienced driving teacher right next to you - so you've got four eyes on the road, and they'll talk you through everything you do. They've got an emergency break just in case - and won't be shy about taking the wheel if they need to. You're definitely not the first to be terrified to drive - and they know this

I was really scared to learn to drive, I took one drivers ed class when I was 17-but I didn't attend the school where it was held and didn't know anyone and was too scared to go back. (this fear was more due to social anxiety than driving though) I decided to wait till I was older and had a friend teach me to drive. I got my license on my first try when I was 22.

Take the driver's ed. Just because you learn how to drive doesn't mean you have to suddenly drive everywhere. It is good to know how.