One of the only ways to describe driver’s education is that it is like school.  It is required by the government and it’s more boring than watching paint dry.

I’m in class and start daydreaming about the first time I drove.  I took the car out of park and put it in drive.  I hit the gas way too hard.  I tried to hit the brake and hit the gas again by mistake.  I closed my eyes and slammed on the brake.  I opened my eyes, and thanked God that I didn’t hit anything.  My mom said, “Brian, you need to pay attention.”

“Brian!  Pay attention!” my driving school teacher says.  She asks me who has the right of way, and I answer in a bored voice that the car with the green light has the right of way.  The three hour class has only been going for 20 minutes, but I can’t pay attention.

I take a quick glance around the room.  Five people are texting, three more are sleeping, and the guy in the back corner is waiting to sneak outside to smoke.  The teacher continues to talk in a monotone and paying attention is difficult.  She finally lets us have a break, and I get the Dr. Pepper I desperately need to stay awake.  The class goes on for two more hours.  At the end, we take a test and finally get to leave.

My fellow classmate Tom Bednarek said, “Drivers ed is so boring.”  It is like spending three hours in the same class with one of your least favorite teachers.  A three-mod class may seem long, but driver’s ed is even worse.

The main reason the government forces people to take drivers education is that they believe it will help keep the roads safe.  But considering some of the people in the class have taken it twice or more, it is apparently ineffective.  This is probably because it is a three hour class, and it is easy to zone out.  Bednarek said, “They should make the classes an hour and a half.”

A class that only lasts an hour and a half would be much easier to endure.  It would cut out the time where students figure that it is a waste and start doing their own thing.  And honestly, three hours in one room on any topic is bound to be boring.

So even though my driving may not be the best, driver’s ed is not helping it get any better.

Brian Reid can be reached for comment at [email protected]