While being a teenager a lot of new responsibilities can come along. Fortunately, the responsibility comes with new freedoms too. Driving is one of them, being able to go out with your friends and not having to take the bus are just some perks of being able to be behind the wheel.
Yet since 1995 there has been a steady decline in the number of teens on the road. There could be a number of reasons for this and we talked to junior Tabusom Marzi to find out a couple of them. She was born in July of 2007 so was eligible to receive her permit in January of 2023. Like a large majority of her classmates, she took Driver’s Education her sophomore year.
However, contrary to popular belief, she did not find the class vital to passing her permit exam. “I think you can pass the test with flying colors without the class if you take the practice exams online,” Marzi said. “But I think it is a good class to take regardless, it’s important that you know the rules and regulations of the road for your safety and the safety of others.” Even though the class itself may not be helpful it provided some resources that would help Marzi ace her permit exam.
“To help myself to prepare I studied my DMV handbook that I received from my driver’s ed teacher, my sophomore year,” Marzi said. Although good old-fashioned handbooks can be helpful, the practice quizzes from the digital DMV Now manuals have been popular among people looking to get their permit.
Marzi did eventually get her permit. “I have my permit, I got it about a month ago,” Marzi said. “The permits test was very easy, it’s probably the easiest test you’ll ever take. It’s basic common knowledge.” At the end of all that pushing it back it was a breeze to pass. So why did she decide to delay it so long? “I had two reasons and they were fully internal,” Marzi said. The first reason is fairly common among teens: there just aren’t enough hours in the day to spend on something other than school. “I never had the time. I was always so busy during the school year with academics and sports.”
The second reason was that she didn’t feel it was necessary at the time. There’s no one that forces you to take the permit test, so it’s an easy thing to put off. “During the summer I figured I didn’t need it at that moment so I pushed it until late December 2023.” At the end of the day, when and how soon people get their permits is their decision. “The student may consider their comfort level with driver education, as there is a test involved, and this decision should include the student’s family,” Drivers ED teacher Mary Elizabeth McManus said.