Behind the Wheel

The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles requires teens to complete 6 hours of behind the wheel driving with a licensed driving instructor and 6 hours of in car observation prior to taking their road test to get their probationary license.  Most schools do lessons in 2 hour blocks.  Typically one student drives while the instructor teaches and one student observes the lesson from the backseat.  Once the first hour is done, the students switch positions and they start the second hour.  This gives both students one hour of driving and one hour of observation every time they go for a lesson.  The DOT also stipulates that students may drive for no more than one hour per day with a licensed driving instructor and may observe for no more than two hours per day with a licensed instructor.  The behind the wheel lessons must be taken over no less than 3 weeks time.

The DOT also makes some allowances regarding the driving hours.  Students may do extra driving time in place of the observation hours.  One hour of extra driving with an instructor can replace two hours of observation.  So, if a student didn’t want to do any observation hours they could drive for a total 9 hours with an instructor and they wouldn’t need to observe.  Personally, I would rather see a student observe for the required 6 hours.  Not that extra driving time with a licensed instructor wouldn’t benefit many students, but I feel the observation time is important.  Many times I have seen student’s driving improve after observing another student driving.  For many students, their driving time behind the wheel can be a bit stressful.  It seems that sometimes, the observation hour is beneficial, because the pressure to perform is off and the observing student can really concentrate on what is being said and done and perhaps they are able to work through some of the details in their head while the other student drives.

The DOT requires the following procedures to be covered at some point over the 6 hours of driving in every behind the wheel course:

• Introduction to the automobile
• Left and right turns
• Backing and Y-Turns
• Parking
• City driving
• Rural Driving (including multiple lanes and freeways, if possible)
• Hazards of farm animals and machinery
• Hazards of railroad crossings

These items are mandatory, but as any driver knows, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to knowledge needed to be a safe driver.  The list seems rather short, but the many skills needed to adequately teach each section must be filled in by the driving instructor.  Each driving school will likely customize it’s behind the wheel driving program to include all of the above items plus a whole lot of other relevant items that today’s teens need to be safe drivers.

Concurrent classroom and behind the wheel lessons are allowed.  The traditional way to approach the behind the wheel lessons is to finish the classroom portion, get the instruction permit and then begin behind the wheel lessons.  The DOT allows concurrent classroom and behind the wheel training so that a student who is very near or over the age of 16 has an opportunity to acquire their temps and start practicing earlier which in the end allows them to get their probationary license closer to if not right on their 16th birthday.  It is not common for students to choose this route, but it is an option.

If a student does classroom at one school and behind the wheel at another school, the classroom school, whether it be online or brick and mortar is required to file the student’s classroom completion on the DOT website.  Once this has been done, the student will receive a classroom completion certificate via email.  Once the student receives their classroom completion certificate, they need to register for behind the wheel lessons and get a signed MV3001 form from their behind the wheel school so that they can go to the DMV to take the signs and knowledge test and get their temps.  The DOT requires that the behind the wheel training school has a copy of the student’s classroom completion certificate prior to signing the MV3001 form needed to get their temps.  I get a lot of calls from parents who have taken their teen to the DMV to take the test only to be turned away because they don’t have the MV3001 form.  Save yourself the trip and contact your chosen behind the wheel school to get that form.

If a teen should fail the signs and knowledge test at the DMV or in the classroom, they can study more and retake the test.  If your teen has failed the temps test, please be sure that they download the Wisconsin Motorist’s Handbook (get the Handbook here) so that they can study before they go back and try to take the test again.   Regardless of which driver’s ed school your teen attended, all of their teachings should be roughly based on this handbook.  If your teen studies this handbook and understands it, they should do well on the signs and knowledge test.  The DOT also has a practice test app.  You can go to the app store for your android or Apple device and search for Wisconsin DMV practice test and you should be able to find it. (or get it here)

Overall, the behind the wheel training is probably the most important part of your teen’s driver’s education.  This is where the rubber really meets the road, literally.  This is where everything that they learned and maybe did not learn in the classroom is really solidified and brought home.  This is where they will get the real life experiences that will mold them into safe young drivers.  Having said that, we can not do it alone.  We need your help.

If you are a parent, you need to get out there and spend as many hours driving with your teen behind the wheel as possible.  You will be signing a document at the DMV that states that your teen has driven for a total of 30 hours.  The driving with our instructor counts for 11 hours, it is your responsibility to make sure that they get the remaining 19 hours.  10 of the total hours must be at night.  This may not be fun for you, but it is vital.  If you can’t do it, find a someone who can.  Check out the guardian requirements below.  Teens need practice.  We only have 6 hours to drive with them.  There is no way we can teach them everything that they need to know and have them remember it all in 6 hours.

If you are a teen who doesn’t have anyone to drive with, you need to find someone so that you can get some practice time.  As a teen holding your instruction permit, you may drive only when you are accompanied by a person with 2 years driving experience who holds a valid (not probationary or occupational) license.  This person must be seated in the front passenger seat.

This person must also be one of the following:

• A qualified instructor 19 or older. (Up to three others may ride along if the car is equipped with dual controls)
• A parent, guardian or spouse 19 or older (your immediate family members may ride along in the back seat)
• A person 21 or older. (If you are under 18, this person must be designated in writing by your parent or guardian prior to accompanying you while driving a vehicle.)

Note: If you are at least 16 years of age, in addition to the licensed accompanying driver, one other licensed person 25 years of age or more with at least 2 years driving experience may occupy a seat in the vehicle other than the front seat.

In the end, a teen’s ability to drive well and pass the driving test at the DMV will be dependent on how nervous they are when they test and how many hours they have driven with their temps.  Often times, the two of these things go hand in hand.  The more time you have spent behind the wheel, the more skilled you are and the more confident you are.  If you have spent enough time driving and you really know what you are doing, you really have no reason to be nervous when you take the test.