The Age of the Internet and How it can Help You to Obtain Your Driver’s License in Texas

Most new drivers were born as digital natives. They grew into the digital age as if it were the only way of life. So, in the Age of the Internet, why not use it to obtain your driver’s license in Texas?

Writing for U.S. News & World Report, Jaclyn Trop said, “In an age when kids are both over-scheduled and glued to their devices, on-demand drivers education is the next frontier. Rather than spending hours in a drab classroom after school a couple times a week, like generations prior, students are flocking to their phones to get the same lessons online.”

What’s in online driver’s ed for you?

You can consider the convenience alone. Online driver’s ed is simply preferable for many:

• No time lost traveling to and going through school lessons
• No test stress for those who perform poorly in classroom competition
• No on-the-road driving worries, even though you must take the driving test
• No scheduled appointments to keep
• No major expense

Online driver’s ed offers access to lessons 24/7, so you can work on it at your convenience at home or any place with internet access. You can work on your PC, laptop, smartphone, or other internet accessible device.

What are your options in Texas?

The American Safety Council^® offers convenient options for driver’s ed online in Texas.

• Self-taught online driver’s ed

If you are 14-17 years old, you can take the course at your own pace and convenience. The 14 year olds may complete the first module, but they wait until turning 15 to resume the training.

You learn enough about Texas traffic laws to pass the permit exam. After receiving the Texas Driver’s Education Certificate in your mail, a 15 year old can present it to the local Texas Department of Safety (DPS) location in the company of a parent or guardian.

• Parent-taught online driver’s ed

Many Texas teens have no reasonable access to formal training in school or commercial driver’s education.
Young people between 14-17 can start their education online. If 14, the teen can complete the 6-hour first module but cannot move on to a driver’s permit until turning 15.

Potential qualified instructors include parents, step-parents, grandparents and foster parents. The eligible instructor must hold a valid Texas driver’s license for the past three years. They must not have accumulated six points, or had seen that license lost or suspended in that period.

Eligible instructors must not have a prior conviction or probated sentence for Driving Under the Influence, Driving While Intoxicated, or Criminally Negligent Homicide. And, they must not be disabled by mental illness.

The approved instructor must follow directions in the Texas Parent-Taught Driver Education packet. And, the approved instructor is expected to model safe, defensive driving habits.

• Driver’s license for adults

Texas adults, 18 to 24, can take the TDLR-approved course. The course runs 100% online accessible on any internet-connected device. You take the user-friendly course at your own convenience.

If you are 25 or over, the course is recommended for those applying for a driver’s license for the first time. After completing the adult driver’s education course, you take the written rules test at the DPS.

Your takeaway?

At AutoBlog.com, Karina Hernandez points out, “Online driver’s education benefits teens who work well in self-paced learning environments. Teens who can keep up with self-taught course work, who don’t need person-to-person attention from an instructor, and who don’t need a traditional classroom setting to learn may like online driving school.”

Offered at a lower cost than in-person training, online programs provide qualified instructors, engaging slide presentations, and effective videos to supplement the online lessons. Online driver’s training works, and students succeed to testify in support of extending its access.