The state Registry of Motor Vehicles has hit the brakes on allowing virtual classroom time for aspiring drivers, requiring in-person attendance for anyone trying to obtain their license.
The need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily resulted in remote curriculum, and it remained an option until Sept. 22, when the state ended this policy in hopes of promoting enhanced student engagement, better focus and improved road safety. This change hasn’t seemed to faze the area’s driving schools, which maintain that in-person classes produce the best results.
“I think [remote classes] were difficult. I think it was fine for what it was, but there’s no peer interaction. We made [students] keep their cameras on … but the accountability is difficult,” said Kimberly Williams, who owns JaDuke Driving School in Turners Falls. “In general, education is better when you have human interaction. Teenagers need human interaction and that relationship to learn.”
Danni Dyer, who has been the office manager at Pioneer Valley Driving School in Amherst for two years, said the school at 256 North Pleasant St. conducted online classes only when it was mandatory during the pandemic.
“We personally prefer in-person courses, but respect the right for other driving schools to conduct their businesses as they see fit,” she wrote in an email. “Online courses are definitely popular though, just not our cup of tea.”
Dyer said some young students prefer remote courses because they accommodate their busy schedules.
JaDuke had offered either in-person or virtual classroom instruction for at least a few years, and Williams said both were equally utilized. Students must complete 30 hours of classroom curriculum, 12 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction and six hours of backseat observation to obtain a junior operator’s license, which is for drivers 16½ to 18 years old.
In-vehicle instruction was never allowed to be offered remotely.
“Drive-time was always in person,” Williams explained. “[The pandemic] basically prevented people from getting their license for a while, because they couldn’t do drive-time.”
Juniper Holmes, JaDuke Driving School’s director since 2018, said the mandatory switch to remote classes meant the instructors had to develop a new curriculum to be sent to the state government for approval. She said it was a relief to know the state was reversing the policy regarding virtual classrooms.
“We were really happy to hear that,” she said. “People were not really a huge fan of [remote classes].”
Holmes said one exception to the state RMV’s policy reversal is the two-hour awareness course parents must take before their teen can start on-road driving lessons. She said this class, which educates adults on junior operator laws, driving risks and effective supervision strategies for new teen drivers, is good for five years from the completion date.