Why Can't You...
Get your driver's license?
igh School means that you are or will be 16 real soon.  Sixteen is most notably partnered with getting your driver's license.  Here we provide recent news regarding obtaining your driver's license as well as resources on the information you must know and things you should keep in mind while getting your license and once you have it.

Have you heard of
Joshua's Law?

Driver’s ed course back at WCPS

By Sharon Swanepoel
The Loganville Tribune

Published March 14, 2008

WALTON COUNTY — When Loganville Rotarian John Sauer attended an AARP driver’s education class hosted by Loganville Councilman Chuck Bagley back in 2005, it set off a chain of events that now looks set to bring driver’s ed back to Walton County Schools by next year.

“I didn’t know at the time there was no longer driver’s ed in the schools,” Sauer said. “When Chuck Bagley told me there wasn’t, he put me in touch with (Officer) Doug Clifton who was with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office at the time. (Clifton) was interested in doing something about bringing it back and we introduced the pilot program at Loganville High School in 2006.”

The pilot program was “Driving for Life,” a six-hour driving course run by the WCSO and accredited by the National Safety Association. It included a two-hour “Fatal Vision” program with a $16,000 simulated vehicle purchased through a grant by the Walton Healthcare Foundation. Wal-Mart kicked in funds to help the Loganville Rotary Club work with the Walton County Board of Education, LHS and the WCSO to get the program up and running.

“It worked fine in 2006 but dropped off when Joshua’s Law came into effect in 2007, requiring a higher standard,” Sauer said. “But we didn’t just drop the idea — instead we looked at what we could do to improve on it.”

That was when the idea blossomed into getting a real driver’s education program back into Walton County schools. Sauer said he learned 5 percent of the funds from all traffic fines are earmarked for driver education through the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

A commission was established through the Georgia Department of Driver Services to distribute the funds and Walton County has now been approved for $139,900 of those funds.

Sauer said it was a combined effort of civic, public and business organizations that devised the program and secured the funds which will be used for a one-time purchase of equipment and supplies and possibly fund an instructor for the first year. The plan is for the WCBOE to then take over the program.

“Mark Peevy, CEO of Walton Career Academy, Dr. Tim Lull, the superintendent at the board of education, (Walton County) Sheriff Joe Chapman and others were involved in getting this going,” Sauer said. “We are going to hold the driver’s ed classes at the career academy.

“Students are already bussed there for other classes so it will be set up there and the students will be bussed in from all the schools in the county.”

Walton County is one of 13 approved applicants that haven’t yet been funded through the DDS.

Sauer and several other members responsible for the application, which was channeled through WCA, have written letters urging the commission to release the funds so they can get moving on the project.

“We hope to hear something soon,” Sauer said. “We are hoping classes can begin at the start of the 2008 school year or at least by the second semester at the beginning of 2009.”

Although efforts through the Georgia legislature have helped reduce teen fatalities, statistics by the GOHS indicate one in four teens will crash in their first year of driving, 200 are likely to die on Georgia’s highways and 21,000 expected to be injured each year.

Sauer said return of driver’s education to Walton County schools can only be viewed as a major benefit.

He added being able to do so is an example of just what can be achieved when civic, public and private organizations work together.

DMV.org - The Unofficial Guide to the DMV
This Web site was created to provide easy-to-access information and resources for all your Department of Motor Vehicles needs. Because government DMV sites can sometimes be confusing to use, the site has developed a free and comprehensive guide for the average person to understand.

Here we have provided you with quick access to the DMV guide based on the State of Georgia laws and regulations:

New Requirements for Teen Drivers
Called Joshua’s Law, states that if you are 16 years old, you must complete a driver education course approved by the Department of Driver Services in order to receive a Class D License. Those individuals who do not complete an approved driver education course must wait until age 17 to become licensed.

To meet this need, Walton County libraries in Loganville, Monroe, and Social Circle have four dedicated laptop computers with access to the Georgia Department of Driver Services’ driver education courses.   High school students have priority status to access these laptops computers.  Access is also available on all library public computers.

Would you like to get your driver's license at age 16?
The Walton County libraries include O’Kelly Memorial Library in Loganville, Monroe / Walton County Library in Monroe, and the W.H. Stanton Memorial Library in Social Circle.  They are all members of the Uncle Remus Regional Library System, a six county rural library system cooperative consisting of libraries in Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Morgan, and Putnam counties and have received a Georgia Driver’s Education Commission Grant administered by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

This grant will allow the library to have four dedicated computers with access to the Georgia Department of Driver Services’ virtual approved driver education courses.  New requirements for new teen drivers started January 1, 2007.  Called Joshua's Law, it states that if you are 16 years old, you must complete a driver education course approved by the Department of Driver Services in order to receive a Class D License. Those individuals who do not complete an approved driver education course must wait until age 17 to become licensed.  The computers purchased through funds from this grant will give high school students priority status to access these courses in the above mentioned libraries.  Access will be available on all library public computers as well.

Computers are available at the Walton County Libraries now for young drivers.

For library hours, access the Uncle Remus Regionl Library System’s web page at  www.uncleremus.org.

For more information on Joshua’s Law go to www.dds.ga.gov/teens.