About 60% of A new state law requiring teens under 18 to take intensive driver's ed training before getting their license has resulted in fewer of them taking the road test. Yet, 60 percent of those who do take the test still fail, according to city and state officials. That's the same failure rate as when more teens were taking the test before the new law went into effect Jan. 1.
teens still fail
the driving test
More put off the exam
because of a new law
requiring extra lessonsBy Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.comThe city's chief examiner attributes the failure rate to nervousness.
"Just taking the test is stressful. By about the third try, they settle down," said Alan Miyamura, chief examiner for Honolulu.
One instructor blames the parents.
"I think parents are not being truthful when they certify that their child underwent the required hours of supervised driving," said Glenn Sasaki, a driving instructor at Roosevelt High School.
To be eligible for the road test, teenagers under 18 are required to spend 30 hours in a classroom and six hours behind the wheel learning to drive. Then they have to have 50 hours of supervised driving with an adult licensed driver with at least 10 of those hours at night. And parents have to certify that the supervision happened.
"With all of those hours behind the wheel, how can the kids fail their road test?" Sasaki said.
Some instructors believe parents are using the new law to discourage their teenage children from taking the test before their 18th birthday.
"Some parents are using the fact of the law that kids are not allowed to drive until they're older," said Bill Clutter, who opened Road Masters Driving School in May.
"I did that with my kid," said Harry Grzelewski, who persuaded his 16-year-old son to put off getting his license.
"We just bought him another bus pass."
Grzelewski is the director at Punahou Summer School, one of the places students can sign up for driving classes. Teenagers can get their learner's permit when they reach 16, and if they complete all the requirements, they can get their license as well.
Kathy Ahlo, program registrar at the YMCA, said she is one of many parents who would have their busy teenagers drive rather than chauffeur them to all of their activities. The trick is getting the teens into the few driving classes that exist.
Most teenagers' first choice is the one offered by the state Department of Education at public high schools for $10. But those classes fill up quickly and are limited because of the DOE's budget. So, many teenagers are turning to private driving schools, which typically charge between $300 and $600.
Punahou School increased the number of classes it offers through a private driving school in anticipation of a summer rush of teenagers.
"Last summer, we offered driver's ed and we had 60 takers. This summer, we have 200," said Grzelewski.
"We knew this was going to happen. We were prepared," he added.
Still, there are 20 students who had to be put on the wait list for the classes that started last week.
In the first four months of the year, only 65 students signed up for the Y Prime Driver course at the Nuuanu YMCA, which makes use of four driving simulators. But enrollment increased as summer started.
"It's been pretty busy. A lot of parents want to get it over during the summer," said Ahlo.
Twenty-seven students completed their classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction two weeks ago. Seventy-two started on June 4, 31 began instruction July 2, and 42 so far have signed up for classes that begin today.
"I have kids from Campbell, Mililani, Radford, McKinley -- from all over, plus the private schools, because they just can't get in the DOE classes," Ahlo said.
Ahlo enrolled her own daughter in the Y Prime Driver course after she failed to get into the class at Kalani High School. YMCA also started classes at its Atherton facility.
Even new driving schools are getting a share of teenage driving students.
"Every class that we started had doubled in size," said Clutter.
Clutter is not willing to say how many students he has, but he said driving schools are not getting the estimated 10,000 to 15,000 teenagers who turn 15 in Hawaii every year.