Rhode Island Considering Virtual Driver’s Ed Classes

The world is changing with technology. Sometimes, it's hard to grasp just how far we've come from the days of rotary dialing telephones and tubed televisions to Zoom meetings and self-driving cars.

One of the worst things about the COVID-19 pandemic was remote learning. In many places, school-aged children were made to forgo the in-person education experience (interaction with other humans) for instruction via a computer screen.

While our kids are back in the classroom, remote communication technology is still very much in play as some government and private sector meetings and other sessions are virtual rather than in person.

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The Rhode Island General Assembly is considering a pilot program to allow online virtual driver's ed classes. Providence-based WPRI-TV reported, "The measure is now in the Senate, having recently been approved by the House."

The station reported this is the fourth time lawmakers have considered the legislation.

Senator Lou DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat and bill co-sponsor, told the station, "What the bill seeks to do is continue what was done during the pandemic, very successfully."

Newport County Driving School owner John Leeds opposes virtual driver's ed for young people. Leeds told WPRI that kids "need to have hands-on learning all the time, especially when you're learning how to drive a car."

The bill allows in-person and virtual driver's education classes, but road tests would still be in person. The pilot program would be two years.

Data collected over the two years would be given to the General Assembly, which could extend, make permanent or discontinue the pilot program.

Rep. Kathleen Fogarty, a South Kingstown Democrat, told WLNE-TV, virtual classes would provide an alternative for families who cannot take a driver-in-training to in-person classrooms.