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Teens fill driver-education classes Mail Tribune / Jim Craven RCC driving instructor Carl Rhodes prepares for an on-the-road lesson with 16-year-old student Nick Palmesano of Ashland. New rules boost behind-the-wheel enrollment By Jessica Smith When Nick Palmesano settles in behind the wheel this fall for his driver�s license exam, he likely won�t suffer from the usual stomach butterflies and sweaty brow. The Ashland 16-year-old says he�s confident about his driving ability, thanks to countless hours in the car with mom and dad and a summertime driving course through Rogue Community College. "I�m more aware of other stuff while I�m driving, and I�m probably a safer driver," said Nick, an Ashland High School sophomore whose skills will be tested by a Department of Motor Vehicles examiner sometime in September. According to local and state experts, more and more teens like Palmesano are enrolling in driver education courses to meet tough new state requirements for first-time license holders. "Enrollment is up quite a bit," said Larry Blower, who coordinates driver instruction courses in Jackson County for RCC. "It�s all been brought on by the new regulations." Striving to put better teen drivers on the road, the state on March 1 began requiring 16- to 18-year-olds who apply for a provisional license to put in 100 hours of practice behind the wheel. The practice time is cut in half for youths who successfully complete driver�s ed. The policy has meant more students for RCC, which added three summer classes to accommodate the estimated 50 percent enrollment bump. Likewise, private instructor Kent Puckett said his class more than doubled in size this summer. He�s teaching about 40 students, compared to the usual dozen or so. "And we�re getting tons of calls for instruction," Puckett said. "My biggest problem right now is getting back to everyone." Interest in driver education is on the rise throughout Oregon, said Monte Turner, a spokesman for the state transportation department. Statewide, two private companies have applied to provide certified driver education courses. Five school districts also want to start or reinstate driver ed programs. And the waiting lists keep growing at existing driving schools, Turner said. In addition to RCC and Puckett, the high schools in Ashland, Eagle Point and Central Point all offer driver education. Although the state�s new law seems to be driving up enrollment at RCC, instructors say parent concerns about safety also contribute. Just this year, three local teens died in separate car crashes where young drivers where at the wheel. Safety was definitely on Tim Palmesano�s mind when he enrolled son Nick in the RCC class, he said. "We want to get him as much experience as possible," Palmesano added. With a younger brother and two younger sisters, Nick also will be expected to help shuttle his siblings around town. "Obviously, we want him to be as safe as possible." Practice likely will lead to fewer teen deaths in crashes, but legislators took extra steps to keep young drivers safe by placing restrictions on the age and number of passengers allowed in their cars. State transportation officials say the new regulations, prompted by a sharp increase in the number of teens dying in car crashes in recent years, are already making a difference. There are no figures for 2000, but Turner said teen deaths in fatal crashes dropped about 38 percent in 1999 as word about the new law spread. Last year, 53 teens died in accidents, compared to 85 in 1998, Turner said. "We hope that�s a trend that continues." Under Oregon�s new driving laws , teens who apply for a provisional driver�s license must: Have held an Oregon instruction permit for at least six months. Certify 100 hours of driving experience with a parent�s verification, or certify completion of a driver�s education course and at least 50 hours of practice time. Once teens get their licenses, they may not: Drive with passengers under 20, other than family members, for the first six months. Drive with more than three teenage passengers, other than family members, the next six months. Drive between midnight and 5 a.m. for the first year unless they are driving home from work, a school event or accompanied by a driver at least 25 years old. For more information on teen driving laws, call the Medford DMV office at 776-6025 or visit the department�s web site at www.odot.state.or.us/dmv. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA