OC HIGH: STUDENT NEWS AND VIEWS : In the Driver’s Seat : Cars: So, you’re approaching 16 and can’t wait to get behind the wheel. Here are the rules of getting on the road.

A driver’s license and a 16th birthday are almost synonymous in the minds of high school students. But a license doesn’t magically appear at the stroke of midnight when you turn 16.

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First, you have to learn to drive.

Learning that skill is usually a long process--beginning with observing as a kid how adults drive and including, for most teens, taking a driver’s education course.

Unlike those 18 and older, minors must take driver’s education (classroom instruction) and driver’s training (behind the wheel) to qualify for licensing.

Driver’s ed, as spelled out by state law, usually consists of 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind-the-wheel experience with a certified instructor.

In the past, high schools routinely offered courses that taught students to drive. Now, because of cost cutting, that’s not always the case. Schools usually still offer the classroom portion, but most no longer offer behind-the-wheel training. If they do, there’s usually a fee.

When training is not offered, students must turn to state-licensed private driving schools. Some students chose to take both portions from a private school so that the course isn’t spread out over a semester. Costs vary, but can run from $165 to $279 for both segments, depending on the company.

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Whether the course is taken in high school or at a driving school, there are pros and cons, student drivers say.

“The alternative to taking it through school is to go private, and they cram it in then. I don’t think you remember as much,” said Samir Singh, a sophomore at El Dorado High School in Placentia. “In school, by going over the information over a longer period of time, we remember more and become better drivers.”

Singh said he thinks driving simulators, a standard feature in earlier years but seldom seen these days, would improve the class and student skills.

As for the course itself, Singh gave low marks to the videos depicting accidents. “I think the object of the videos is to show us what happens in an accident, but because of the way the videos were made, they seem unreal. The point is lost.”

Amanda Miller, a junior at El Dorado, took driver’s ed privately and is glad she did because it went quickly, although she doesn’t think she learned very much in the course.

“The only thing I learned during that class was that motorcycles have to keep their lights on during the day. I didn’t read the (driver’s ed) booklet--we didn’t have to. All we did was watch movies like ‘License to Drive’ and all these other movies that had nothing to do with driving.”

On the other hand, Esperanza High School student Omar Oregel thought driver’s ed was a good experience. “It makes you expand your horizons . . . (and realize) the most important thing about driving isn’t the fun, but obeying the laws. They showed good films. The films showed the consequences of bad driving, what would happen after an accident. The class makes you think about how important driving really is.”

Mandy Goodman, a sophomore at El Dorado who took the classroom instruction at her school, said, “In driver’s ed you take some tests, watch some movies and learn the rules of the road. . . . To get your license you have to apply yourself. Tests are hard, but if you put the work in, you’ll pass the test, and you’ll be a good driver.”

Usually after completing the classroom portion of driver education, a student can apply for a provisional instruction permit. You need to be at least 15, but under 18 years of age, to be eligible.

The permit lets you practice driving with a licensed adult (usually age 25 or older) in the car, but not on your own. If you want to use public roads while learning to drive, you are required to have a provisional permit.

Teen license seekers are required to have had an instruction permit for at least 30 days. During this time, they are expected to drive with a licensed adult to practice and perfect their driving skills. Usually this adult is the youth’s parent.

For parents and teens alike, practicing driving together can be the most stressful part of getting the license.

Nancy Troia, a senior at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo, remembers what it was like. “Whenever we drove together, my mom would hold on as tight as she could . . . and all my dad ever said was to go faster.”

But the experience of driving with parents is part of the process for most teens. Before the state will issue a license, a parent must sign the instruction permit to verify you’ve completed all the driving practice outlined in the Parent-Teen Training Aide booklet. The booklet is available at DMV offices.

After passing the DMV driving test and meeting all the other qualifications, minors receive what’s called a “provisional license.” After the driver turns 18, the provisional status is removed.

Student drivers need to have turned 16 to get a provisional license, which allows them to drive alone as long as they don’t cause a collision or have a traffic violation--and have the support of their parents.

If parents lose confidence in the ability of their teen-age son or daughter to drive safely, they can have the provisional license canceled by contacting the DMV.

If a minor driver has a second at-fault collision or conviction which is equal to two points within 12 months in the DMV scoring system, he or she can’t drive for 30 days unless supervised by a parent or other licensed adult 25 years of age or older.

According to the DMV, nearly half of all new drivers 15 to 19 are convicted of a traffic violation in their first year of driving--with speeding being the most common violation.

The process of learning to drive doesn’t stop just because you get a license, the DMV tells teen drivers. The California Driver Handbook spells it out like this:

“You have many limitations when you first begin driving. You must think about every movement of your body and car. Maneuvers such as steering, which you must now concentrate on, will eventually become habits that you do without thinking.

“As a new driver, you will be focusing your attention on the basics of driving. Don’t become over-confident in your driving ability. Don’t attempt unknown or risky driving maneuvers before you’ve had enough driving experience to ensure your safety. Develop your ability to react correctly and to control your car first.”

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NEXT WEEK: After learning to drive, there is the process of getting a license. While some teens simply ignore the law and drive without a license, most go through the process by the book. That means taking a driving test, which is now offered in a new--some say harder--version.