Driver’s education resumes at Cape

Students left in limbo when schools closed in March can now complete driving requirements needed to receive their Graduated Driver’s License.

At Cape High, the 44-hour driver education course consists of a minimum of 30 hours of classroom instruction and at least seven hours of in-car training, consisting of driving and observation hours.

When schools closed, students could complete the classroom instruction and take the final exam, but many could not start or complete the mandatory behind-the-wheel hours due to social distancing guidelines, making them ineligible to receive their GDLs when they turned 16.

On July 24, Gov. John Carney signed the 24th modification to his state of emergency declaration, allowing driver education services to resume immediately, with safety measures in place to prevent transmission of COVID-19.

Delaware Department of Education spokesperson Alison May said school districts were originally told that Delaware Division of Public Health would allow behind-the-wheel driving to resume when the state enters Phase 3; Delaware is still currently in Phase 2. 

DPH spokesperson Andrea Wojcik said when Phase 3 was delayed, DPH and DOE recognized the need to address in-car driver training as an interim step based on the reported backlog of students unable to get licenses due to a lack of accessible training.

“DPH in consultation with DOE worked with their Driver Education section to put precautions in place, which made DPH comfortable with moving forward with permitting in-car driver instruction at this time,” Wojcik said. “Precautions which ensure the health and safety of students and instructors to allow this important activity to resume, including requiring before-driving health screenings, requiring face coverings for student drivers and instructors, requiring windows to be open, and limiting the number of people in the car at one time to one instructor, one driver, and one observer.”

Cape High Principal Nikki Miller sent a message to parents and students July 28 stating the district has been given the approval to allow students who did not complete the course to complete driving requirements with specific safety precautions. 

“Our teachers have started making calls to schedule drivers,” Miller said, noting students will be contacted by their teachers via phone, Remind and Schoology.

Miller said driver education vehicles will be located in the front of the building in the visitor parking spots. Students must have a temperature check before entering a driver education vehicle; students are to wait in their cars for an instructor, Miller said.

Only one driver, one observer and an instructor may be in the car together, and everyone must wear cloth face coverings in accordance with state of emergency order requirements, Miller said. Everyone must wash or sanitize their hands when entering or exiting the vehicle, and instructors should leave windows open as much as possible to maintain air flow.

Miller said cars and frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected between successive student drivers, using CDC’s cleaning and disinfecting guidance.