State Regulation
(Editor’s Note: The state’s private driving schools are responsible for training teen drivers. The Registry of Motor Vehicles is responsible for monitoring the schools. The job is largely one of checking paperwork. In this story, part of a special package on teen driving, we look at how Massachusetts compares to other states in monitoring the driver’s education process..)
BOSTON – While driving students practice their three-point turns and parallel parking, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles is charged with making sure their driving schools keep to state standards.
For the five inspectors who monitor the state’s 215 driving schools, that means checking records to make sure students put in their required time.
“If the Registry didn’t check on a regular basis, people would try to get away with things,” says Jay Doole, manager of the Chelmsford Auto School and a driving instructor of 20 years.
But in neighboring states, officials look a little deeper. Maine and Vermont pay close attention to the qualifications of driving training instructors. New Hampshire inspectors sit in on classes at all the driving schools in the state.
“It’s important to get out there and provide the oversight,” said Russ Bailey, an inspector with the New Hampshire Department of Safety. “It’s good for the instructors to have contact with us to see if they’re doing anything wrong.”
Massachusetts regulates driving schools largely by focusing on paperwork during quarterly inspections. The goal is to ensure students meet the required 30 hours of training.
Inspectors check student data and attendance records, inspect training vehicles, and ensure that the instructors’ driver’s licenses and certificates are current.
They also check to see the school’s curriculum mirrors topics in the RMV’s driver’s manual, including defensive driving, airbag safety, proper braking distances, and bad weather driving. Occasionally, the inspectors sit in on classes, but Doole said he has never seen an inspector monitor a road lesson.
“They are very thorough, and make sure the students are getting the required hours,” said Doole.
If a school fails an inspection, their license is suspended and a Registry holds a hearing that could result in fines. RMV spokesman Rob Creedon said such suspensions rarely happen.
The RMV also certifies instructors, who must score 90 percent on a test and spend 60 hours observing another instructor on the road and in the classroom. Certification must be renewed each year, a process that includes checks on instructors’ driving records and criminal records.
But Massachusetts’ neighbors have a second-tier of scrutiny. State education officials in other states monitor stricter requirements for instructors.
Maine requires driver’s education instructors to complete two university-level courses - one on basic driver education, the other on teaching methods.
“Many don’t have a college degree and are not trained as teachers, so we felt that they should [learn] how to teach,” said Eric Bellavance, Maine’s driver education program manager.
Vermont instructors must take four driver training courses and demonstrate prior teaching experience.
“Our licensing for instructors is probably the toughest you’ll find,” said Marty Bingham Dexter, driver training coordinator for the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles.
New Hampshire’s departments of safety and education share in the regulation of driving schools. Department of Safety inspectors sit in on classroom sessions and on-the-road lessons. Each class is visited every two years.
Phil Fujawa of the New Hampshire Department of Education is charged with making sure teachers stick to the required curriculum and driving exercises.
“We want to make sure that its not just seat time, that there is actual instruction,” Fujawa said.