Parents everywhere know the frightening 6 words in the English language are "Can I have the car keys?" The prospect of our teenaged kids hurtling down the road into the unknown is enough to send shivers down the spine of even the most stoic parents.
For the parents of Georgia teens those 6 words come with plenty of advanced warning usually on or about the 15th birthday when little Jane or John announces that they're ready to get "my learner's permit".
So begins the process of watching our children become independent.
For most families this period of time is a balancing act with the adults on one side saying slow down and soon to be teen drivers on the other side chomping at the bit to move forward with car shopping.
In between, "what's the hurry" and "what color should I get" lies teen drivers education.
In Georgia, Drivers Education Programs, one must be approved by the Department of Driver Services (DDS).
Teen drivers ed courses are designed to teach new teenage drivers the basic skills and knowledge related to "Safely" driving a car.
Teen drivers ed programs come in 3 basic formats, classroom, virtual, and now online instructor led.
Georgia drivers ed programs are required to include 30 hours of classroom instruction after which new teen drivers must complete 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction with a licensed driving school or complete the Parent/Teen Guide.
At least 40 hours of supervised driving experience is required before new teen drivers can qualify for a Class D Provisional License at 16.
For many parents, demands on their time are already stretched to the breaking point with school events, social obligations, sports and many other extra-curricular activities.
This is on top of the countless other normal household chores.
Squeezing in time for shuttling to and from drivers ed classes may be too much to ask.
For these parents the solution can be found online.
Until recently Online Georgia drivers ed programs came only one way.
Now they come in two ways virtual online and instructor led online.
The difference being that virtual courses are completed by the student alone without any interaction from an instructor.
As any parent of a teenager will tell you, if you want to be sure something is not going to get done right, have a teen do it unsupervised.
Instructor led online drivers education programs however offer the dual benefit of not having to transport the student to yet another location and having a qualified licensed instructor they're assuring that the student is present and participating in their driver's education.
Through the use of web cameras and microphones the classroom comes to your teenager freeing you to spend your time however you wish.
Instructor led online driver education programs offer the best of both the virtual and physical worlds of teen driver education.
Professional instructors are able to work with young drivers to supervise their learning and answer questions as if the student were in the same physical classroom as the instructor.
When it comes to the safety and well-being of their children, parents prefer the certainty of education that is delivered in real-time by a real instructor over the cyber world of virtual courses that lack supervision.