When I launched my own driving school 11 years ago, I named it Modern Driver Institute. Why?
Well, first off, understand my background and perspective. When I was 16, I went through a driver ed class in school – theory only, in the classroom, taught by the gym teacher. No behind the wheel component. I don’t remember a single moment of it. That was about 1990. The curriculum used for that time was the one initially developed in the 1950’s, and it’s still the same one used today. The formula of 30/6: 30 hours of classroom lecture, and 6 hours of training behind the wheel. Those numbers weren’t chosen with any academic proficiency in mind – they simply fit easily into a school program. 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours behind the wheel. It’s still the core standard the Departments of Education use in many states, including here in the Commonwealth. It’s a model that was never designed with the idea of mastery of skills. It’s a model that has been repeatedly tested by science to be completely ineffective at reducing the crash rate. And yet it’s been the gold standard for more than 7 decades.
I began working in traffic safety in 1999. I came on as a Research Associate, a low-level helper assisting the Ph.D’s with their scientific studies. I knew nothing when I started, but kept an open mind and an open notebook and learned a lot along the way. We built the nation’s first CD-ROM deliverable driver education theory program, a precursor to the online programs offered today. But it continued to use the 30-hour structure, as that’s what the Department of Education mandated (and still does). We did a groundbreaking study of driver distraction, the first of its kind to intently study cell phone distraction. And we did that before Androids and iPhones, even before Blackberries. We revised and updated the Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual, back when printed copies were still piled high in every DMV.
As a scientist and an academic, I understood that the old model didn’t work. So, I wanted to do things differently. I wanted to develop a “modern” model for driver training. I decided to ignore the 30/6 model, and began incorporating classroom theoretical content into my lessons behind the wheel. I also didn’t develop a set 6-hour behind-the-wheel curriculum, but instead customized each student’s experience in the car based upon where the skill level and knowledge was, and how they learned best. As I moved more into the neurodivergent space, this flexibility became critical, and continues to guide every experience I have with my students. Instead of focusing on the manual acquisition of physical skills, I focused on developing the cognitive aspects of driving behavior. Instead of pushing students through a rigid, predefined experience simply because it’s the second lesson or the third, I adapt each experience to meet the individual student’s immediate needs. It makes the process more naturalistic, more engaging and, honestly, more fun. For both me and the student. I’m building experience and adaptive, anticipatory thinking in my students, while we naturally build physical control of the vehicle without particularly focusing on it. That’s the “modern” approach, as I saw it.
I never intended “Modern” to reflect automotive technology. I dislike a lot of what the modern car industry is doing. All of the “nanny” technology – lane departure warnings, blind spot indicators, et cetera – attempt to compensate for poor driver behavior. What they end up doing is making driver behavior worse (“I don’t need to check my mirrors, I just rely on the beeper”), and fill the car with distracting lights and alarms that can lead to sensory overload. Automatic braking systems cannot compensate for careless speeding. I can’t tell you how many Subarus with “Eyesight” systems I’ve seen on the backs of wreckers with front end damage. At the same time, manufacturers have replaced the hand brake with a useless push button interface, and many new cars have completely removed all of the buttons and dials for radio and climate systems, incorporating instead large and distracting visual touchscreens, which force both your eyes and hands away from control of the vehicle.
And don’t even get me started on the SUV fad. SUV’s have a higher center of gravity, which makes them inherently less stable than a sedan. They’re more likely to flip over on a sharp corner or curve, which is exactly where most new drivers crash. If they do flip, occupants are much more likely to be permanently paralyzed by spinal injuries. If they don’t, they are much more likely to seriously injure or kill pedestrians or occupants of smaller vehicles. On top of that, they don’t handle as well as sedans, and aren’t nearly as much fun to drive.
When I launched Modern Driver Institute, I had a Bachelor’s degree in History and about 9 years of experience in traffic safety. Now, I have a Master’s in Psychology, most of a Ph.D, and more than 20 years of professional experience in traffic safety. Technology has changed a lot in that time. There were no electric vehicles on the market in 1999, when I began in traffic safety. The Toyota Prius didn’t launch until 2000, the Chevrolet Volt and the Tesla Roadster a decade later.
I’m currently using a heavily modified Ford Police Interceptor as my teaching vehicle. It’s a 4-door sedan with a 6-cylinder engine and lots of heavy-duty parts, including bigger than standard brakes. It’s armor-plated to protect the delicate underbelly in case a student runs off the road. It’s like driving a tank that handles like a sports car. It’s very safe, very easy to handle, and fun to drive.
Because of Department of Education rules that have existed since 1959, I can only use this car for a maximum of 8 years by title date, two of which remain. The Ford Taurus was discontinued in 2020, so getting another one isn’t an option. As of this writing in 2025, the only gas-powered American sedan left in active production is the Cadillac CT4. At this point, electric vehicles simply don’t offer the range I need to service my students in a given day, and take way too long to recharge.
I hope to continue teaching neurodivergent students for at least another decade. My teaching techniques will continue to evolve as I gain experience and my students change. I have no idea what type of vehicle I’ll be using by then, but I’m hoping I’ll still be able to find something safe (and affordable) that doesn’t nag students with a thousand bells and blinking lights. The road is always changing…