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Driver Education

Standards

Behind-the-wheel is regulated by the Virginia Department of Education and follows high quality standards and principles. Instructors at Manchester High School proudly uphold the VDOE policies and guidelines set forth to ensure quality education behind- the wheel of a car.

Licensing Process

The licensing process in the state of Virginia can be a tedious one. Students must first successfully complete a 36 hour driver education course. At Manchester High School, students complete this class during their 10th grade year (1st semester) as a part of the Health and Physical Education class. When students are at least 15 and a half years old, families can take their teen to the DMV to take the necessary tests to obtain a learner’s permit. The student must hold the learner’s permit for a total of 9 months. Students should be recording their driving hours in the 45 hour log that the DMV provides or they can get the log from a Driver’s Ed teacher at the school.

Behind-the-wheel

The final step of the licensing process is behind-the-wheel. It is separate from the driver education course and is taken after school with a certified instructor. Behind-the-wheel is 7 days long and is on week days and some Saturdays. Services are provided all year round, and instructors teach during the summer months as well. Summer sessions are typically in the mornings. Students are encouraged to seek an appointment about 2 months before their 9 month learner’s permit requirement is complete.

More information on the licensing process can be found at www.dmvnow.com.

Below are the newest driving laws

As of July 1, 2023

  • Cars, bikes - all personal transit devices - are prohibited from having modified headlights sporting a blue-tinted light that could emit a dizzying glare
  • Move Over Law (amended) - Move over if possible, or slow down when approaching any roadside vehicle (not just emergency vehicles) with flashing lights

As of January 1, 2022

  1. Minimum insurance coverage for vehicles in Virginia is set to increase on Jan. 1. Drivers will now need minimum coverage of $30,000 for injury or death of one person and $60,000 for injury or death of two or more persons. These minimums and the minimum coverage for property damage are set to increase again in 2025.

As of January 1, 2021

  1. It is unlawful for any person to operate a moving motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth while using any handheld personal communications device to:

  • Manually enter multiple letters or text in the device as a means of communicating with another person; or
  • Read any email or text message transmitted to the device or stored within the device, provided that this prohibition shall not apply to any name or number stored within the device nor to any caller identification information.

As of July 1, 2020

  1. Protection of Bicyclists and Other Vulnerable Road Users

    Senate Bill 437 makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to operate a vehicle in a careless or distracted manner if serious bodily injury is caused to a vulnerable road user. A vulnerable road user includes pedestrians, bicyclists, those using a wheelchair, those on skateboards or roller skates, those riding an animal or using an animal-drawn vehicle, and those using electric scooters.

  2. Pedestrian Yielding Law

    House Bill 1705 requires drivers yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian crossing a highway by stopping and remaining stopped until the pedestrian has passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped. When a vehicle is yielding to the pedestrian, vehicles approaching from an adjacent lane or from behind the vehicle cannot pass the stopped vehicle.

  3. Reckless Driving Punishment

    House Bill 885/Senate Bill 63 increases the fine for those driving between 81 and 85 miles per hour in a 65 miles per hour zone. If convicted, the fine is an additional $100.

As of July 1, 2019

  1. Hand-held cell phone use in work zones

    Drivers shouldn’t ever be texting and driving, especially in construction zones – and now there’s a law to help prevent it. Those caught using a hand-held cell phone in a work zone will face a mandatory $250 fee.

  2. Suspended drivers licenses

    Virginia courts will no longer suspend drivers licenses for unpaid court fines and costs. The state will also reinstate driving licenses for more than 627,000 Virginians.

  3. Child car seats

    Parents in Virginia will be required to use rear-facing car seats for their children until they reach the age of two, or meet the minimum weight standards for a forward facing seat.

  4. Car Inspections

    The price of getting a car’s yearly safety inspection done will go from $16 to $20.

  5. “Move Over” Reckless Driving Law

    This law increases the punishment for drivers who violate the Move Over law in Virginia. A driver can be punished if they fail to move into a nonadjacent lane on a highway with at least four lanes when approaching a stationary vehicle displaying flashing, blinking, or alternating blue, red, or amber lights, or, if changing lanes would be unreasonable or unsafe, to proceed with due caution and maintain a safe speed. The old law said the first offense is a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of no more than $250, and a second offense is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The new law would make all offenses reckless driving, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

 

A student must be at least 15 and 6 months old to be able to take the Learner’s Permit Test either at the DMV or at the Remote Testing offered at Manchester HS.

When at the DMV you must have:

  • Parent/Guardian present
  • Proof of student’s social security number (Social Security Card)
  • Provide original identification document for student (Birth Certificate or Passport)
  • Proof of state residency (a bill with parent/guardian name on it)
  • Proof of legal presence in the United States (Passport, Birth Certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of US Citizenship)

Once all documents have been submitted the student will be able to take the three tests needed to pass for their learner’s permit.

  • Road Signs Test (must pass with a score of 100%) (if the student misses one sign the test is completely over and the student will have to return in 15 days to retake the permit test)
  • Knowledge Test (must pass with a score of at least an 80%)
  • Vision Test (must pass with 20/40 or 20/70 in daylight only) (if a student normally wears contacts or glasses make sure they take those with them to the DMV)

If all tests are passed the student will have their picture taken and a fee of $35.00 will have to be paid to the DMV.

If the student fails the test three times then they will be required to attend a Driver’s Education course if they have not done so already.

  • (If they took it at Manchester you will need a copy of their DEC-1 to take back to the DMV. You can request that in the front office)

Practice Tests that can be used:

Free VA Practice Test
DMV Practice Tests

Manchester High School is pleased to announce that students can take the Virginia DMV learner’s permit test online at the school. This is for CCPS Students only. Students will be eligible to test if they are 15 years 6 months or older. Testing will resume in the 22-23 school year.

Steps to complete the process:

  1. Register for this test event at DMV Online Knowledge Testing System
    (Please check your internet browser if having trouble registering. Use Internet Explorer 9 or higher or Safari).A customer number is not required, but if you have a DMV ID card you must enter the name, DOB and customer number exactly as it appears on your DMV ID card. Otherwise, enter your full legal name and date of birth and leave the customer number field blank.
  2. Please provide a parent or student’s email to receive registration confirmation, test results, notification of changes to the date and time or cancellation of the test event.
  3. Before taking the two part knowledge test, please STUDY the Driver’s Manual located on DMV’s website using the following link: http://www.dmv.virginia.gov/drivers/#manual.html.

On the test date please bring:

  • Completed, and signed DTS 41 consent form. The form is available at http://www.dmvnow.com/webdoc/pdf/dts41.pdf or from the driver education teacher.
  • A picture ID to verify identity. If the student does not have a picture ID: take a picture, write the student’s full legal name under the picture, and have a teacher sign to verify the student’s identity.
  • The student will be issued a test receipt after passing the learner’s permit test. Take this receipt to DMV to apply for the the learner’s permit and to expedite the application process within 6 months or a retest is required.
  • Students should bring their Chromebooks and Headphones for testing

At the DMV customer service center:

  • The student must prove that they are 15 years and 6 months old
  • Pass a vision test
  • Provide DMV approved documents to prove residency and identity, Identification and Residency Requirements
  • Take a picture
  • Pay the fee for the learner’s permit and driver’s license.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact the DMV by phone at (804) 497-7100 or by email at Alexsis Booher alexsis_booher@ccpsnet.net or Kristyn Baldwin Kristyn_Baldwin@ccpsnet.net

  • Sign ups occur on Thursday during Lancer Time in the Open Commons
  • Students can join the Canvas Course using the code MHS-DE

The paperwork and items that you are required to bring when signing up include:

Have passed Driver’s Education Classroom Course

  • If you are a Sophomore and want to take Behind the Wheel during the 1st semester you must have gotten an A/B in the 1st nine weeks. After the 1st semester you can sign up as long as you passed the classroom portion with a D or higher.
  • You will need a DEC-1 card if you DID NOT take the classroom portion of Driver’s Ed through Manchester HS

Completed the 90 Minutes Parent/Guardian and Teen Driver Presentation (starting with 2025 graduates and beyond)

  • Check with your 10th grade HPE/Driver’s Education Teacher - it should be in their Canvas Course

Learner’s permit (you must bring this with you to sign up or bring a photocopy)

  • PLEASE NOTE: If you lost your original learner’s permit then you need to bring a paper from the DMV stating when you originally obtained your learner’s permit. Otherwise, I have to go with the date that is on your duplicate learner’s permit instead. I cannot just take your word for it when you originally obtained it.
  • Click here for the Enrollment form with parent/guardian signature
  • Click here for the Signed PPF-23 form
  • Click here for the 45 hour driving log (must present this for evidence of practiced hours)
  • $210.00 check to Manchester HS or cash (exact amount only)
    • In the memo of the check write Behind the Wheel, the student’s name, & the CCPS student number
    • The check must include a current & reachable phone number for the parent/guardian written at the top

A certificate of Driver Education Classroom completion (DEC-1 form) will be needed if you are taking Behind-the-Wheel with a private company.

If you are taking Behind-the-Wheel at Manchester High School, you do not need to request a DEC-1 certificate.

To request a DEC-1 Card you will need to call the front office at 804-739-6275 and request the form to be completed. The front office will verify everything and the certificate will be written within 48 hours of the request.

The certificate will be available at the front office for pick up.

Carol Hutchings
Health & PE Teacher
HPE/Driver’s Ed Department Chair
Behind the Wheel Coordinator
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