Extended Education & Outreach
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

---

Lincoln, Nebraska ' January 25, 2006 ' The University of Nebraska'Lincoln Independent Study High School (ISHS) has announced the release of an online driver's education program in partnership with the Nebraska Safety Council (NSC).

The program combines the ISHS online 'Introduction to Driving' course with a behind-the-wheel, supervised driving component with certified instructors from the NSC. Students successfully completing both the course and the supervised driving component of the program will have the DMV examination waived and the student will be given a provisional operator's permit.

'This kind of comprehensive training combining online instruction with supervised driving really prepares students to become responsible and safe drivers,' says Tim Ernst, ISHS director. 'Release of this program is timely given the recent report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that indicated nearly 31,000 people were killed in crashes involving drivers between the ages of 15 and 17,' he added. 'We're doing our part to make sure Nebraska teens aren't a part of that statistic.'

Students learn by discovering basic decision-making steps, studying the importance of driving defensively and analyzing real driving situations. The behind-the-wheel portion of the course includes five hours of hands-on driving instruction, five hours of observation and a half-hour 'Behind-the-Wheel Test for Provisional Operator's License.' Students will learn highway, gravel and interstate road driving; parallel, perpendicular and angle parking; marked and unmarked streets and intersections; and heavy city traffic driving.

Ernst said such instruction and successful testing improves young driver's safety awareness and also often results in lower insurance premiums for young drivers.

The program is available only to Nebraska students and must be administered through a local school. The total course fee is $379 including tuition, textbook and supervised driving. Other fees may apply.

Features of this program include:
•  Instruction by certified driving instructors and licensed Nebraska teachers
•  Vehicles provided, including gas, maintenance and liability insurance
•  Approved by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Benefits:
•  Designed to satisfy Nebraska standards
•  Students earn credit that can easily transfer back to a local school
•  Students and their parents may benefit from lower insurance premiums
•  Students may enroll in and complete the course at any time of the year

###

The Independent Study High School offers self-paced high school courses in more than 15 subjects. Students may supplement their curriculum with ISHS courses or earn a high school diploma from the ISHS. Accredited by NCA CASI and the Nebraska Department of Education, the ISHS has more than 3,000 students in more than 100 countries. The ISHS is a program of the Office of Extended Education & Outreach, the distance education arm of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln offering high school, undergraduate, graduate and non-credit programs and services.

The Nebraska Safety Council's mission is to provide education, leadership and products for safety, health and environmental issues to prevent or reduce human suffering and economic loss on Nebraska roads, in the workplace, in homes and in communities. For more information, please visit http://www.nesafetycouncil.org or call (402) 483-2581.

For more information, please visit NebraskaHS.unl.edu or call 1-866-700-4747 or (402) 472-2175.