Actually I prefer informal training on the back roads. It really prepares you for the road.

I took Driver Education in high school and learned valuable lessons and tools that I still use almost fifty years later.

As long as some good driver takes the time to teach you how to drive in all situations, fine, but rarely is that the case so driver's ed is important.

I hesistate to say essential because in reality many people are excellent drivers without needing to attend driving lessons, they just had their parents teach them. Of course, not all parents are great teachers (particularly when they've received so many tickets the police know them by their first name before even seeing their license). On today's roads, you can't just be a good driver; you have to know how to avoid those who insist on eating breakfast, talking on a cellphone and putting on their make-up while their "driving."

Useful? Pretty much a necessity if you expect to make it through your first year on the road.

Am I the only one who is not very nurvous (though unfortunetly, not terribly surprised after sharing the roads) that this is not up higher?

Only for emergency tactics. Most people going to a "drivers ed" class would forget what they learned as soon as the came out of the lot.

I doubt I would need such a thing, but drivers are getting worse, so I may wanna look into taking a VIP protection course from one of these driving schools. (numbah is a VIP)