The Lane Council of Governments released a new website this summer designed to be a “one-stop shop” for driving and licensing resources.
The website has resources like a step-by-step guide to getting a license, study resources, and a list of local driving schools. It also has resources for parents and guardians of student drivers.
Heidi Shayla, the driver education coordinator at Lane Council of Governments, said the website is specific to Lane County, but a lot of the information is useful for any Oregonian.
“I think that what it is giving people is a beginning spot. It's giving them a place where they can go, where all the information that they need to help teens get licensed is in one place. They don't have to just Google it,” said Shayla.
In an Aug. 18 press release, Lane Council of Governments said the launch comes at a critical time because Lane County schools no longer offer drivers education courses in schools. Shayla said due to district and school funding issues, private driving schools have become more common across the state and the country.
Shayla said that more complex cars, traffic and updated road signs have made it more difficult to navigate the roads and make proper education more important than ever.
“it's just become much, much more complicated to drive in the current world,” she said. “ What these young people need to learn is just a lot more than, say, I needed to learn back in the 80s when I was getting my license.”
The website, Laneteendriver.org, went live in June, but Shayla said it’s been continually updated and will evolve to meet community needs.
