Top State Requirements

You won't be hard pressed to find a driver education program near you; there are more than 300 schools statewide, involving more than 400 teachers, dedicated to teaching you the ropes.

As a student, you may enroll in the school program any time during your high school career, 9th through 12th grades, as long as you are at least 14 years of age at the time of enrollment.

The school curriculum provides a minimum of 30 hours of classroom instruction: six hours of behind-the-wheel training and 12 hours of observation.

Once you are enrolled in this program, you can apply for your learner's permit, valid for the duration of the class. But before you make big plans to take the permit exam, you should study the Driver's Manual distributed by the state. A great resource for driver's education, this free manual can be found at your local driver services office.

It is also wise to pick up a new copy of the manual and study it every few years as laws change. Everyone benefits from a refresher course.

Top Seat Belts

Mississippi is striving to educate young drivers about the safety of seat belt use. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for one- to 34-year-olds in Mississippi.

A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that seatbelt usage reduces fatalities by nearly half in front seat passengers in cars and by 60% in light trucks.

Be safe and buckle up.

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