Responsible parents have long understood that the 30 hours of classroom instruction, and six hours behind the wheel, in driver's education classes are not enough to teach young people of 15 and 16 years of age how to handle what can be a deadly machine.

Many parents take their kids to parking lots before they even take driver's ed, and certainly many of them have long insisted that their children, once permitted and licensed, restrict their driving and drive only with them. And that was before state lawmakers wisely moved to "graduated" issuance of full driving privileges.

Now, a task force is looking at revising driver's education courses. It's long since time. As The News & Observer's Thomas Goldsmith reported, 1,200 drivers 20 or younger were killed in vehicle crashes between 1997 and 2006. One school system official said of the current driver's ed program: "That model was developed back in the 1920s. We didn't have the complex vehicles and complex road systems we have now." Also, we didn't have cell phones and plug-in music players and traffic jams. Many more young people seem to have their own cars now, for their convenience and that of their parents.

The graduated system, in which solo driving privileges are delayed pending more experience, has helped. But it's clear that some changes in driver's ed programs are needed. Among proposals: more time in the car, less in the classroom; more communication between instructors and parents when the course is complete, with the idea that parents can continue training their kids; teaching students how to handle potentially dangerous situations such as running off the road; possible inclusion of simulators in training.

Private companies contract with counties to do the training, and school personnel often are employed as teachers. Revamping the system would cost money, and it's pretty well settled in, so lawmakers might be reluctant to change it.

But improving and updating the system just makes sense, as many parents can attest. Those who have ridden with youngsters after they've completed driver's ed see the lessons that still need to be learned -- from reading sometimes confusing road signs, to keeping proper distances from other vehicles, to executing lane changes carefully, to avoiding the use of handheld cell phones while driving, particularly in traffic. Many driver's ed teachers do a good job during the time they have, but they can do only so much. And good driving is a skill that develops with practice, putting good instruction to use.

Statistics show that the risk of fatalities in accidents drops dramatically after people reach the age of 25. A "new and improved" driver's ed system, taking into account the more complex situations and additional risks that come with driving today, might help lower that benchmark. Isn't that something every parent and family member would want?

Times have changed. Driver's education ought to change, too.

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