Driving instructor worried about teens on road without proper testing

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — During the coronavirus pandemic, Georgia is not requiring teen drivers to take a road test to get their license.

One instructor in Henry County says some parents are requiring their children to be tested even though they don't need to now.

“This is very irresponsible and very dangerous,” Nancy Sills, driving school owner and instructor, said.

Sills worries more teens will die on Georgia roads, because their driving skills are not subject to a formal road test before they get their license.

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“It's going to be a huge risk on the road," Sills said.

With the coronvirus outbreak, the governor temporarily suspended the road test requirement because it would violate social distance guidelines.

That's led to major backup in license applications. Teens with a learner's permit are required to undergo 40 hours of supervised driving before getting a license.

However, Sills says that doesn't prove they are safe to drive on their own. That applies not just to students, but adults.

[RELATED: Teens temporarily no longer required to take road test to get driver’s license]

“I had two different ladies, one failed it 11 times, and one failed it 9 times. Now, they can just go get their driver’s license,” Sills said.

Sills, who is authorized to do state sanctioned road tests, says she tested two of her young students this week at the request of parents.

Another teen, whose driving with a learner's permit, told Channel 2’s Tom Regan he also wants to take a road test before getting a license.

“As a driver, I want to know for myself that I’m ready to be out on the road too,” Tanner Wiggins, age 15, said.

“I do feel we need to keep social distancing, but I also feel nervous about having drivers on the road that haven’t passed a road test,” his mother, Alicia Wiggins, said.

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