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Seems like just about anything can be done on the internet these days - order a pizza, rent a movie, or even download an entire book instantly. And now the classroom-phobic and just plain busy can even take drivers ed classes online! Awesome, you may think: Why spend my weekends cooped up watching car slides in a moldy classroom? But before you sign up, you might want to make sure if virtual education really is the best option for you - we’ll give you the low-down on what it is and isn’t. Consider this lesson one!

What it’s great for:

Virtual drivers ed can be a more self-paced and interactive alternative to regular drivers education class. It lets you work at your own speed, tailored to your personal schedule. It’s usually cheaper than paying tuition at a regular driving school, and your parents save time and gas money since they don’t have to drive you to and fro. But watch out: only in certain areas can you take classes online to meet the 30 hour drivers ed requirement for teens. You’ve lucked out here if you live in: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania or Texas.

Those of you in the rest of the states may still have to do the actual driving school thing (it’s really not too bad!), but online drivers ed courses can still offer you a few advantages: you can complete one to get an auto insurance discount, or to take practice permit tests.. some companies will even reimburse your money if you don’t pass on your first try!

If you’d like to lower your car insurance payments, call your provider to see if they have a policy of rewarding drivers who take defensive or safe driving courses. It doesn’t matter where you live or whether you’ve already got your drivers license - completing one of these classes online can help you get up to 10% off your monthly rate.

The Cons:

One important thing to keep in mind is that you will still have to take driving instruction even if you’ve completed an online drivers ed class in accordance with your state’s requirement. This means you’ll need to actually get behind the wheel with either a qualified instructor or a parent, depending on what your state allows. The requirement is usually around 6 hours, but varies from state to state - so check out your driving manual to be sure.

Take into consideration what type of learner you are: while online drivers ed may be a more convenient and flexible alternative to traditional class, don’t think you can cut corners and skip the material! You’ll need a bit of discipline to make sure you stay focused on the work, even for just 20 minutes a day. If you’re too easily distracted by all the other cool stuff online like games, IM, and MySpace, you’ll never finish the course. If you learn better in a structured classroom environment, then this option may not be for you.

So, have you decided to join the classroom-less revolution? If so, some final words of advice: do a little research before settling on an online course, just like you would with a real driving school. Check the web for reviews people may have written about the company, and search the Better Business Bureau’s website (bbb.org) for their record. Good to go? Now get going and ace that class!

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