By Paige Orr, Fox23 News
TULSA, Okla. — Every year, the Oklahoma Driver’s Manual receives an update to reflect new laws and shifting safety regulations; however, some local drivers and instructors say the actual road test used to license drivers hasn’t moved an inch in decades.
Dezlen Nash has been behind the wheel for four years, but he still remembers the surprise he felt when he finally took his official state exam.
To him, the barrier to entry for the open road felt remarkably low.
“If you really take the test, if anybody goes and takes it, you would know it’s easy peasy and I feel like it shouldn’t be,” said Nash. “It should be hard because that’s what it’s supposed to do. It’s supposed to train you to be able to drive and keep others safe.”
One of the primary concerns raised by Nash and several community members on social media is the lack of highway or expressway requirements during the skills portion of the exam.
For many Oklahomans, their first experience merging into high-speed traffic happens only after they have already secured their license.
Nash described his first time on the highway as “nerve-wracking” and “overwhelming,” noting that he only felt prepared because his mother took the time to teach him outside of state requirements.
“I kind of thought about why don’t they add that into your driving experience whenever you go take your license? Why not get enough practice with doing it?”
Don Hancock, the owner of Safer Driving School, has been in the business for 21 years and has tested approximately 15,000 drivers.
He acknowledged that while the manual changes, the core maneuvers of the road test have remained the same for the duration of his career.
While Hancock agrees that the test covers the basics, he argued that a 15-minute exam is only meant to prove a foundation of proficiency.
Hancock emphasized that the real skill building happens during the 50 hours of supervised practice required by Oklahoma law before a teen can even apply for a license.
He likened driving to any other skill, noting that survival on the road comes from repetition.
“Whatever you do, were you very good the first day you did it? No. Did you get better? Sure. How? By repeating it, continually doing it and you got better. Same thing with driving. These kids, the majority of them are proficient enough to get out and survive.”
Still, both Nash and Hancock expressed support for even stricter standards, including the idea of periodic re-testing for licensed adults.
“For me personally—not for Safer Driving School, but for me personally—I would like to see everybody when they renew their driver’s license have to take a driving test again. It’s never going to happen. There’s adults out there that are going to say, ‘No, I can drive just fine.’ Great. Let’s test you and see.”
Service Oklahoma issued a statement to our news partners at FOX23 defending the current structure of the exam, maintaining that it aligns with national best practices.
“Service Oklahoma’s drive test is designed to assess the core skills needed for safe driving, including vehicle control, traffic awareness, decision-making and adherence to traffic laws. While the test typically lasts 10 to 15 minutes, it is structured to evaluate these critical competencies in a consistent and standardized way.
Although highway or expressway driving is not included in every test route, the key skills required for those environments, such as merging, speed management and lane discipline, are reflected through the exam. All testing routes are selected with safety and consistency in mind.
Drive readiness doesn’t come from the test alone. Driver readiness is also supported beyond the exam through supervised practice, driver education and graduated licensing programs. Our Graduated Driver License (GDL) program is designed to introduce driving privileges step by step, giving new drivers the opportunity to develop skills gradually and gain confidence in a variety of real-world driving conditions. Service Oklahoma remains committed to maintaining testing standards that prioritize safety while aligning best practices.”
For more information on current Oklahoma driving standards or to view the 2026 Driver’s Manual, residents can visit Service Oklahoma’s website here.
