It can be a horrifying experience for some, yet an exhilarating experience for others.

With her seat belt fastened and instructor Melinda Talamantes seated beside her, student driver Ari Guerra began to drive during her second of three, two-hour behind-the-wheel driving sessions.

The sessions, part of driving education through the Albert Lea Driving School, give students a chance to face real-life driving situations under the supervision of a trained professional. Students must complete 30 hours of in-class training — as required in the state — before they can do the behind-the-wheel training.

For Guerra, a 15-year-old student who turns 16 on Sunday, it was clear she had learned the rules and regulations that apply to driving.

She almost seemed like any other driver.

Under the direction of Talamantes, she drove down Front Street, turned right at the city pool, went down Frank Avenue and then turned onto Frank Hall Drive.

From there, she went to Fourth Street, Broadway Avenue and then to central, downtown Albert Lea. After that, she went around Fountain Lake, turned up on The Fairway and drove around in the neighborhood at that part of town, to name a few of the areas she drove.

She practiced up-hill parking, 90-degree reverse parking and came upon many different types of intersections.

Guerra said when she first started driving, it was difficult for her to come to a complete stop and to turn left.

She has quickly progressed.

Soon enough, after she completes her third behind-the-wheel driving session and passes the state driving test, she’ll be able to have a little more freedom.

“I think it’s going to be weird not having to have someone in the car with you,” Guerra said. “It’ll be exciting to be able to leave on my own.”

Though she’s had little driving experience compared to other seasoned drivers, the 15-year-old is aware of many of the laws of the roads.

“Young drivers are usually better drivers than their older counterparts because they just learned the rules,” Talamantes said.

Though teenagers often get labeled as bad drivers that’s usually thanks to just a few teenagers who have made poor driving decisions, she said.

Talamantes, who started Albert Lea Driving School with her husband, Ray, back in 2002, has taught more than 2,000 students the duties of driving.

She’s never been in a car wreck with any of her students, though there have been a few close calls, she said with a laugh. Like other driver education automobiles, her Ford Freestyle also has a brake pedal that the instructor can use when necessary.

Though students don’t have to pass certain requirements during their behind-the-wheel training, Talamantes said she tries to make sure they’re ready for the state test. Most of her students pass the state test the first time.

She said she tends to follow a certain pattern when she’s riding along with her students, taking them to places all across town that have different types of intersections and other driving experiences.

When a student gets into the car, she noted, she tries to find out how much they’ve been driving with their parents or other adults to see where she needs to focus her time.

She and her assistant, Brett Sindelir, typically take out three or four students for behind-the-wheel training each day. In the summer that number increases.

As the students drive, she tells them which ways to turn at intersections, points out children or other nearby pedestrians to watch out for and encourages the students to succeed.

Talamantes said for most teenagers, parallel parking is the biggest anxiety.

“I tell them if I’ve taught 2,000 kids how to drive, you can learn too,” she said. Most teenagers will parallel park 15 to 20 times with her during their three sessions.

Students are not allowed to use their phones during the sessions, but the instructor does allow the radio to play in the background and she encourages the teenagers to hold a conversation with her so they are more relaxed. It’s a pretty laid back environment.

The students practice a driving technique called SMOG, short for “Signal, Mirror, Over shoulder and Go” when they are turning or performing a similar task.

“Being aware of what’s going on around you is what that’s set to teach,” Talamantes said.

Though she recognizes that teen drivers aren’t perfect, she said, one of her biggest pet peeves is people who are impatient with student drivers. She’s had some drivers honk at a student driver before.

She said that is unacceptable.