By MOLLY WALLACE
The roads traveled on to school and back show many challenges, not only with one’s own driving skills, but also with the driving skills of others.
For those looking to improve either actions or reactions on the road, multiple driving courses are offered throughout Central Florida. Junior Chelsea Williams saw many benefits in taking a driving class at the Florida Safety Council.
“One-on-one instruction helped a lot because it was specific instruction for me,” Williams said.
The class taught Williams important tips, like how to avoid traffic violations and future issues with police officers. These classes are offered to those looking to step up their driving game, and are made to improve not only the safety of the driver, but also the safety of those around them. Many classes are offered, so finding one that fits one’s schedule and needs is attainable.
Nations Traffic School, located on 12101 Challenger Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826, offers a variety of courses either four, eight or 12 hours long. The four-hour Defensive Driving course ($30) is offered two times a month, near the UCF Campus. The eight-hour Aggressive Driver class is available each weekend in a seminar-like atmosphere. This course is $80, but promises to change a student’s view on the driving environment. The 12-hour Traffic School Course is offered once a month on Wednesdays or Thursdays in Orlando and is completed in one day. This course is $90, but offers no in-the-car driving experience.
“They put you through real-life situations, and show you how to react to them in a calm way,” junior Elizabeth McEwan said. “We also got to learn about the engine of the car and the importance of seat belts.”
Disney’s property is home to the Richard Petty Driving Experience ($329). This attraction offers exciting classes where one is strapped in the passenger’s seat of a race car to feel the full throttle ride of a NASCAR race. The Richard Petty Driving Experience also offers a defensive driving course, where again one is in a race car on a full-sized track, and is taught quick turns, abrupt stops and how to regain control of a car. Getting one’s adrenaline pumping, this class offers experiences of real-life issues that may occur on the road.
“What we do is take teens with driver’s license for at least one month, and teach them curriculum based on data that Clemson University compiles about teens,” Marty Hunt, Director of the Richard Petty Driving Experience, said. “The class that we teach allows a teenage or young adult driver to test their skills in a controlled environment.”
For those still in the process of obtaining a license, the DMV offers a Test Preparation Course and Practice Test ($29.95) and a four-hour Drug & Alcohol course ($14.95.) These prepare one for the permit test, but also teaches important traffic rules. They also offer four-hour ($60) or 12-hour ($90) traffic school courses.
“I believe that a driving course should be a required elective at high-school. It teaches you important lessons and prepares you for the future,” senior Tyler Roland said.
As a sophomore, Roland participated in a drivers education class and believes this free course is a promising method for teens to learn safety on the road.
Preparing oneself for the roads is a harder task than it seems. According to the Florida Highway Safety Patrol, car crashes are the number one reason for teen deaths in Florida. Driving courses promise a more knowledgeable perspective of the road, tips on how to avoid crashes and useful tricks to keep one’s driving record clean.