ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Car crashes are the number one cause of death for teen drivers. A new effort is underway to educate Georgia’s teens in classrooms.
Fatal crashes involving drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 increased from 2017 to 2021, according to Georgia data released by the National Highway Safety Administration.
Currently, under Georgia law, anyone under the age of 18 must complete 30 hours of training online or in a classroom and 40 hours of on-the-road training with a parent or guardian.
State Representative Imani Burns is proposing a new bill that would require public schools to offer elective driving courses for GPA credit to students ages 15 to 17.
“Even though we have these private schools and programs, some people don’t have access to those services. Now is the time. Ideally, we would return to delivering driving education in schools,” Burns said.
Burns found that 20 to 30 schools already offer elective driver education courses. The change means school boards will have more money to pay to driving schools that provide instruction at local schools.If students cannot afford to pay tuition fees, they can apply for an exemption
Rachel Galotti of Nathan’s Driving School says that in this day and age, teens are exposed to more dangers behind the wheel, including speeding, road rage, cell phones and other distractions. said to face.
“It’s a big responsibility, and getting behind the wheel of a car is like holding a weapon. All it takes is one second,” Galotti said.
Below is a copy of the bill.
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