BY CAMILA FERNANDEZ
Growing up always goes hand-in-hand with thrill, angst and excitement, tied in with endless expectations that pre-teens have for their upcoming years. Important milestones crawl closer and closer: transitioning into high school, being in your first serious relationship, getting your first job and especially owning your own car and learning how to drive.
License-bearing students can participate in another level of freedom and independence, which explains why it is so sought after. Sometimes, however, the entire process of earning this privilege can be overwhelming and perplexing. If CCHS offered a driver’s education class to interested students, the payoffs would be incredible.
Thanks to the Dori Slosberg Driver Education Safety Act, over 50 counties in the state of Florida, including Broward County own, receive funding towards driver’s education classes in schools. Currently, this free program is run in 14 high schools within Broward County, including McArthur, Flanagan, Plantation and Cypress Bay High School. The district’s program has been implemented in schools for 15 years and is recognized as the largest in Florida, instructing more than 6,000 students annually.
If CCHS offered a driver’s education class to interested students, the payoffs would be incredible.
Practicing with state-certified instructors, South Floridian parents can find this after-school program as a preferred, trustworthy option, especially when they may be unable to teach their children themselves. Driving practice always takes place in physical cars over simulations. It gives students more experience overall with the road and offers preparation for the real driver’s test.
While an online driver’s class is offered at Florida Virtual School (FLVS), it fails to reach the same level of instruction that an in-person, professional class would. In fact, the impact that this program has on teenagers in our county is priceless. Students can be properly educated on the responsibilities of maneuvering on the road, all for no cost. It is an opportunity that should be expanded to all public high schools, including our own.
“I would take it because I want to [improve] my driving skills so I can confidently take my drivers test and drive safely on the road,” junior Christopher Berry said.
“I would take it because I want to [improve] my driving skills so I can confidently take my drivers test and drive safely on the road.”
Junior Christopher Berry
Driving education is a class that would not only benefit the students and their parents but would benefit every driver on South Florida’s streets. Having well-instructed teenagers behind the wheel prevents accidents and ensures public safety.
To many adolescents in a rush to grow up, driving may be just a gateway to freedom and independence. However, it runs much deeper than that. Maneuvering on the road is a privilege, and it should be safely taught and fostered in our school if we want to raise responsible, educated drivers. If CCHS chooses to open a branch of the Broward County driver’s education program to its students, it would undeniably be crucial in this big moment for their students.
Photo by The Lariat Photography
