By Curt Yeomans | Published: June 14, 2007 11:24 pm
Eldrin Bell, chairman of the Clayton County Board of Commissioners, says he’s saddened every time he learns a teenage driver has been killed in an automobile accident.
The former chief of the Atlanta Police Department saw countless accidents during his law enforcement career, but after one of his former officers lost her son in an automobile accident, he was moved to seek out help.
“It feels like I’m losing one of my own children,” Bell said of teen drivers killed in accidents. “It’s very, very painful.”
Bell’s concern for teen safety led him to Safe America, Inc., a Marietta-based nonprofit organization launched in 1994, which offers driver education courses to teenagers across Georgia.
On Monday, Safe America, Inc., in partnership with the county, launched its first driving course in Jonesboro, with nine teenagers participating, at the Jim Huie Recreation Center in Jonesboro.
The week-long classes, taught by retired Atlanta Fire Department Capt. James Westbrook, begin at 9 a.m. and last six hours per day.
“This class has been going really well so far,” Westbrook said. “The kids are really learning a lot.”
Jonesboro resident Raven Moore, 16, has learned how to properly wear a seat belt and what to do if her vehicle starts hydroplaning. “You let off the gas and don’t immediately slam on the brakes,” she said.
Griffin resident William Cleveland, 15, added that he’s learned the dangers of driving while suffering from fatigue. “When your fatigued, you’re almost as dangerous as someone who is drunk,” he said.
According to statistics from the Georgia Department of Transportation, there were 185 fatalities statewide involving teen drivers ages 15 to 19 in 2005. The 2006 six statistics are not yet final.
Westbrook, who retired in March, has been telling his students stories of teen driving-related accidents he saw during his 27 years with the fire department.
He hopes his stories will help his students realize the dangers of reckless and careless driving.
“The kids are about to be given the keys to the most dangerous instrument known to man,” he said.
Students in Safe America courses spend 30 hours in a classroom, learning about the effects of alcohol or fatigue on a driver, how to deal with driving conditions such as rain and snow, and even simple lessons, including how to properly wear a seat belt. The students will then spend six hours behind the wheel with a Safe America driving instructor, unless they opt for 10 hours of behind-the-wheel training. The driving portion of the class has to be completed within six months of completing the classroom portion or students have to start over from the beginning.
“This effort is an attempt to train all of our children and give them the necessary skills needed to drive safely,” Bell said.
Safe America will host a driving academy at Atlanta Motor Speedway from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 7. Tickets to participate in the academy can be picked up at the front desk of the Jim Huie Recreation Center, 9045 Tara Blvd., Jonesboro, for $40. Another class will be held at the center beginning July 9. The cost is $349 for the course with six hours behind the wheel of a car, and $449 for more time in a car. Scholarships are available for students who need them. For information on enrolling in the class or attending the academy, call (770) 973-7233.
