Lessons Behind the Wheel

Chattahoochee High School was the first stop this week on Ford's national Driving Skills for Life tour. Students took part in driving courses that simulated the effects of drunk and distracted driving, as well as handling spinouts. 

"The No. 1 killer of teens is vehicle crashes," said James Graham, a community relations manager for Ford. "And the real reason is inexperience behind the wheel."

As a result, the Ford Motor Co. launched a $1 million investment in a teen driver safety program that is touring 30 cities nationwide.

"I wanted Chattahoochee High School involved with this initiative to highlight the importance of automobile safety," said Tim Duncan, the school's principal. "The hands-on modules conducted by Ford’s professional drivers will grab our student’s attention and provide them with crucial driving skills that will help prepare them for dangerous road situations."

The course went beyond textbooks and parallel parking instructions to focus on distracted and hazardous driving. Students wore goggles simulating drunken blurred vision while driving a course in a Fusion, attempted to handle distractions being thrown at them by an instructor while driving a Fiesta, and learned how to deal with spinouts in a Mustang equipped to drive as if it was losing traction.

Another training course had students go through a drunk driving test with a Fulton County Schools police officer. The students attempted to throw a tennis ball on target and walk a straight line while wearing the goggles. The policeman then went over the penalties of being served a DUI.

"I've never done anything like this in a driving class," said Chattahoochee senior Matt Kiefer. He added that he thought the course in the Fiesta was the most beneficial since distracted driving happens every day. "When you start hitting the cones you see how dangerous it is to drive with distractions."

To learn more about the driving program, visit www.drivingskillsforlife.com.