Bruce Johnson talks about the rules of driving through a roundabout while teaching a driver’s education class at Hixson’s old middle school. The city’s driver education program has been around two years and nearly 900 teens have graduated.
Brooke Willingham, 16, of Silverdale Baptist Academy sits and listens to driver’s education instructor Bruce Johnson at Hixon’s Old Middle School on Saturday. The City’s driver education program has been around two years and nearly 900 teens have graduated from it thus far.
Daniel Ortega, 15, falls asleep while sitting next to Dana Ortega, 17, during a Driver’s Education class at Hixon’s Old Middle School on Saturday. The City’s Driver Education program has been around two years and nearly 900 teens have graduated from it thus far.
Savannah Marshall, 15, doodles during a Driver’s Education class at Hixon’s Old Middle School on Saturday. The City’s Driver Education program has been around two years and nearly 900 teens have graduated from it thus far.BY THE NUMBERS
897 People completing Chattanooga’s driver’s education program in the last two years.27 Driver’s ed courses offered by the city in two years.12 City recreation centers where driver’s ed has been taught.Source: Chattanooga
Bruce Johnson has seen some poor drivers come through his program.
“I’ve had a couple of kids who didn’t even know the difference between the brake and the gas pedals,” said Johnson, a state-certified driving instructor.
But at the end of the course, the result is the same. Within a month, the young drivers are behind the wheel and cruising.
Chattanooga started its driver’s education program two years ago, funded from revenue from traffic-camera tickets. Since then, 897 young people — ages 15 to 22 — have graduated and hit the road.