Columbia Public Schools aims to bulk up driver’s education program

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)

Driver's education is near the top of Columbia Public Schools' 2023-24 safety initiatives, and the district is taking measures to bulk up its driving curriculum.

According to the district's latest safety update, CPS will introduce small programming opportunities to some schools with the goal to expand them in the future. 

The goal is to aid Vision Zero, a division within the City of Columbia Public Works Department, to reduce the number of traffic deaths and serious injuries on roadways. “It takes a community effort. Columbia Public Schools can, and should, play a key role in this goal,” Vision Zero's presentation read.

Teen drivers are responsible for a large portion of traffic deaths every year. 

“We lose about 2,100 teen drivers every year through fatal traffic crashes. The number unfortunately has been going up,” David Reich, National Road Safety Foundation spokesman, said. 

One of the things the organization is trying to do: Introduce an online elective to students grade 10-12 with a valid Missouri Learner’s Permit. 

The course description reads: 

“This online course will help to prepare for the challenges and responsibilities you'll face as a new driver. While you don't have to complete a Driver’s Education course to receive your Missouri Driver’s License, this online course can help you prepare for taking the DMV written test and driving test. Note that this course DOES NOT INCLUDE SUPERVISED DRIVING INSTRUCTION. Students will learn the basics of safe vehicle operation and road safety as well as be expected to complete and submit a student driver’s log book of hours driven with the appropriate adult supervision.”

In the past, CPS ran parent information sessions and reality weeks. Reality weeks were hosted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Department of Transportion and featured things such as impaired driving goggles, wrecked cars and informative talks. They plan on reintroducing these activities in the future.

Missouri is one of just 13 states that does not require driver's education, despite multiple attempts by state legislators to change it.

The most-recent attempt was from Rep. Rodger Reedy (R-Henry County), who introduced a bill in the spring that would require public schools to offer a driver education course that students must complete before graduating. 

“This idea was brought to me by a retired driver's education teacher from a rural district. The goal of my bill is to basically educate these young drivers so that they are safer drivers on the road, therefore making it safer for everyone,” Reedy said. 

The course would be for students in grades 10-12. Reedy said while many schools offer a summer course for driving, oftentimes there is an extra fee associated with it. He wanted something that would be free and available for all students. 

“Every school requires students to take a half credit of health to graduate and basically I wanted them to put it in that to incorporate that into the health curriculum,” Rep. Reedy told ABC 17 News. The reason for that it would be just in class instruction. It wouldn’t be actual driving vehicles, you know driving in car because when you get into buying vehicles and hiring teachers for actual in seat driving that puts a lot of added cost to the school districts and they kind of push back on that.” 

The bill made it through committee but failed to make it across the finish line. Reedy believes the cost is the biggest reason why it has yet to pass.

“I think it kind of boils down to finding the funding and finding the staff to do it,” Reedy said.

However, Reich believes that driving classes without actually driving a car can only teach students so much. They need to get behind the wheel for driver education to be effective. 

“Even though they are trained, even though they learn driver ed in school or private driver instruction, still you learn from experience,” Reich explained. “There is nothing like actually doing it. Seeing how it feels, feeling that steering wheel in your hands, and seeing how the caf responds when you turn the wheel.