Richland One Implements Mandatory Driving Course

Before Richland One high school students can drive to school next year, they'll be required to take a safe-driving class.

In an effort to teach young drivers how to be safe on the roads, Richland One is implementing Alive at 25, a four-hour class that teaches students about the risks they face behind the wheel.

Students will have to take the class before August 16 to get a parking permit for the 2012-2013 school year. 

Alive at 25 started in South Carolina in 2007. Since then, the state's death toll for drivers between 15 and 24 has dropped 41 percent, according to the S.C. Alive at 25 website. About 62 schools in state require students to take the class.

“Student safety is our main goal, and Alive at 25 will equip our students with life-saving information to help them be safe and conscientious drivers,” said Richland One Superintendent Percy Mack.  "One life lost is one too many.”

The classes — taught by trained law enforcement officers — will be offered in the spring and summer at locations throughout the district. The course costs $35, but the fee can be waived for anyone who applies for a scholarship from the S.C. National Safety Council.

Parents who would like more information should contact Felicia Brown at 803-231-6909 or at fbrown@richlandone.org.