JEFFERSON CITY — The House Education Committee is considering a bill that would bring driver’s education back to Missouri public schools at the elementary and secondary education levels.
Rep. Rodger Reedy, R-Windsor, sponsor of House Bill 2195, told the committee at a hearing on Wednesday that he aims to allow public schools to integrate driver education courses in their curricula for students.
Reedy said he believes teaching students about the rules of the road will help reduce the teen fatality rate and make the roads safer for everyone.
Reedy said he recognizes that some schools do have driver education courses, but they are usually in the summer and have a fee attached to them. His bill will be implemented in courses that students are already learning during the school year and will not have a fee.
Students would learn about obtaining a driver’s permit, attitudes, habits and skills on safely operating a vehicle, as well as instruction on distracted driving, traffic stops, and learn data on driver safety in the state. The bill would not require students to actually drive vehicles.
“Anytime we have better-educated drivers, I think we are a safer community,” Reedy said.
According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, the leading cause of teen deaths in Missouri is car crashes; in 2023, 133 people were killed in teen-driver-involved traffic crashes.
The bill asks the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to receive instructional lessons from school districts and professional organizations for safe driving programs. Schools can voluntarily adopt these programs into their classrooms with no cost.
Nick Chabarria, a public and government affairs specialist with AAA of Missouri and the chair of the Missouri Driver Education Coalition, expressed support for this “sensible, low-cost solution” in terms of fostering driver safety at a young age.
“Missouri teens, compared to surrounding states that do require some form of formal driver education, are about 80% more likely on average to be involved in a crash compared to states that don’t,” Chabarria said.
Kimberly St. Clair, inventor and founder of Doc Dash, a federally patented communication safety system for drivers, police, and EMS during traffic stops and medical emergencies, expressed support for the bill as well.
“The loss of young drivers serves as a solemn reminder that behind every statistic is a family and a community that is forever changed,” St. Clair said.
Doc Dash has been implemented in five schools, teaching students traffic laws, compliance, safe driving behavior, and clear communication to officials during traffic stops, crashes and emergencies. Their curriculum also includes mock traffic stops and scenarios for students to get a full demonstration of real-world events.
“These students are not only reminded what the law requires, but why compliance matters, and how speed, distraction, documentation, readiness, and respectful engagement are all very necessary,” St. Clair said.
Having trained nearly 600 students, St. Clair says her organization is “more than prepared” to provide curriculum lessons to DESE to enhance students’ knowledge on driver education and safety.
This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.