Lanier Extended Area Driver Education Resource strives to make the roads safer for young drivers one student at a time...
Lanier Extended Area Driver Education Resource, or L.E.A.D.E.R., is a driving program located in Cumming, formed by volunteers to help reduce the number of driving fatalities amongst young people directly related to inadequate driver training. The program was initiated by Dr. Michael Hogan and supported with community leaders. L.E.A.D.E.R. currently offers various classes to the community.
Partnering with the Forsyth County Board of Education, L.E.A.D.E.R. provides interactive simulation training with the drivers education class offered in high schools. Additional hours of road experience are offered through registered local driving schools or by parents, who can download a program through the Department of Driver Service.
Driver Awareness classes are also offered to young people ages 14 to 16, prior to receiving their learners permit. The program exposes young people to basic good driving practices and teaches students good driving habits, reducing the tendency to learn poor habits before driving on the road. Additionally, a Strike One Risk Reduction class is also available on weekends for individuals under the age of 25 who have received a major traffic violation or have been involved in an accident. This program is in partnership with the Forsyth and Cherokee County Juvenile Courts.
Boasting the largest simulator lab in the US, L.E.A.D.E.R. has 24 fully interactive driving simulators. As the demand for classes increases, L.E.A.D.E.R. makes it their mission to continue to work towards their goal of reducing children’s deaths on the roads. Since initiating the school program, there have been no known driving deaths amongst the more than 3000 students who have completed the program.
Though the long-term goal is to market the L.E.A.D.E.R. method on a national basis by providing the organizational methodology and available materials to other communities to replicate, they are also working to create a facility that meets the growing demand for classes and training. L.E.A.D.E.R. is working with local and state officials to help fund construction of a proposed roadway track designed by Georgia Tech Engineering Faculty, which would increase the training quality of its students and other groups who could utilize their center.
L.E.A.D.E.R. is a non-profit organization dedicated to driver safety. For additional information on their various classes and programs or to get involved, call (770) 205-9011 or visit their website at www.leaderga.org.
