CULLMAN, Ala. – Students from three lucky Cullman County high schools will be practicing their driving skills in style as their new driver’s education vehicles are rolling into school parking lots this week. On Monday, Dec. 11, Cullman County Schools unveiled three brand new vehicles designated specifically for the driver’s education programs at West Point, Fairview and Hanceville High Schools.
Cullman County Schools Media and Communications Specialist Ty Watwood shared, “To our knowledge, this is the first time we’ve ever had new state-of-the-art vehicles for our students. Our goal was to have vehicles on-hand for students to drive that better match what they might be driving once they get a license. Not to mention, our old cars are pretty much worn out.”
Until these new vehicles were acquired for their programs, the three county schools had been using 2006 Ford Tauruses.
“They’re older than all of the kids,” pointed out West Point High School Driving Instructor Don Farley. “These kids are driving cars that are older than them for the past couple of years. They need a car to learn in that is more in line with what they will actually be driving. They aren’t going to get in an ‘06 Taurus to go home, it will be in a newer car or SUV.”
The new 2024 Chevrolet SUVs have updated technology and safety features that learning drivers will likely come across in other vehicles, requiring familiarization and practice with specific functions that weren’t available in the previous driver’s education vehicles. Forward collision alert, automatic braking, lane assist and following distance Indicators are a few of the upgraded safety features on the vehicles.
West Point High School Sophomore Ellorie Harbison was chosen to be the first student driver of her school’s new SUV, arriving at the Cullman County Schools Garage in the school’s ‘06 Taurus and leaving in a vehicle that is showroom new.
Harbison smiled in excitement as she spoke, saying, “It’s an honor to be the first driver! We get to learn on a vehicle that has newer technology than what we have, making it easier to transition to our own cars.”
