Not every student can get in the driver education classes offered in Bowling Green Independent and Warren County Public school districts.
That’s where John Powell comes in.
Powell, 61, is operator of LifeSaver Driving Academy, 1725 Ashley Circle, Suite 117A, in Bowling Green.
He says, for the most part, parents teach their kids how to drive.
But parents may want to use his services for a fee to help augment their instruction.
Powell said two-thirds of his students pass Kentucky’s driver education test the first time and one-third pass the second time.
Powell said he received a license in December from the Kentucky State Police to operate his driving school. He described Bowling Green as a smaller market for driver education in Kentucky.
Powell is passionate about helping young people avoid death and injury, noting driving is a serious matter. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
It takes three to five years to develop good driving habits such as smooth stops and turns and keeping the correct space between cars.
“A significant space cushion allows more reaction time,” he said.
Drivers are taught to continuously scan the road, the activity on either side of the road and their instruments.
“You have to be aware of everything around you,” he said.
Powell said the starts and stops are the hardest thing the student drivers have to comprehend.
“They have to figure out what is an appropriate speed,” he said.
Powell teaches his students not to text while driving. “In my car, we have a (suction cup) that holds the cellphone in the window. Some people insist on using a cellphone while driving, but I don’t want them fumbling around looking for the cellphone.” Powell said he tells students to pull off the road when entering GPS coordinates.
“I want the students to establish safety policies,” he said.
Powell said adults are the most difficult students for him to teach. “The adults already have established bad (driving) habits,” he said.
Sometimes, students don’t cotton to the driving instruction, the teacher said.
Powell tells the story of a young woman who was scared of the vehicle – period. “She was a young lady, 16, 17 years old, nervous and a shy, withdrawn person. Every time she finished her lesson, she would hand the driver’s permit back to her mother.”
Kentucky set up a framework for young drivers to qualify to obtain a driver’s license.
That’s where John Powell comes in.
Powell, 61, is operator of LifeSaver Driving Academy, 1725 Ashley Circle, Suite 117A, in Bowling Green.
He says, for the most part, parents teach their kids how to drive.
But parents may want to use his services for a fee to help augment their instruction.
Powell said two-thirds of his students pass Kentucky’s driver education test the first time and one-third pass the second time.
Powell said he received a license in December from the Kentucky State Police to operate his driving school. He described Bowling Green as a smaller market for driver education in Kentucky.
Powell is passionate about helping young people avoid death and injury, noting driving is a serious matter. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
It takes three to five years to develop good driving habits such as smooth stops and turns and keeping the correct space between cars.
“A significant space cushion allows more reaction time,” he said.
Drivers are taught to continuously scan the road, the activity on either side of the road and their instruments.
“You have to be aware of everything around you,” he said.
Powell said the starts and stops are the hardest thing the student drivers have to comprehend.
“They have to figure out what is an appropriate speed,” he said.
Powell teaches his students not to text while driving. “In my car, we have a (suction cup) that holds the cellphone in the window. Some people insist on using a cellphone while driving, but I don’t want them fumbling around looking for the cellphone.” Powell said he tells students to pull off the road when entering GPS coordinates.
“I want the students to establish safety policies,” he said.
Powell said adults are the most difficult students for him to teach. “The adults already have established bad (driving) habits,” he said.
Sometimes, students don’t cotton to the driving instruction, the teacher said.
Powell tells the story of a young woman who was scared of the vehicle – period. “She was a young lady, 16, 17 years old, nervous and a shy, withdrawn person. Every time she finished her lesson, she would hand the driver’s permit back to her mother.”
Kentucky set up a framework for young drivers to qualify to obtain a driver’s license.
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