Keeping new drivers safe is always the first concern when a teen gets behind the wheel of a car. Whether it’s to and from school or getting on the interstate there is risk in every trip.
Johnny Rowlands is a name familiar to most people in the Metro. He has been reporting on traffic and for four decades and he sees wrecks every day. That experience led him to found his own driving school that focused on safe driving but more importantly a “Collision Avoidance” curriculum that uses common strategies that keep teens from situations that cause wrecks.
Rowlands said this is what drives him to help teens to be ready to drive when the time comes.
“This whole thought process evolved over the years of traffic reporting,” Rowlands said. “When I started looking into it, I realized nothing had changed since I took it in 1967. I thought there was something missing because it just seemed like nothing was being done to address the No. 1 thing they are trying to accomplish with Driver’s Ed. That is…how to stay out of an accident. That is…keeping teens from getting hurt... and you do that by teaching them how to stay out of an accident.
“After witnessing tens of thousands of wrecks over the years I realized that, if we don’t want them to get hurt, then the emphasis should be on strategies to keep them out of a wreck. That’s what I took and ran with and it has really resonated well with parents.”
The schools have several features that make them stand out. The instruction is one-on-one, so students are free from judgement or peer pressure. The cars that are used are all the same so drivers aren’t learning a new vehicle with each lesson and each session is videotaped with views of the front seat and a view of the road ahead.
There are four locations in Kansas, there are two in Overland Park, and one each in West Shawnee and Prairie Village. You can find the locations and contact information at www.johnnyrowlandsdrivingschools.com
On the Missouri side there are now two locations in South Kansas City off State Line Road and in Lee’s Summit on Lakewood Boulevard. You can find more information at www.johnnyrowlandsdrivingschoolsmissouri.com
You can also contact the school at customercare@johnnyrowlandsdrivingschools.com
Here is a podcast with Johnny Rowlands talking about the driving school.
