Nova Driving School believes that driver education should be both informative and fun.  To that end, students at Nova’s Hyde Park branch recently designed posters focused on traffic safety issues that affect young drivers, particularly those drivers between ages 15 and 25.  Using markers and a healthy dose of creativity, students in Nova instructor Nakeyia Jones’ class designed posters that included messages designed to drive home the importance of safe driving.

One group, for example, put a social media spin on its work by using the hashtag “#Don’tLoad!”  The group’s poster reminded young drivers not to upload videos or download apps and games while driving and to avoid overloading their cars with too many passengers or too much cargo.  Another group used the tagline, “Brake, don’t make a mistake!” to remind their peers about the benefits of following speed limits and avoiding aggressive driving.  Kudos to Ms. Jones and her students on a job well done!

Nova Driving School hit the road last week in search of a few good men and women to join us in our work to advance safe, responsible driving. We were pleased to have the opportunity to participate in a Hiring Fair sponsored by Sen. Ira Silverstein, Alderman Debra Silverstein, and the Illinois Department of Employment Security on Thursday, Aug. 4 at West Ridge Elementary School on Chicago’s north side.

The event provided an opportunity for Nova to interact with candidates for a variety of positions, including office assistant, classroom instructor, and behind-the-wheel instructor. We are pleased to report that we will be following up with a number of excellent candidates later this week!

Congratulations to students in Nova’s Teen Program who have earned their instruction permits!  Pictured (left to right) are Nova students Katie F., Natalie R., and Casey K.

Nova’s Teen Program coursework, which includes 15 classroom sessions (2 hours per session), is designed to allow students to earn their instruction permits after the fourth class session.  To earn an instruction permit in Illinois, a student must pass a vision test and a written exam at a Secretary of State Driver Services facility.  The written exam focuses on traffic signs, traffic laws, and safe-driving principles outlined in the Illinois Rules of the Road.

To learn more about Nova’s Teen Program options, we invite you to visit us on the Web at https://novadriving.com/our-programs/teen-programs/ or call us at (773) 489-2712.

Distracted driving can have life-altering consequences for both distracted motorists and their victims, Illinois State Troopers David Roman and Aldo Schumann emphasized during a June 5 presentation to students in Nova’s Teen Program.  Using PowerPoint slides that featured actual video clips and still photos of traffic crashes, Troopers Schumann and Roman illustrated how sending a text message or using cell phone while behind the wheel takes drivers’ eyes—and minds—off the task of safely operating their vehicles.

Students had an opportunity to watch the moment a distracted, 19-year-old driver who was reading a text message struck State Trooper Starlena Wilson while she was conducting a traffic stop on the Dan Ryan Expressway.  Trooper Wilson suffered a broken pelvis, broken legs, and head injuries in the crash.  Following a painful recovery that included 17 surgeries, she was able to return to duty with the State Police.

Not everyone survives distracted driving crashes, however.  Troopers Roman and Schumann noted that over 3,000 people die each year in the United States in distracted driving crashes, and approximately 420,000 drivers are injured in such crashes.  In 2014, they noted, the Illinois State Police wrote 14,847 citations for distracted driving.

Students also learned more about Illinois’ Graduated Driver Licensing Law, which phases in full licensing privileges over time, and the Move Over Law (Scott’s Law), which requires motorists to move one lane away from emergency, maintenance, and road service vehicles displaying rotating, oscillating, or flashing lights.