For many teenagers, obtaining a driver’s license is a rite of passage.
But before it happens, they must complete an education course and road test.
The Westshore Enforcement Bureau (WEB) is helping teens cover the cost of driver education through a scholarship thanks to a grant from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office.
The grant is designed to help teens from households that are struggling financially to get access to driver's education.
Families with students 15 and a half to 17 years old who attend one of the Westshore High Schools, in Bay Village, Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake, with a valid temporary permit can be referred through their school’s guidance office for an application.
Those selected for the scholarship will be able to select driver education training taught either by 911 Driving School or Professional Driving School. The scholarship will cover the entire class fee (less the $25 deposit).
WEB Director Matt Vanyo appeared on Good Morning Cleveland on Saturday. He said the scholarship opportunities tie directly into the work being done by the Westshore Young Leaders Network.
“We partner with our Westshore middle schoolers and our high schoolers,” Vanyo said. “We help them promote healthy, safe and substance-free lifestyles. We help them cultivate leadership, so they (can) contribute back to their families and their schools and their Westshore communities.”
WEB said young drivers under age 24 are involved in 31% of all crashes in Ohio but only make up about 13% of licensed Ohio drivers. They said with the proper education and training, 16-year-old license applicants perform best of all those licenses under age 25 on the on-road test, with a 78% pass rate- compared to a 63% pass rate at age 18.
“So, we're really excited over here at the Westshore Young Leaders Network and WEB to be able to provide this to our Westshore communities,” Vanyo said.
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
