Montana DRIVE & Montana DRIVE CDL
For the 45th consecutive year, Montana DRIVE, the advanced driving school held in Lewistown, announces its commitment to road safety education. Since its inception in 1979, Montana DRIVE has been a staple of road safety education, with its instructors having successfully trained over 17,000 individuals in off-road recovery, skid control, and evasive maneuvers. The workshops blend two hours of classroom instruction and six hours of hands-on driving experience on a secure closed track near Lewistown airport. The program is designed to equip participants with the knowledge needed to enhance safety on the roads.
“The Montana DRIVE CDL and Teen Week offer important education and training that helps keep our students safe when they are in a school bus or behind the wheel,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “I encourage all parents to register their children for the upcoming Montana DRIVE Teen Week. Our Driver Education Team is looking forward to another successful year in Lewistown while putting Montana students and families first.”
“In partnership with organizations across Montana, the Office of Public Instruction champions two exemplary programs, contributing to the shared commitment of achieving Vision Zero—eliminating fatalities and serious injuries on our state’s roads,” said Dwight Nelson, State Director of Traffic Education. “My heartfelt appreciation goes to the dedicated Montana DRIVE instructors, the cornerstone of these initiatives, whose unwavering efforts in Lewistown, reflect years of sacrifice away from their families in pursuit of our state’s safety goals.”
The one-day workshops, limited to 12 drivers per day, will run from June 4, 2024, to August 9, 2024. Montana’s educators completing the program can earn up to nine renewal units or one college credit by choosing to stay for an additional day of student teaching. School bus drivers can also earn nine training hours toward their professional development requirements. Registration for the adult workshops will open on February 1, 2024. Registration for Teen Week in March, the one-day workshop for teens, will open July 18-20, 2024. Teens are encouraged to have their learner's license and some behind-the-wheel driving experience before attending. For more information, contact LeAnn Haas at (406) 444-4432.
The Montana DRIVE CDL program, which helps new school bus drivers obtain a Montana Class B commercial driver license, launched in May of 2023. During the first year, nine people benefitted from this program. Montana DRIVE CDL will host the second year of training classes in Lewistown on May 16-25 and August 12-21, 2024.
During each ten-day Montana DRIVE CDL class, attendees are trained in the extensive Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Entry Level Driver Training requirements that went into effect on February 7, 2022. The program has the authority, with permission from the Department of Justice of Montana, to administer all the required CDL tests.
For more information contact Dwight Nelson (406) 422-3944 or Bruce Kubler (406) 369-1391.
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