Peachtree City has a new center for driving education with the recent opening of LifeSwitch Driving Academy on Dividend Drive.
In October, the school began offering a live and a remote classroom option for the DUI/Risk Reduction Course which is required for anyone convicted of driving under the influence in the state. The academy is adding a Driver Improvement Course to its schedule this month. This state-certified course is intended to help individuals with speeding tickets and other moving violations the opportunity to reduce the points on their motor vehicle report (MVR) and in turn lower insurance rates.
For teenagers who want to get their driver’s license before turning 18, “Joshua’s Law” Courses are slated to begin in after the first of the year. The required curriculum includes a combination of education and driving experience, with at least 30 hours of classroom instruction.
Mike LaTella, majority owner of the business, considers the driving school as simply an extension of his passion and second career. After 20 years of working and traveling as a sales and marketing executive in the logistics industry, Mike realized he had developed a significant alcohol addiction and was surprised he could not correct it on his own.
“It is deflating and humbling to learn that all of the tools we have used to find success in life… will-power, determination, intelligence, etcetera, are completely useless in our fight against addiction,” Mike shares. “In fact, they serve as liabilities in the battle.”
Through his own recovery, he began helping others and found his calling. Mike went back to school, earned his Masters in Addiction Counseling, and in 2018 opened LifeSwitch Counseling Services, which focuses on the treatment of substance abuse disorders. Through his work and further education, Mike recently became certified as a Master Addiction Counselor, the highest level in the field.
Mike points out that there have been four deaths this year in Peachtree City alone due to folks driving drunk. This is despite the tougher sentencing laws, greater public awareness, and the advent of Uber and other alternative transportation modes.
“If we can do a better job of educating our teenagers before they drive and offer critical information to those who have run afoul of the law by getting caught driving under the influence, maybe we can save lives through that effort,” he says.
LifeSwitch Driving Academy is located at 410 Dividend Dr., Suite C, in Peachtree City. For more information visit www.ptcDUI.com, or call 770-731-2479.
