Driven to emergency preparedness

There are many requirements for obtaining a driver license. Good vision is one. Adequate reflexes is another. Oh, and actually being able to competently pilot an automobile is important, too.

But a state representative has proposed requiring minors to learn CPR and first aid before they can get a driver license.

Rep. Cheryl Grossman, R-Grove City, introduced a bill Tuesday that would require people younger than 18 to show they passed an approved first-aid and CPR course.

Grossman released a statement claiming the training would give the young people a skill for a lifetime that they can use to save lives. That’s a clever play on words. It’s also true.

But I don’t think that should be a requirement for obtaining a driver license. While I would encourage everyone, from teenagers to elderly retirees, to obtain CPR and first-aid training, I think it would be wrong to start adding requirements to the driver license process that have nothing to do with driving safely.

Maybe first-aid and CPR training could be added to the high school curricula. Considering how budget cuts will leave fewer adults inside our schools, that might be a good idea.