Academy tries to change Lebanon, one driver at a time
Written by Najib

NAHR AL-KALB, Lebanon: A car was lifted 32 meters into the air and then dropped to the ground, crushing its nose. That’s what the impact would be like on a car in a collision at 90 kilometers per hour.

And that’s what Pierre Maalouf thinks will get the attention of Lebanese drivers who are likely unaware of how dangerous a car can be if it’s used recklessly. He wants to make Lebanon a more law-abiding country, and he is working to do this through his driving schools for children and adults.

He did this demonstration when he opened his International Driving Academy this past spring, and now he plays the video for his new students, to whom he teaches the rules of the road. He does all of this on the sprawling grounds of Rio Lento, a family waterpark in Nahr al-Kalb just north of Beirut.

“Teens may not realize what a car can do to them,” Maalouf says. “A car can be a weapon if you don’t use it right. It can kill you.” [Link]