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The Height of Technology!

No matter where you grew up, whether it was an instructor taking you through a course in a parking lot or a family member guiding you around the neighborhood, you probably experienced some sort of Drivers Ed. In 1953, the Automotive High School in Brooklyn had a new way to teach its students.

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Automotive High School
Automotive High School icon

Automotive High School

Automotive High School in Brooklyn was aimed at teaching students the trade skills necessary to work in industries related to cars. Thus it seemed a natural place for Aetna to release its "state-of-the-art" technology in 1953!
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Automotive High School
Automotive High School icon

Automotive High School

Aetna invented "the Drivotrainer" in order to create an economical and safe way for teenagers to learn how to drive. Each student would sit in "an Aetna car", which had mock controls and mechanisms.
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Automotive High School
Automotive High School icon

Automotive High School

Then the students would watch a series of twenty-two educational films that took them through the "driving process."
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Automotive High School
Automotive High School icon

Automotive High School

Aetna touted that this allowed one instructor to monitor a whole room of students instead of just a couple. Moreover, they expanded and continued the program for decades.
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Automotive High School
Automotive High School icon

Automotive High School

Though the Aetna Drivotrainers may not be in use today, we can still appreciate this photo of Micheal Broderick as he learns "Drills in meeting highway emergencies."
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