Good Day Atlanta viewer information: May 24, 2021

ATLANTA - Kid drivers cruise the streets of Tiny Towne:   

Red means "stop" and green means "go" — that’s the beginning and end of traffic safety education for most pre-K and elementary school-aged children.

But once your kids visit Tiny Towne in Norcross, don’t be surprised if they start giving you tips on how to safely navigate your hometown streets.

Tiny Towne is a unique indoor driving facility in which children as young as 3 and up to 15 years of age can learn the principles of safe driving and the mechanics of driving a car — and then get to drive around an entire mini-city in actual motorized vehicles.  

If this sounds familiar, it might be because we’ve visited Tiny Towne a few times on Good Day Atlanta; during our last visit in early 2019, marketing manager Eddie Maalouf explained the concept: "It is an exact copy of the outside city and streets, built to allow kids as young as 3 [to] come in here and drive just like an adult.  It’s crazy to see how many kids that are as young as 3 all the way to 15 that really want to drive a car like their parents; we’re giving them that opportunity to do that here."

But before anybody slides behind the wheel of a car at Tiny Towne, they have to prove they have the knowledge and skills to be a safe driver.  Graduating to the senior level of driving (for those at least 9 years old) means earning a permit, passing the center’s Traffic Test 101, and a simulator test.  

Safe driving through Tiny Towne means getting more time on the streets and being able to drive at faster speeds; unsafe driving will result in getting pulled over by the facility’s officers and earning moving violations.

Tiny Towne also offers a driver’s education program for future drivers 14 and older, which allows students to earn their required classroom hours of driving certification; for information on registering for driver’s ed, click here.

Of course, with summer approaching, Tiny Towne’s streets are getting a little bit busier — so, it seemed like a good time to make a return trip to find out what’s new.  Click the video player to check out our morning cruising the streets of Tiny Towne!

Dr. Neil Winawer joins us with the latest on the Coronavirus: 

How is the FDA rollout of the Pfizer vaccine going in the 12-15 age group? Dr. Neil Winawer from Emory School of Medicine has more on that and the latest COVID-19 news. For more information on Dr. Neil Winawer follow him on Instagram @neilwinawer.

Pet of the day from the Humane Society of Cobb County: For more information on how you can adopt today's pet of the day click here.

Sgt. Mark Tappan and his K9 Officer Mattis on their new kid's book:   

Sgt. Mark Tappan and his K9 Officer Mattis are the dynamic duo who until recently were fighting crime together on the job with the Alpharetta Police Department and having some fun on social media while off the clock. They were also featured on the A&E show, "America's Top Dog."  

We spoke with them last September about efforts to raise money for childhood cancer research. Now K9 Officer Mattis is retired, and they're sharing a new children's book. They join Good Day live to talk about "My Dog Mattis."  For more information click here.

Hip-hop star Lil Jon gets his own show on HGTV filming here in Atlanta:

When you think of Lil Jon the first thing that comes to mind his popular catchphrase "yeah!" Well, now he may be yelling that while he's doing a demolition. The hip-hop megaproducer will have his own renovation show on HGTV title "Lil Jon Wants to do What?" Filming has already started in Atlanta, and the show is expected to premiere this Summer. Nashville 101 The Beat's Mani Millss tells us how the show came about and when we can expect it to air. You can follow her on social media @ManiMillss