Driver training
By Lynn Fowler
@lynnief (1203)
Australia
March 26, 2018 7:29pm CST
It's over 50 years since I got my driver's licence, and I don't think I'm getting grumpier as I get older, but it seems to me that the driving standard is going down each passing year, in spite of (or maybe even because of) the improvement in cars.
Personally, I would like to see driver training included right through the educational system. It could start in kindergarten, with toy cars and roadways, and children learning the basic road rules. It could then progress to the kind of toy cars that kids sit in, "driving" around "roads" marked out on the school playground. Later it could go on to driver simulation on the computer, and finally in high school to actually driving real cars in a controlled environment, ending with advanced driver training.
I believe a program like this would help in 2 ways: obviously, by the time they were ready to get their licences, the kids would be very familiar with both the cars and the road rules; but also, being so familiar, driving would not be a great and exciting novelty when they first get their licence, and they would be less inclined to go crazy.
What do you think of this idea?
1 person likes this
1 response
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
27 Mar 18
I think it's a great idea. It starts out as playtime and progresses gradually into a practical, useful skill.
We used to have driver's education included in our curriculum but that was in the 70s when I was learning to drive. The instructors were very strict and believe me, we learned Safety!! I can still hear that man's voice in my head sometimes and he ingrained good practices so well that I even signal when there is no one else on the road! I'm quite sure that if Mr. Rood were teaching a class these days you would see a huge rise in cell phone sales because he would have thrown so many away if his students used them during class or driving!!
We have driver's ed classes now but they are completely separate from school and it costs quite a bit to take the classes. Many parents can't afford it and teach their children to drive themselves. That's not ideal since parents aren't as tough on their kids sometimes. It takes a stern teacher to impress the importance of safety on kids of that age. If your idea was started and carried through school it would not be so hard to learn to drive!
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
27 Mar 18
@JolietJake Here in Arizona we don't, at least not in Phoenix. It's encouraged and offered as an after school activity completely independent from the school curriculum and quite expensive. We've also lost most of the arts and music instruction but...we still have football, which as we all know is a valuable life skill. 
@lynnief (1203)
• Australia
27 Mar 18
@dragon54u Yep, we all need to know how to kick a footie.
1 person likes this
