Drivers' education has a fresh, new look.
Technology has changed, and now, so has the lesson plan. Today's drivers' ed classes increasingly involve PowerPoint presentations, point-of-view driving videos and modern, organized facilities.
Teachers enlist a slew of contemporary techniques to keep students' attention and help them rapidly recall what they have learned.
Acronyms abound as memory aids, from SMOG (Signal, Mirror, Over-the-shoulder and Go) to NOTS (No Open-Toe Shoes).
To keep students focused, instruction rarely lasts longer than an hour without a break for some local java (this is, after all, a generation born with a penchant for caffeine) or stretching and brief exercises.
With the number of traffic accidents and vehicle fatalities involving teenage drivers in the United States holding consistent during the last decade, Washington state is adopting methods to educate and regulate new drivers.
Nationally, teens age 16 to 20 make up an average of about 10 percent of drivers, yet account for 12 percent of vehicle fatalities and 20 percent of accidents, according to various websites. These statistics have nudged Washington into a more comprehensive driver's training curriculum.
NEW REGULATIONS
To obtain a Washington state driver license, individuals must be at least 16 years of age, have completed a state-approved drivers' education safety course, hold an instruction permit for at least six months without incurring any driving violations and have completed 50 hours of supervised driving practice (10 of which should be evening driving).
In addition, new regulations going into effect Sept. 1 will now require six hours of behind-the-wheel training (an increase of two hours from previous years).
The options on how to fulfill these updated requirements vary.
Many public school districts offer standard drivers' education courses for students 15 or older. These programs offer several schedule options. Along with after-school programs, students and parents may opt for Saturday classes (with a commitment of 15 consecutive Saturdays) or a summer school program of 15 weeks. Students at high schools that don't offer drivers' ed may register at an alternative campus.
Gerri Miller, of the Seattle Public Schools' drivers' education office, said enrollment in the district's driver-training programs has decreased during the last four years in response to the withdrawal of financial assistance for low-income students.
However, she said that because the public-school courses are "convenient and have teachers with an average of 18 years' work experience," they remain a beneficial option.
PRIVATE INSTRUCTION
In addition, private driving schools are available throughout the area.
Ross Bentley's Swerve driving school and Scott Walmsley's Driver Education Services in Fremont offer standard drivers' education programs, as well as supplemental programs for teenage drivers.
Bentley explains that because of their private ownership, "commercial driving schools are much quicker-acting" in response to changes in the driving environment. In a world of cell phones and CD players, this up-to-the-minute approach to teaching could be the edge modern teens need.
Fifteen-year-old Amanda Sexton chose to enroll in a private course instead of the one provided by her school. "It's nice to have actual driving trainers as opposed to math teachers teaching drivers' ed," she said.
While Bentley acknowledges that the Washington State Department of Licensing is working to improve the driving curriculum, he said its requirements for young drivers remain unacceptable.
Walmsley shares his sentiments, saying the next stage in drivers' training should center around "less class time. You don't learn to drive in a class."
Instead, his Drivers Education Services program focuses more attention on in-car training. "When Washington state required four hours [of training], we required six. When it goes to six hours, we'll make ours eight," Walmsley said.
A CHANGE IN ATTITUDE
While the focus for improved driving skills tends to fall on teenage drivers, they aren't the only ones who could benefit from a brush-up. Bentley notes that he frequently gets parents telling him, "I can't believe how much I've learned from my child."
Sexton said, "I thought my parents were good drivers, but not anymore. They aren't following the rules we learn in class."
The most important aspect of Swerve's teaching philosophy is its insistence on responsibility. "We don't believe in the word 'accident.' This implies that they are unavoidable acts of fate," Bentley said.
Bentley said that at the core of the problem is the country's social acceptability of mediocre driving habits. "We need to make it socially unacceptable to be anything less than great drivers," he said.
Walmsley also feels that a change in attitude is necessary. Because of the lack of pressure to practice, students are not receiving the confidence and skills they need, he explained:
"Half of [the students] don't have the 50 hours they need. For some, the only driving they do is with the instructor."
"Parents are afraid" to drive with their children, he added. "Being busy is just an excuse."
Bentley cautions parents to take care in educating their young drivers, remembering that this is "the most dangerous thing [your] teen will be doing."
PROFESSIONAL ADVICEFOR BETTER DRIVING
❚ Take responsibility for your driving (most accidents are avoidable).
❚ Be aware of your surroundings, creating escape plans in case of unaccounted-for driving conditions.
❚ Practice, practice, practice. This creates confidence in your driving.
❚ Use hands-free cell phones (this will be a state requirement after Jan. 1, 2008).
❚ Be aware of your "point of no return" approaching intersections (the point where, should the light change, you must continue through the intersection).
❚ Watch for changes in speed limits around construction and school zones.
For more information about driving instruction, go on-line to www. seattleschools.org/area/trafficed/index.dxml (Seattle Public Schools); www.go swerve.com ( Swerve driving school); or www.driver-educators. com (Driver Education Services).
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