The Emporia Gazette

Driving Dilemma

You are entitled to your opinion as are others. You continue to mock those that would like a choice. Ann, (the lady in the article, said "I'm nervous, I don't have a second brake in the car." Her concern was that she did not feel that SHE could give her student driver the necessary skills needed, her concern was about doing what she felt would be best for her daughter. Making the choice to have an instructor does not make her a bad parent.....only a concerned parent with their kids interest in mind. She may have wanted her kid to swim as well but if she didn't feel like she could give her the tools she needs for that, would it be poor parenting to enlist an instructor. I know ........your dad just read a book about swimming and then threw you in the lake.

August 9, 2010 at 11:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Driving Dilemma

Steve .....my point on listing the costs was not to hide costs at all. As you pointed out the costs are considerable. You bring up good additional "hidden costs" of which I referred to. Some had referred to the $400 fee as high and I agree with that. It is a difficult price for parents to pay. My point was that the costs do add up quickly and those that were gasping at the figure might view it differently as it is broken down. I also agree that with budget cuts things have to go, but remember as you swing that sword you may cut through everything but reading, writing and math. We have other areas of schooling that we would not HAVE to keep. I did not suggest that it be mandatory, nor did I suggest that the school district offer it for free. I did suggest that it can be a great option especially for those kids that do not have the opportunity to get this from their parents.

August 8, 2010 at 4:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Driving Dilemma

seriously........seems to pick the one point out of 10 to attempt to make their point. Again I am not putting down your efforts to teach YOUR kid whatever you feel qualified to teach them. I hope that when your kid is doing their homework that you are able to help provide them with additional information and skills and if so your kid is getting the best of both worlds. I am also not putting down anyone else for feeling that they would be better served to have someone else teach their kid these skills. I again am saying that there should be an option for those that think it can be done better by a third party. There is a reason that insurance for your NEW driver is more expensive than mine. Because all insurance is based on EXPERIENCE. Insurance experience with that particular age group statitically says, that they have more accidents, cause more injury and suffer more deaths than ANY other age group. That is why their rates are more. If left -handed red heads were statistically having more accidents and costing insurance companies more money their rates would likely be higher.
I respect your right to educate your kid, I am not wrong to think that there is a good chance that some would not make good driving teachers or would not choose to teach their kid. That does not make them bad either. If you want to equate your teaching your kid to brush their teeth and use the toilet to teaching a kid to drive, even that is your right to do so. I have yet to see a high school student killed by another high school students bad hygiene. I am not challenging your right or even your ability to teach your kid to drive, I have not referred to your ability as being amateur, I have only supported that Driver Education programs do help prepare kids to drive, and in a safe, sequential way that provides for a base proficiency in a number of skills that have been identified by educators, insurance companies and law enforcement as being essential safety skills. May your children all be safe and defensive drivers.
As for "consulting with a real teacher before your amateur attempts".......I need a tree cut down in my back yard, my kid knows how to run a chain saw and can cut up firewood so I am not worried about him cutting down this large tree by the house. There is no need to educate any further. I know how to run that saw and cut firewood myself and I taught him.

August 8, 2010 at 4:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Driving Dilemma

Of course these classes teach the dangers of talking on cells and texting while driving. Also the dangers of alcohol and drugs while driving, dangerous weather condition driving, under hood maintenance, how to change a tire, highway driving, interstate driving, rural driving, evasive manuevers and traffic laws as well as other things. Not sure of why some of you are ignoring the fact that I said that the best system is the combination of both. Parents do have a responsibility to teach their students but some prefer not to and frankly some just shouldn't. I am speaking to the idea of the parents having an option to get a very good base knowledge and skill for you to expand on. I am addressing the idea that the secondary brake makes that a safer and more relaxed setting for learning. LIke public education in general, some will choose not to use it and I respect that. I do feel however that there is real merit in having your student take Driver Education. I wish that there was a way to do it much cheaper but as I pointed out the instructor cost alone would be at least $125.
It is fine if you "do not feel compelled to provide public funding for them on this unnecessary skill". Then don't. But you and that friend are putting others at risk as much as "texting does" by not providing the safety base that a class does. Driver Education courses also, as in texting, teach not to exceed the speed limit, however many of those that take the class will CHOOSE to do so. Does that mean the system is flawed. If you drive at all you KNOW that there are many unqualified or unskilled drivers. Many lack even the "rules of the road". Yes, driving is something that they do every day but it does not mean that they will be a successful teacher of driving skills. Many of us speak, read and write every day so obviously we are qualified to teach English and literature.

August 8, 2010 at 10:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Driving Dilemma

I don't think the class should have to be self -sustaining, but I believe it can be, and for less than $400. Keep in mind you have a minimum of 6 hours of driver instructor time. Lets look at some of the real costs and ball park them.

6 hours of instructor time ..... 125.00
30 hours of classroom.............50.00
Insurance for the auto.................?
Tags for the auto..........................?
Leased auto..or depreciation .........
Textbooks...................................
Gasoline for 6 hours minimum....25.00.?

These are approximates and of course there may be some other hidden costs. The real problem is that schools used to be reimbursed a large part of the cost by the state and that does not happen now.
It does seem to me that at $400 the program should be self-sustaining.

August 7, 2010 at 10:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Driving Dilemma

It is a combination of the two that makes the best driver. That is why even with Driver Education the student is required to log supervised driving. Those of you that think that EVERY parent is qualified to teach their student to drive, must also think that EVERY parent can teach their student, chemistry, physics, advanced math or even wood shop. This is an important skill and a great deal of knowledge is provided by an instructor that sees different driving situations every day and can anticipate a students problems. In a class students are required to reach a certain level of proficiency in a long list of competencies. They work through a checklist that can be provided to the parent so that the parent can work with that student also. Too often a student and their parent can have a BAD experience while out on an early drive. Now the parent loses confidence in the student and the student in turn is nervous about driving with the parent. This may actually delay the driver attaining necessary skills. Most students can reach competency within 6 hours of a driver education class. They are not perfect drivers at that point, but continued coaching by a parent on the identified areas provided by the instructor give the kid the best chance to be successful. The two main factors in developing a safe driver , are attitude and experience. If they can get that base experience from an instructor, and supplement it with help from a caring parent, they have the best chance to survive the teen years of driving. Auto accidents by students in their teen years is by far the number one killer of our youth. If you take out hand guns, which is second, auto accidents kill our teens more than ALL other causes combined. Perhaps it would be a good investment in our youth. I would not discourage any parent from working with their kid on the necessary skills, but to think that all of these parents are equipped to do so or to think that the same parents who seldom see or talk to their kids will take this responsibility, is not thinking realistically. There are students in our schools that are even getting their license so that they can provide transportation for their parents and their siblings. Lets give these people that share the roads with the rest of us the best chance to be successful.
.

August 7, 2010 at 10:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Hornets picked ninth

Jackslap......thats too easy. You want a new coach because........
You must have some really good reasons and you must know a great deal about how the program is being conducted. Lets not just take shots without backing them up with good solid facts.

August 7, 2010 at 2:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Driving Dilemma

New drivers while pulling into angle parking spaces will often punch the wrong pedal, that is the accelerator at the time they need a brake. An instructor will anticipate this and keep the car from driving through the window at Graves Drugs, Crawford furniture, several convenience stores and Family video to name a few that have had cars driven through the front walls or windows. Some parents are NOT equipped for teaching driving skills and unfortunately some teen -parent relationships are not conducive to a good learning environment. For that new driver .......the scenario is often a very nervous over reactive parent, thus the student is often much more nervous learning with a parent than learning with an instructor who anticipates, has patience and has a secondary brake.
This is a lifetime skill and a lifesaving skill that has more importance than some seem to give it. Teen drivers need a structured, sequential way to learn ALL of the basic driving skills and laws. Not all parents can provide these things. Many parents can play catch with their kid in the yard but that may not make him a great baseball player. There is a void right now in this town for students to have the opportunity to get these skills. Technically parents you can even short cut the required supervised hours that your student needs by bogus record keeping. Is it a license that is your goal or is it a safe driver. I say bring driver education back to the schools. If a kid doesn't know how to make change, about the worst that can happen is he will get fired from his job at McDonalds.......what is the worst thing that can happen to that kid if he has poor driving skills and knowledge. I say that this is negligence by this community to NOT have available training for students. JMO

August 7, 2010 at 12:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Driving Dilemma

I also feel that a Driver Education program for Emporia is needed. This is not to slight parents at all. I feel that the new laws requiring parents to drive with their parents is a great law that gives some responsibility to the parent to give that student individualized driving training. A class though exposes students to areas that even parents may not know, have forgotten or have developed their own bad habits. A Driver Education car and anyone that teaches Driver Education for pay is required to have a secondary brake in the car. This is of course not only for the safety of the student but for the safety of those others on the streets and highways. With that break a teacher is allowed to let the student go a little further into a mistake before bailing the student out. (Example) student approaches a four-way stop at Rural street with parent/teacher ....who early starts giving the student clues to be sure to stop. In a Driver Education car the instructor may wait a long time to see when that student notices (if ever) the approaching stop sign. This is a better learning situation, the safety of the brake lets instructors monitor students ability to anticipate situations. The instructor can even feel with his brake foot as the student applies the brake and how much is being applied. All of this is a much better scenario and safer setting for learning, especially skills like city driving, paralell parking, and turning from highway speeds onto a gravel road.

August 7, 2010 at 12:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Next on the agenda

By the way....there have been no studies on the long term effects of an atom bomb in Lyon County......however I am willing to bet that based on evidence elsewhere...it isn't healthy. No real need to see its effect here. I will buy in to the studies that have been done in other areas.

January 15, 2009 at 10:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )