Evening star., 1936-09-13
COURSE IN SAFE
DRIVING IS URGED
FOR HIGH SCHOOLS
Motor Club Letter Tells Mrs,
Doyle, Board Head, of
Benefits. a
RESULTS GRATIFYING
IN OTHER PLACES
Books at Cost and Autos for In.
struction Would Be Free
Under Plan.

safe automobile driving in senior
high schools here was made to the
Board OF Education yesterday by the
District Motor Club, branch Of the
American Automobile Association.
In a letter to Mrs. Marion Wade
Doyle, board president. Richard M.
Ham, safety director Of the motor
club, cited the growing recognition
in many States and cities Of the value
of safety education, especially among
drivers and prospective drivers in the
high school age group.
The course outlined by Ham would
include several hours of classroom in
struction in safety needs, rules Of the
road and city regulations and other
theoretical work, and wind up with
actual driving instruction, the student
at the wheel of car under the guild
ance Of q trained instructor. 1t has
been promised serious consideration"
by Mrs. Doyle.
The course Of study already Is be-
ing used in many cities, and during
the past Summer was tried out in a
special class at Pennsylvania State
College under the direction Of Amos
E. Neyhart, professor Of industrial
engineering. He has specialized in
work and is now in
Washington on leave from the COL
lege to perfect and establish the
course in high schools throughout
the country.
Special Cars Available.
For the field" work, which con-
cludes the course, special cars with
dual sets Of clutches and brakes
have been made available to all
schools establishing the approved
A. A. A. course by the Pontiac Motor
Co., of Pontiac, Mich. Seven of these
cars have been assigned to cities in
this section, where driver-training
courses are now under way. and would
be available for the Washington high
school students If the board decides
to install the course in the schools
here, Ham said.
In his letter to Mrs. Doyle, copies
of which were furnished other, mem
bers Of the board and DIR. Frank
Ballou, superintendent Of schools,
Ham expressed the hope that the
course could well be adopted on the
basis of . major subject, for which
q full unit of credit would be given"
I'VE might mention" Ham wrote.
that the senior high school Is the
logical place for such q course be-
cause, first. from the record Of trafic
accidents, it is clearly indicated that
there is a very serious need for such
instruction among students of this
age and, second, it is during the high
school years that students have very
keen interest in learning how to drive
and are approaching the age at which
permits can be issued under the law"
Mrs. Doyle said she would not care
to comment on the motor clubs plan
until it had been taken up by the
board at its next meeting Wednesday,
but believed the time has come for
driving instruction to be considered
most seriously"
I'VE are living in machine age
and our children should be taught by
teachers how to handle
such machines as they are likely to
come in contact with" she explained.
Driving . Privilege.
IT believe young men and women
should be impressed with the fact
that driving on the public highways
Is a privilege, not right, and should
not be permitted to operate . car
unless they can do so properly. Sec
ondly. I believe they should be taught
how to drive in the same way they are
taught anything else, not by brother
or father riding around the block with
them few times, but by an instructor
specially qualified to perform the task
1t is a question of saving lives"
The teaching of safety in schools
has been made obligatory in the States
Of New Jersey and Missouri, and n
Indiana 40 hours of driving instruc-
tion is a prerequisite to high school
graduation, Ham pointed out.
The full course of class room in
struction has been drawn up In mimeo-
graph form for examination by the
board members, but will be published
As class room text by next month,
It was explained. In writing the text,
was given to its devel-
opment by competent trafic special
lists, textbook writer's and educators,
50 the material would be of the highest
quality from the standpoint of student
safety material and pedogogic
While the class room work is con-
sidered necessary as a foundation,
and even Includes instruction in the
of an automobile, stress
would be laid chiefly on the actual
driving instruction. This instruction
was developed by Prof. Neyhart
among high school students at State
College, Pa, during his spare hours.
The Neyhart system" is based on
safe driving habits. After conducting
research in industrial
plants, as well as among drivers of
fleets Of trucks, he determined that
safety habits can be inculcated with
thorough instruction. One truck COM
pany, which adopted the policy Of
the "repeaters," drivers
who had accidents with greater than
usual frequency, decreased accidents
80 per cent while getting rid of only
5 per cent Of its drivers.
Another company operating buses,
experimenting with the same policy,
replaced the men discharged with
others who had never driven motor
vehicle before. After an intensive
schooling in safe-driving habits, the
new men established q record for no
accidents among large number Of
experienced drivers.
Result Of Education.
Turning to the question OF accidents
among private-car operators, Neyhart
found that while the national death
Gee sAlI DRIVING, rass Bad
: