Milford chronicle., 1958-02-28
Safety Council News

There's hot controversy going
on among educators throughout
| the country on whether there is
| lasting value in teaching young
! children traffic and pedestrian
! safety through the use of miniature
pedal cars the children operate.
The pro and con of the new idea
of Safety Education" magazine,
which has been sent to every Del
aware school by the Delaware
Safety Council. So far, the council
has received no reaction from Del
aware educators on the idea.
One of the pioneers in driver
education" for kindergarten and
primary grade children has been
the school of Keokuk, Iowa. Rich
ard ". Jones, driver education and
safety director of the Senior High
School there declared: I'VE feel
that there is real value in this
activity" Keokuk has a pedestrian
| education program which includes
the Pedal Car Project"
A negative vote was cost by Olga
Adams, kindergarten teacher en-
eritus Of the Laboratory School,
University of Chicago. Young
children may give lip-service and
some correct performance under
adult guidance, but what will be
the hold-over from this highly ar
tificial situation some 10 to IL years
hence when actual driving skill
may be learned and lawfully prac-
ticed-perhaps only the fun of
'wrecks?'" she said
Thelma Bennett, principal of
fairfield School at Phoenix, Ari-
zona,. thinks a lasting impression
is made on the primary grade chill
dren by teaching street and high
way safety on a miniature traffic
course laid out by the city traffic
engineers. Here in a life-like sit
uation, primary children-kinder-
garten, first, second and third
graders put behind the wheels
of scaleddown, fOOt-propelled cars.
Signs, signals, three-lane boule-
ward and a One-way street give
these children the opportunity to
CIAOOuhtCi SfCIy u dAlC o1IudLlOH
found in city driving" Children
take turns as drivers, pedestrians
and traffic officers, and as judge,
bailiff or jurors in traffic court.
There is mo doubt, the Phoenix
principal said, that this training
makes a lasting impression, and
it brings an unexpected dividend
in the effect of the program upon
parents.
Also in favor of the idea is Wal
ter j. Waetjen, professor of educa-
ton at the University of Maryland
He said: There can be little
doubt that children Will learn the
rules OF traffic safety from using
miniature cars which they drive"
He, added: 1.-THE value of this ex-
perience is not defined by the fact
that youngsters learn the rules of
traffic safety. 1t is defined by the
learned the rules of traffic safety
they have greater understanding
of their culture, greater percep-
tiveness and sensitivity to other
people, greater control and pre-
ciSiOn of their behavior and that
they are infinitely better fitted to
lead a more effective and produc-
tive life"
Robert J. Havighurst, professor
of education at the University of
Chicago, said there may be danger
in having children serve as the
Judge and jury and hand out pun
ishment to each other, for a class
may make scapegoats of two or
three children.
Another view opposed to the
program was expressed by Stanley
Mckee, principal of Lincoln School
Highland Park, Illinois He said
"A child who has been exposed to
safety learnings for each activity
as he approaches the need of that
activity will be a far safe driver
in my opinion, than a child who
has play-acted at driving. in a to-
tally unrealistic situation"
Charles Fl. Dent, associated pro-
fessor, curriculum and instruction
at the University OF Texas, said the
use of miniature cars in driver
training classes in kindergarten
and primary grades would enable
teachers and pupils to emphasize