STUDENTS RISING: icy conditions send this student driver skidding off course – and out of control.
Bellmore photos by Douglas Finlay
by Douglas Finlay
With some 16 teens per day – and 6,000 per year – dying on the highways from vehicular crashes, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) at Mepham took Grim Reaper Day, November 7, to show students just how much instruction they still need to drive in winter conditions while also showing them how driving when distracted could compromise their chances of survival.
In conjunction with a grant from Allstate, and with the Parent Community Center, the Mepham student parking lot became an obstacle course designed to show students driving their own cars how slippery winter conditions can affect their driving, and what happens when a driver is distracted.
“This program is about safety and driving, about winter weather driving conditions, about distractions, about how they affect teen driving,” remarked Wendy Tepfer, executive director of the Community Parent Center, which is in the third year of a partnership with the Allstate Foundation to teach teens proper and safe ways to drive.
Krista Conti, corporate relations for Allstate, said the course, the first of its kind in Nassau and the first time it has had a winter driving component, was to make sure students understand how to balance skill and confidence by helping them understand winter weather conditions and what distractions might do to affect their decisions behind the wheel.
“The course is based on actual figures from accidents caused, for example, from just unwrapping a candy bar, and come from statistics from the Department of Motor Vehicles and law enforcement agencies,” she continued.
A pilot program?
Dr. Henry Kiernan, superintendent of Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District (CHSD) schools, called the obstacle course a “pilot program for students to get hands-on experience at winter driving conditions, which are a concern to us.”
District (CHSD) schools, called the obstacle course a “pilot program for students to get hands-on experience at winter driving conditions, which are a concern to us.”
Saul Lerner, CHSD director of physical education, athletics, driver education and health, said of the course that “Clearly, anything we can do to improve driving skills is something we will be looking to incorporate into the curriculum,” adding that it’s “a no-brainer to add to the curriculum if we could get the funding for it.”
The obstacle course involved students receiving instructions from Allstate driver assistants about what to do on the course. Students were instructed to keep their eyes on a flashing light at the end of the course, and miss a cone when the light flashed. Instructors then got into the car to provide plenty of distractions, such as talking, eating, putting papers up close to the driver.
“It was a really big distraction,” said senior Sarah Holtzman. “When the light blinked I had to miss a cone, but it’s hard to watch for the flashing light when the radio is on and people were talking in the car at you.”
“I’m never going to read again while I’m driving,” quipped senior Alexandra Bendernagel.
“What they did distracted me, alright,” said Jimmy Burns, a senior. “I’ve always tried to recognize the distractions out there, because I’ve only be driving for a few months.” This course helped, he said.
“This is fun, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be as fun in a real situation,” remarked Dave Meyers, a senior. “I had to swerve, alright,” he said.
Another obstacle course involved driving through an icy patch of the parking lot and doing such things as pulling on the emergency brake to elicit a reaction from the car and the student’s reaction to it.
A random selection
Barbara Gai, health teacher and SADD advisor, said a number of the students using their cars in the obstacle course were SADD students. “For others, it was a random selection to see how we could spread the word” once they were placed back into their environment.
“I actually picked two students from my hall duty,” she added.
Michelle Dimino, a junior and chairperson for the day’s SADD event who doesn’t drive, said of the course that “we’re trying to spread awareness to the kids who will grow up and be the drivers on the road tomorrow to be careful about what they are doing.”
She told this newspaper that every period during the day a few students were pulled out of class and were asked not to talk, to represent the people that are killed in the roads by distracted or drunk drivers.
She added that the SADD group is currently building a memorial garden to former Mepham student Melissa Giorgio, who was killed in New York City by such a driver last year.
Public official approval
Public officials invited to witness the program in action, and who sat in as persons designated to distract some drivers, were all unanimous in their approval of the idea of hands-on obstacle-course training.
Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, who enforces a zero-tolerance policy toward driving while intoxicated (DWI), said “it starts right here in the classroom. This program will give the kids more tools to become better drivers.”
County Legislator Norma Gonsalves told this newspaper that getting to the kids at this early age was also important to help break them of the habits their parents were following.
“When parents come to pick up their kids they are driving around the school looking for their kids by talking over cell phones. Kids learn that that behavior is alright.” She said parents must learn to become the role models for their kids in how to behave properly behind the wheel.
Legislator Dave Denenberg said the Legislature had recently passed legislation barring text messaging while driving.
“Often, the county will pass laws that the state then looks at,” he said.
Assemblyman Dave McDonough said the state is in serious discussion about a text messaging law that will outlaw students or anyone from text messaging while driving.
“Driving is a privilege, not a right,” he said. “We passed a tremendous DWI law that is fully enforced here in the county, and we have a cell phone law in effect as well that prohibits people from using it while driving.”
Assemblyman Tom McKevitt was asked if cell phone laws or text messaging laws are fully enforceable, and if anyone does, or will, obey those laws. “Seat belt laws weren’t followed at first, and now everyone obeys them,” he said.
However, he too said it is hard to enforce such laws when parents are breaking them all the time, setting a bad example.