HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1969-05-15, Page 22The News -Record, May 15, 1969 — Car Care Supplement — Page 10
Safe Driving a Three -Legged Stool, Expert Says
Education, Sound Cars and Roads
Help Reduce Accident Rate,
Driver Ed Teaches
Amos E. Neyhart, for more than 35 years a tireless ambas-
sador for traffic safety, likens his field to a three-legged stool.
"Youtake a properly educated driver, give him a well -
engined vehicle and then design a modern highway that can
handle the traffic and you'll see a terrific reduction in the
accident rate," says the director emeritus of the Institute of
Public Safety at The Pennsylvania State University.
"Eliminate one of these factors and you're in trouble, It's
like a three-legged stool, knock a leg out and the stool will fall,"
Best Known As Father of Driver Education
For all his considerable achievements in his chosen profes-
sion, Neyhart is best renowned as the father of driver educa-
tion in the nation.
For it was in 1933 that Neyhart, equipping his 1929 Graham
Paige with dual controls and footing the bills himself, taught
the first driver education course in the country.
There were 34 State College High School pupils in that class.
Today the estimate is that almost 15 million students have
learned to drive from courses modeled after Neyhart's original
edition of 36 years ago.
At last count, 13,311 of the nation's 17,954 high schools —
or 74 per cent—offer approved
courses in driver training. By
the same token, latest statis-
tics also show that 56 per cent
of the nation's pupil popula-
tion -1,725,380 of 3,093,348 stu-
dents — are enrolled in driver
education programs.
How did the whole thing
come about?
"Well," said Neyhart as he
sipped a cup of coffee in the
campus offices of the institute,
"I'm an industrial engineer by
profession.
A Personal. Stake
"But from my years in in-
dustry, I learned that you
made no headway with your
safety programs until you con-
vinced the employee that he
had a personal stake in acci-
dent prevention.
"The same thing applied to
driving. If we were going to
make traffic safety work, we
had to work with the individ-
ual.
"We had to get 'em before
they learned bad habits. And
when was the best time for
that? Just as soon as they're
old enough to drive, and that
meant high school."
Today, at an age (69) when
most men would be thinking
of a relaxing afternoon on the
front porch, Neyhart is almost,
if not quite as active.
"I just can't sit back when
there's a lot of work to be done
and potentially a lot of lives
to be saved," he said at the
time of his retirement.
Looking back, while Neyhart
is impressed with the variety
of sophisticated aids and ma-
chinery to be utilized through
the .years inthe teaching of
safety, education, he still ac-
knowledges some shortcom-
ings.
jail Sentence Needed
"Why don't we teach people
how to drink and drive?" he
asked recently. "We know
they're not going to stop
drinking s� why don't we teach
'em that it takes the physical
system 11/2 hours to throw off
a jigger of whiskey?
"For the incorrigibles, there's
only one way to handle them
with a stiff jail sentence and
a high fine."
Another area which has been
left unexplored, Neyhart says,
is teaching people to drive at
high speeds, "With these new
superhighways, everyone
`should know how to decelerate
a vehicle from the legal speed
limit," he theorizes..
And finally, he advocates
the construction of community
driving areas simulated ob-
stacle courses to give drivers
experience in handling an au-
tomobile when "they go into a
skid; when their tires blow;
when they run off the shoul-
der; when their brakes give
out en a windy roadway, things
like that."
Right Way, Only Way
He says: "We've been teach-
ing manipulative skills; how
to start, steer, back up, make
turns. We have not been teach-
ing accident prevention skills.
This is a criticism of the pro -
41.
Even in the early days of driver training, students were taught basic mechanics of a car. Driver
training founder Amos E. Neyhart explained workings to kis 1933 State College High School class.
gram I accept. We haven't
gotten into this, and I won't
be satisfied until we do."
To Neyhart, there is only
one way for a youngster to
learn how to drive and that's
the right way.
"What good is georfietry or
chemistry to a young boy who
gets killed on the highway?"
he asks. "Driver education is
not merely a preparation for
life — it's a .way to stay alive."
TUNE-UP
For Trouble Free Driving
Chevrolet.
Pacesetter Values
This year's cars at less than lash year's prices.
You already know where most prices are going. Up. So
you'd naturally expect the brand-new '69 cars shown
here to cost a lot more than last year. Fact is, many
cars in this year's line-up from Chevrolet cost less,
much less, than last year's models. For instance, the
2 -door Impala, equipped with power disc brakes,
Turbo Hydra-matic transmission, whitewalls,
wheel covers and head restraints, plus a bigger
motor than last year, is yours for $120.50"' less
than last year's figure. And comparable savings
are waiting for you on many Nova,
Chevelle and Camaro models. In
other words, you can buy many
of this year's cars at less than
last year's prices. Which is ,
what putting you first is all
about. From the top, Chevy
Nova, Chevelle Malibu,
Camaro and Impala.
MARK OF
EXCELLENCE
Every Chevrolet has to make it
before we mark it.
'Based on manufacturer's suggested maximum retail
prices, including federal sales and excise tax and
suggested dealer delivery and handling charges,
Pacesetter Values
SEE YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED CHEVROLET DEALER
XPS•369•D
LORNE BROWN MOTORS LIMITED
30 ONTARIO ST,, CLINTON. ONT.
PHONE 482.9321