| The United States and Canada are experiencing an | | | | optimal situation. |
| increased young driver population after years of a | | | | Driver's Education definitely needs to be updated. It |
| decreased population due to the baby boom echo. | | | | will benefit us as a society to have skilled, confident |
| Simultaneously, enrollment in Driver's Education | | | | and prepared drivers on the road. Small |
| courses has declined. With our technological | | | | advancements have been made. Many states are |
| advancements as a society, we should be able to | | | | allowing a student to take an approved CD ROM |
| offer a high tech, more comprehensive training | | | | based or online course. There is also a downloadable |
| system for our young drivers. | | | | Drivers Ed PC Game. Prospective drivers can practice |
| Studies show that for effective and lasting crash | | | | driving online and complete practice tests with this |
| prevention techniques to be taught both skill and | | | | interactive game. However, the posted reviews of |
| motivational aspects must be addressed effectively. | | | | this game indicate that partakers found this game |
| Therefore, educational training and behavioral change | | | | non-engaging and boring. This may not be a |
| intervention is needed to produce a decrease in the | | | | representative sample as people who enjoy the |
| amount of traffic crashes in young drivers. New | | | | game may be too busy playing to fill out the review! |
| drivers need to learn to handle a vehicle as well as | | | | Offering an option of time in a driving simulator would |
| interact with other road users. It takes several years | | | | be a great motivator to get new drivers to attend |
| for a driver to reach mature risk levels as the only | | | | Driver's Ed. Interactive computer software games [ |
| way to reach this level is by gaining experience. | | | | that propose different situations and scores |
| The linking of parents and community influences as | | | | according to the drivers handling of the situation is a |
| well as personal involvement and incentives would | | | | less expensive suggestion. Take into consideration |
| likely have positive results. These results would likely | | | | the video gaming phenomenon and then show me a |
| be produced within each individual community through | | | | teenager that refuses to practice his video game! |
| its own efforts. Interactive media could be used to | | | | Video gaming can accomplish both the educational |
| enhance perceptual and decision skills. Studies show | | | | training and the behavioral change intervention. |
| that video games can increase attentional capacity. | | | | Post baby boom echo has found an increased young |
| Therefore, the integration of interactive gaming type | | | | driver population for the United States and Canada. |
| activities could help improve these skills. Integrating | | | | This increase in new drivers is accompanied by a |
| this curriculum to areas of personal and social values, | | | | decline in enrollment in Driver's Education courses. We |
| risk taking, self esteem, peer pressure, health | | | | should be able to offer a high tech, more |
| protection etc. could foster an ingrained | | | | comprehensive training system for our young drivers. |
| understanding of the subject matter. Pairing a deep | | | | Driving simulators and driving video games are two |
| understanding of the responsibility to other drivers | | | | promising avenues for revamping Driver's Education! |
| with the skill needed to operate a vehicle safely is an | | | | |