Outline 4 of My Required Weekly Outlines

Drivers education for the young and old

This is a presentation of Road Rage and Aggressive Driving

By: Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl; Published by Prometheus Books, 2000,

pg. 111-119

By: Kyle Takeshima

Instructions for this oral presentation are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy22/g22-oral.htm

I. Dangerous teenage drivers

A. Teenagers have a much higher risk of car fatalities than other age groups.

a. Teenagers engage in risky behavior when driving, due largely to immaturity and poor judgment.

b. They do not have much experience behind the wheel, so they have a harder time avoiding and preventing unexpected situations.

B. Example

a. When my friends and I first got our driver’s licenses in high school, we were much more irresponsible about driving and did not think about the consequences of reckless driving, such as speeding and racing.

C. Opinion

a. This is a very important issue because too many young people die or get seriously injured from car crashes that could easily have been avoided.

b. I think teenagers should gain more experience driving before getting their license, they should be educated about the dangers and consequences of irresponsible driving, and their parents should monitor when and where their children are allowed to drive.

II. Lifelong driver education

A. Having driver education throughout a person’s life is a way to make driving safer for everyone.

a. A K-12 curriculum would include different stages of education that teach a child positive concepts.

b. Three aspects of the personality (affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor) need to be addressed at different stages in the child’s education.

B. Example

a. Because the three aspects of our driving personality are developed from the time we are very young, the way that a child is educated will directly affect their driving.

C. Opinion

a. Because the three aspects of our driving personality are developed from the time we are very young, I think that the way a child is educated will definitely affect their driving.

b. The K-12 curriculum seems like an effective way to teach children the positive standards of driving behavior. If I had children, I would like them to learn these standards.

III. Quality Driving Circles (QDCs)

A. QDCs are groups of drivers that get together to collaborate and encourage each other to be good drivers.

a. They follow a self-improvement program to keep them aware of safe driving practices and to help them understand how to improve their own driving and safety.

B. Example

a. Talking to friends about the dangers and positives of driving can help me to be more aware of how to drive safely.

b. My friend recently told me that she almost got into an accident while talking on her cell phone and driving, and it made me more aware and cautious about using my phone in the car.

C. Opinion

a. I think that QDCs are a good idea, but I do not think that very many people would willingly participate in it unless they were forced to.

b. Also, although theoretically it may be beneficial, it is hard to say whether or not the self-improvement programs would actually help the driver while he/she is in the situation.

My Home Page:

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2005/takeshima/homepage.htm