Death by automobile
Parents don’t know or understand
that the most probable way a person between the age of 16 and 21 is going to
die is in a car!
42,000 plus
deaths per year should demand our attention
As long as
there are teenagers there will be schools that teach teens to drive--- but
every once in a while you come across a school which is different, one that
challenges teens beyond the limits of the common contemporary driver education
such as how to turn left or how to control a skidding car, to a place where the
emphasis is placed on attitude and talking with teens frankly about the life
and death issues which effect us all. Where subjects such as Road Rage, Drugs,
Alcohol, Speed and disobeying the very laws which are in place to protect
people from harm and even death are seriously and repeatedly spoken of. The
principle that every student in every class has great “individual value” and
that every other person on the road has equal value is stressed to each student
by teachings such as, “you are worth more
than the whole world everything in the world, including the sun the moon and
the stars”. This is used as a preface to teach why it is so important to
drive safe, “think about what you have to
gain by driving correctly, and what you can lose by driving carelessly. And God
forbid should someone die --- what in the world could you ever pay to get them
back? Everything is not enough!” This is taught often by owners Jon Swaino
and Dave Scarpino of
Number one
reason given for crashes today is driver error.
Nothing earth
shattering or new, our teens are young and inexperienced, and when you combine
this with risk taking and distraction which often occurs behind
the wheel, you raise the potential for tragedy. According to statistics an
automobile crash is the number one most likely way a person between the age of
16 and 21 is going to die. You might be surprised to know that cell phones are
killing young and old alike. The term Driving
While Distracted (DWD) and Driving
While Texting (DWT) describe two of the most
lethal and most common causes for teen crashes and deaths. It is our
recommendation to parents that use of cell phones be
strictly limited to non-drive-times for both teens and adults. This may sound
radical to you but the facts overwhelmingly support this position. None of us
can safely drive a car and at the same time talk or text on a cell phone. It
cannot be done! Another danger to watch for is when
you get any more than 2 teens in a car on a Friday or Saturday night – this is
a recipe for disaster. Being distracted by any little thing can be devastating.
Dave says: “When you consider that 85% of
all crashes are directly related to driver error then there is hope because
that means with a proper attitude during driving you can greatly reduce the
chances of being involved in a crash. We want the students to learn to be a Dr.
Jekyll in the vehicle calm- cool- composed and let Mr. Hyde come out at the
football and basketball games crazy- loud- playful. Hyde does not belong in the
car as a driver or as a passenger!”
Alcohol is a
killer and not just in the car.
Talk about a reason to
go to war! Did you know that 42,643 people needlessly died on our nations
highways in 2003, and 17,013 of those deaths were directly related to alcohol
use. Dave says, “You can’t blame the car!
It is error on the part of teens and adults to assume that somehow drinking
will be ok as long as you don’t add the car. That’s plain foolishness. Alcohol
destroys lives and kills people with or without a car! We take a strong stance
because we see young lives being destroyed and we will fight for their lives
even if it’s unpopular, they are worth it!” In one of the classes a student
offered an account from her own life saying: “After getting drunk my uncle did
the right thing and walked home instead of driving, and on his way home he was struck by a car
and killed as he stumbled into the street.” Think about it! Dave says: “As bad as the problem of alcohol is it is
not the only problem facing our young people. Not getting enough sleep ranks at
the top and kills just as sure and just like drinking it is preventable.”
Road Rage
There is no place on the road for anger, rage, short
tempers and impoliteness. Road Rage is getting out of hand and many states are
looking into new laws which will help curb this unacceptable behavior. Dr. Leon
James Ph.D., a noted psychologist says there are as many as 400 billion acts of
aggression exchanged on the road annually. Before you say but that is the other
guy not me consider some of actions which are considered Road Rage: Tailgating,
Speeding, Hand Gestures, Saying something Rude to another driver, trying to
Control another, being bothered by another driver who is going to slow and many
more. The truth is we wouldn’t yell at a little old lady going slowly through a
doorway at the mall, we would most likely seek to help her, but in our cars we
scream, throw fits, and that’s wrong. At Best Defense we try hard to teach our
young new drivers to care about the other people on the road as much as they
would care about themselves or a dear family member, like mom or dad, or
grandma and grandpa. Imparting the value of each individual on the road: “It is not enough to just teach the mechanics
of safe driving to our teens, as important as that is,
they need more. On today’s congested roads fast cars, road rage, and the
confusion concerning alcohol and drug use--- don’t mix. Our teens need straight
talk about improper attitude and behavior which will endanger there lives. We
need to demonstrate to teens, not just lecture them. Helping them to see how
sharing the road in polite and caring ways will make for safer and more
enjoyable driving but the most important message we can give them is one of
their worth.” says Dave.
This is our way of introducing ourselves to you. We
are a company owned and operated by two very caring individuals.
Sincerely
Jon Swaino and Dave Scarpino