AAA Says Driver Education is Critically Inadequate.

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 5, 1998--Many private and public driver education instructors are not getting adequate or standardized training, according to a recent AAA survey.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of teens are allowed to begin driving with insufficient knowledge of basic driving techniques.

"Private driving schools in 16 states and high school programs in three require no special training to become a driving instructor," said Charles Butler, director, AAA Safety Services. "They merely require the instructor to be a certain age and possess a valid driver's license."

Even in the states with the strictest of standards, the amount of professional training needed to become a driving instructor pales in comparison to other professions.

"It takes more training to be certified to cut hair or clean teeth than it does to teach new drivers. Yet, we depend on driving instructors to train our teens to operate a two-ton machine that all too often becomes a lethal weapon. Car crashes are the leading killer of teens," said Butler.

The survey also indicated a disparity in the qualification levels of public school and private driving instructors.

"Public school driving instructors in 44 states are required to have a college degree while only six states require the same of private driving instructors," said Butler. "This doesn't mean all commercial driving schools are bad, but it does point out the need for parents to do some homework on local driving schools before selecting one."

To solve the problem, AAA is calling for the implementation of uniform driving instructor guidelines to ensure the education process meets the needs of today's teen drivers.

"Professional courses for driver education instructors need to be more readily available, and state governing agencies need to be more aware of the needs of today's drivers," Butler said. "We are taking chances with our most valuable asset -- our young people."

Implementing uniform instructor qualifications is one of the key goals of AAA's "Licensed to Learn: A Safety Program for New Drivers" campaign.

"Driver training from a professional instructor, combined with an additional 50 to 100 hours of adult-supervised driving experience, will help to curb the alarming crash rate of new drivers." said Butler.

AAA is the principal supporter of the Coalition for Road and Traffic Safety, a group of public and private entities that is working to develop a professional training program to raise instructor standards nationally. The program would be run by the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Potential instructors would complete three separate, 45-hour courses -- Driver Task Analysis, Developing Novice Driver Skills and Enhancing Driver Performances. Upon successful completion of the courses, the instructors become certified to teach driver education.

"AAA urges the state agencies that have regulatory responsibility for driver education to adopt this process," Butler said. "This program not only provides instructors with knowledge of the principles of driving, it also ensures they have the ability to be effective teachers."

AAA has developed the brochure, "Choosing a Driving School...A Guide for Beginning Drivers," to help consumers find a quality driver education course. To receive a copy, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to AAA, Traffic Safety Department, Mail Stop 76, 1000 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746-5063.

AAA news releases can be downloaded from http://www.aaa.com/news