Driver's ed goes high-tech at Duncan school

Web posted February 3, 1999

Associated Press

DUNCAN, S.C. -- An experimental driver's education course at Byrnes High School has dozens of teen-agers taking the wheel -- of a computer.

The school has outfitted 30 stations in a computer lab with Sierra Driver's Education '99 software and a computer-linked steering wheel, brake and accelerator. The software gives students written tests before they progress to the driving simulations, and it prompts them to practice safe driving habits.

``This gives us and them a general idea of what they can and cannot do before they get out on the highway,'' said Ron Simmons, a Byrnes coach and driver education instructor.

``It shows how well you pay attention to where you're going,'' 15-year-old Terri Sistare said. As the computer program points out in the first lesson, 85 percent of accidents are caused by driver error.

School officials began their trial run of the computer system a week ago and Simmons said they are still working out some scheduling and operations kinks. He is convinced the instruction will make his students better drivers.

``If you can save one or two lives, it's well worth it,'' Simmons said. It cost about $100 per work station, or a little more than $3,000 overall, he said.

Some South Carolina schools have been using self-contained driving simulators, but those cost $2,500 to $3,000 each, Simmons said. At that price, a school might have one or two simulators for 30 students, severely limiting their practice time.

When Simmons learned at a state driver's education conference last fall that person al-computer software was available at a lower cost, he pitched the program to Byrnes Principal Linda Carson and she approved the expenditure.

Simmons expects each student to get five hours of simulated driving to augment the six hours South Carolina driver's education students spend on the road with an instructor. The computer program will take them through foggy and rainy conditions that they otherwise may not encounter, he said.

About 300 Byrnes students take driver education each year, and most already have their driver's licenses, Simmons said. They take the course to lower their auto insurance rates.

Before he had the computer lessons, 16-year-old Jason Burke said he did not fully appreciate the importance of checking his rear- and side-view mirrors.

``I'd look at my mirrors, but I never really paid attention,'' Burke said. ``This makes me think about it more.''

The computer program prompts the student drivers to check their mirrors at specific intervals and it deducts points from their final scores if they don't follow instructions.

There also are sound effects, such as a police siren that whines when the driver exceeds the speed limit, and an announcer who comments on the driver's performance with statements like ``good job'' when the student is cautious and ``let me out right now'' when a student drives recklessly.

``I think it's a good learning tool for driving,'' said Lashaunna Hunter, a 17-year-old senior who has been driving for two years. She said it has made her more aware of driving speeds and checking her mirrors, and it's more fun than studying a manual.

One of the best things about the computer instruction, Simmons said, is that the teens don't want to stop the simulation when the class period ends.

``I think they've enjoyed it,'' he said. ``I think they've picked up one or two things that will make them better drivers.''