Tom Balsanek: Driving examples

With the General Assembly having debated funding driver’s education, here are some questions to consider. How many drivers do you see running yellow or red lights? Weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds and cutting off other drivers? Texting while driving? Not maintaining a safe distance with the car in front? Not using a turn signal or yielding?

It is true that not all of these drivers may be parents or parents of children ready to drive. Even if some of these drivers are parents with children not yet ready to drive, they send a powerful message to their children through their example. Driver’s education starts earlier than one thinks. And the GA wants the parents to assume responsibility to train their child?

I would hope that driver’s education is more than learning how to be comfortable at staying between two lines at 60 miles per hour or parking a car. It is learning the rules and courtesies of the road. From what I have observed, a number of drivers need to attend a driver’s education class, maybe even some of the GA members.

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Tom Balsanek: Driving examples."