Letters to the editor for Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Return driver education to the classroom

A demonstration including the Novice Driving and DUI simulators have been presented along with a discussion about a Classroom on Wheels grant which is pending at the USAA auto insurance corporation. The presentation was hosted by members of the Look Ahead Driving Simulator Foundation.

Simulators in combination with classroom and behind-the-wheel experience could provide a very safe, cost-effective tool for improving teenager driving skills and reducing their high accident rates. Sadly, high schools have dropped driver education, while all classes students take for driver education are the only courses designed to keep them alive.

Let’s put high school driver education on the same level as sports, which means we use a competitive concept to encourage students to be the best driver in the class. The simulator scores could be the key to ranking student driving ability.

Effective driver training starts by learning about rules of the road and traffic control devices (signals, signs and markings). This can be emphasized by using driving-simulator hands-on experience to evaluate ever-increasing levels of difficulty. Various scenarios such as DUI, weather, terrain and distractions such as a child chasing a ball rolling onto the street, pets or wild animals crossing the street, emergency vehicle lights and sirens, etc. show the results needed to make corrections for review to continue with the training.

Ron Kendall

Carson City

Out with the extremists

Chuck Muth writes in his column July 26 that some time spent under governance like Jimmy Carter would benefit us. Is he kidding? Does he remember that time? Malaise lacks enough descriptive authority.

Iran hostage crisis, Central American appeasement, weak Soviet relations and stagflation, to name a few Carter failures. Ask yourself, is the risk worth it? I say no.

As to rating conservatives, apparently 90 percent (McConnell) and 93 percent (Enzi) lifetime American Conservative Union ratings are not conservative enough. Seriously? The GOP tent may be “big,” but the entrance is the size of a gnat’s eyelash.

To win (and govern), the GOP must win the hearts, minds and votes of the entire electorate. That means extremists need not apply.

Cheryl Blomstrom

Carson City