| Show BILL introduced TO PROVIDE DRIVING EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS the utah safety council announced that legislation teas been introduced in the house which if passed would be a significant step forward in the expansion of the driver education program in high schools the bill would provide powerful incentives for high school students to enroll in these courses without making the training compulsory the bill would also authorize the appropriation of annually to the uniform it am school fund fo foe r apportionment amo among ng the school chorIc districts tS to finance the expanded program the incon alvea ives for lot i such uch enrollment would be 1 the provision permitting teen egers to obtain their operators permits at the age of 10 16 it if they th successfully passed a at driver ea education course while those who did not would have to wait until age 17 the minimum age for instruction permits would be reduced from the present age 16 requirement under the bill provided the applicant is enrolled in a driver education course the bill was introduced as a committee measure by rep harold V davis chairman of the house traffic safety committee the utah safety council in recommending reco mending such legislature pointed out that high school driver education program is 1 away out of line with that of 24 4 other states in the nation in this program and that by expanding it here we can anticipate at least a 50 per cent reduction in traffic accidents among teenagers te eagers at the present time this group is responsible for or approximately 13 per cent of the total accidents in the state and causing an estimated in economic losses the reduction in acci accidents dentO sv which should follow the increased training would result in at least in annual savings from these losses aside from the caving saving in human lives and injured the bin bill is not intended as a punitive measure upon this group but more as a help to them the council believes that actually very few of the group would kave have to wait until age 17 to obtain their licences licenses licen ces because of the conditional provision applying to the increase in the age require requirement me nt this is perhaps the most significant ant step the legislature can take at this session in the way of emending amending em ending our laws to promote greater traffic safety in utah said 0 ernest bourne executive secretary of ox the utah safety council we need very few changes in the law to accomplish com greater safety he said the real need is the more effective and faithful enforcement of the present laws the safety council spokesman pointed out that the outstanding value of driver education la Is the improved attitudes judgement jud gement and avoidance of bad driving habits which result the simple ability to pass the written and d driving riving examinations for an operators orators era tors license Is only elementary among this group it was also pointed out that many high school students already have their drivers licenses at age 16 and consequently are not interested tn in the driver education program under the impression there is no value in it this is the greatest mistake they can make mr bourne said and they would quickly recognize it once them they participated in the program |
