April 10, 2008

Rethinking Drivers' Ed

Posted by Kate Sheppard at 6:00AM

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In the United States, getting your drivers' license a rite of passage for many teens, marking your first taste of independence. We're a car-obsessed culture, and the fact that many teens spend hours and hours in drivers' education courses preparing to get behind the wheel reflects that. But what if instead of learning to drive a car, American students learned how to use the full-scope of transportation options? If mobility education advocate David Levinger has his way, that's exactly what teens would be learning rather than placing all the emphasis on automobiles.

"The drivers license has become the American coming of age ritual," says Levinger, a Seattle native and the director of the Mobility Education Foundation. "This is very important transition point. You're increasing the demand for and reliance upon driving at the same time you're teaching kids to drive."

Levinger founded the Mobility Education Foundation in May 2007 to promote the idea that high school students should be taught how to get around safely and efficiently using a variety of transportation options. Under the model he has proposed, students would learn about walking, biking, and using public transportation in these courses as well, and the financial and health benefits of alternative modes of transport.

"By being able to use the full transportation system, you can save a lot of money, and also extend your ability to travel and really increase your mobility," says Levinger.

Americans spend an average $8,000 a year to own and operate a car, a huge financial burden that many young people aren't prepared to take on. Reliance upon the automobile also sets young people up for a lifetime behind the wheel, an unhealthy habit. The average adult spends an hour and a half in the car each day , and according a study conducted by the University of British Columbia, every 30 minutes spent in a car per day is linked with a 3 percent increase in the risk of obesity. Biking or walking also makes you healthier, which means you'll spend less money on medical costs.

The Mobility Education Foundation already rolled out a pilot version of the class in Federal Way, Wash., which devotes 12 hours of drivers' education to other forms of transportation. Students in the class learned bicycle safety rules and practiced riding in traffic, and practiced riding the bus. They were also asked to plan a trip in a far-away city, so that they could see what it's like to get around in a new place without needing to rent a car or hail a taxi. The Mobility Education Foundation hopes to get a larger-scale pilot off the ground, and make their curriculum available to other advocates around the country.

Mobility education advocates had their first legislative success in Washington last month, when legislation calling for bicyclist and pedestrian safety information to to be added to drivers' education curriculum passed in both the state House and Senate.

The bill was weaker than Levinger was hoping for, and didn't include any additional funding schools to provide additional coursework, but it was a first step in getting mobility education into the state's public schools. It also helped draw more attention to a cause that Levinger hopes will help liberate the next generation from dependence on automobiles.

"There are a lot of people who are being set up for failure by placing too much of their identity in the seat of a car," said Levinger.

Want to help make getting around with out a car easier? Find out more about the Mobility Education Foundation, or link up with other bike, pedestrian and public transit advocates, and start pushing for better alternatives in your area.