08.13.07-Three Dads from Three States Work to Redefine Driver's Education for the 21st Century
Prompted by the deaths of their teenagers from car accidents and the deaths of more than 6,000 teenagers every year, dads want to better the odds for teens on the road
El Dorado Hills, Calif.—August 13, 2007—Virtual Driver Interactive (VDI), provider of driver improvement simulation systems for corporations and communities, is helping three fathers across the nation to keep their children's memories alive by redefining driver education.
The three fathers—Alan Brown from Georgia; Senior Master Sergeant, Rene Rubiella from Florida; and Tom Furino of Massachusetts, have all gone to great lengths to raise awareness about the growing epidemic of teen driving deaths across the country so other parents won't have to experience this tragic loss. Each dad has lost a child on the road and all of them recommend that simulation become part of a redefined standard of driver education in the U.S. in order to save lives.
Alan Brown founded the Joshua Brown Foundation in memory of his son, Joshua, who lost his life in a single-car crash because he did not know what to do when his vehicle hydroplaned on a wet two-lane road. The purpose of the Joshua Brown Foundation is to ensure that every high school student in Georgia and eventually the U.S.—no matter their source of education or income, has the opportunity to receive top-quality driver's education. Under the foundation, Alan worked with legislators to get Joshua's Law passed, which collects 5% from every traffic violation in the state of Georgia to be distributed to schools for driver's education. VDI is working closely with Alan Brown to introduce simulation training, an integral part of 21st century driver training, which consists of the following five components:
- Simulation training
- Classroom training
- Behind-the-wheel training
- Computer-based training
- Parental involvement
Following suit in Massachusetts is Tom Furino who lost his son, David, in an auto accident three years ago. Like Joshua, David did not know what to do when an inexperienced driver pulled out, causing David to suddenly swerve and lose control. Tom has rallied the community of Martha's Vineyard and raised funds to put simulators and driver's education back into the school system, beginning with Martha's Vineyard Regional High School. This marks the first time driver's education has been in a northeastern high school in 20 years. As an island, Martha's Vineyard has special needs; if students want to experience traffic or expressway driving, they must ferry their cars to the mainland. Tom has purchased two simulators and anticipates five on site by the fall. Tom is working with Alan Brown to reach out to legislators in hopes of getting a law similar to Joshua's Law passed in Massachusetts.
In Florida, Brevard County lost eight high school students to car crashes in 2005. Rene Rubiella's daughter was one of those killed, causing him to found Operation NOW—Not on Our Watch—as a means of reaching all high school students in the county. The 2007 Operation NOW program was held at Patrick Air Force Base for 4,000 area high school seniors and included a live re-enactment of an impaired teen driving accident complete with first flight helicopter, EMS response, and trauma center scene. VDI is working with Rene to mount seven simulators in a specially equipped simulator for use by the Brevard County Sheriff's office to reach outlying school districts.
"It is inexcusable that 6,000 of our teenagers die every year in the United States because of inadequate training," said Alan Brown, founder of the Joshua Brown Foundation. "We are long overdue for a driver's education overhaul and it needs to be back in schools where it belongs. VDI's simulators arm teens with valuable knowledge, experience and confidence that can save lives and I fully support them as part of my driver's education recommendations."
About Virtual Driver Interactive
Virtual Driver Interactive (VDI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Raydon Corporation, provides driver improvement simulation training to corporations and public education facilities across the country. VDI's curriculum and simulation systems teach the proven, defensive driving techniques taught by the National Safety Council as well as the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA). The company currently offers two driver training systems: the Virtual Defensive Driving Course (Virtual DDC), a driver improvement course; and StreetReady™, designed for novice drivers. VDI is headquartered in El Dorado Hills, Calif.
For more information about Virtual Driver Interactive, log on to http://www.driverinteractive.com or call (877) 746-8332.
|
