Teaching Teens To Drive Diagnosed With ADD, ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, or Bipolar Disorder

Having been an active instructor for almost 30 years, the answer is simple.  You teach teens diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, or Bipolar disorder the way they need to be taught.  That's it, just teach them the way they learn best and the problem is solved.

Over the last several decades, labeling kids seems to have become a national past-time.  It seems like the teens that are looked upon as "normal" escape the labeling process but the teens diagnosed with disorders listed in the title of this post, have big labels pasted on their foreheads. When it comes to teaching driving, I've found these labels create more of a hindrance than they help. In fact, I don't think they help at all.

I think these labels are used by some professionals to hide their own ignorance and/or inability. It's so much easier for a professional to say, "Your teen has (enter label) and that's why he can't learn how to drive like a normal teen". What this "professional" is really saying, "This teen doesn't respond to my teaching method like most of the other teens do and I don't have the knowledge, capability, or want to put out the effort to alter my method of teaching".  The difference between a professional and an expert? An expert makes the necessary changes and adaptations to surpass all others .... a professional doesn't.

There are several different learning styles and no two students learn exactly the same way.  If a teen learns how to drive in a very short amount of time, they might be labeled as gifted or normal.  If a teens takes a long time to learn how to drive, the labels aren't quite as inspiring. This apparently easy method of assessing the driving competency of a teen is dangerous.  Many times, the fast learning (normal) student may learn "too quickly" without respecting their mortality and fails to lock in all of the safe driving attributes presented, leaving hidden knowledge gaps.  This situation creates the illusion of a competent driver.  A slower learning student is usually more concerned about their mortality and strives harder to keep all of the safe driving attributes in place by making sure they fully understand all of the presented knowledge.  Very often, the slower learning student turns out to be the better driver so how quickly one learns is irrelevant.

Whenever I have a student where the parent has warned me of (enter label), here's what I say to the student:

Instructor:  I've been told that you've been diagnosed with (enter label). I don't care about labels in this car. Do you really want to learn how to drive?

Student: Yes

Instructor:  If I were to place $1 million in cash on the dashboard and tell you that you could keep the $1 million if you keep 100% of your attention on learning how to drive during this two-hour lesson, would you do it? 

Student: Yes  

Instructor:  If I take away the $1 million, have I taken away your ability to keep your attention on the lesson? 

Student:  No.  

Instructor:  So you have the ability to keep your attention on learning how to drive but it's still your choice to do so. Do you choose to keep your attention on this lesson for the full two-hours?

Student: Yes

I now have a commitment from the student and I'll remind them of it whenever their attention starts to lapse, which it will, so expect it and accept it.  You can only teach a student as fast as their ability to learn allows so be extremely patient and extremely thorough. It really doesn't matter whether a student learns slow or fast, the only thing that's important is that the student learns completely in order to become a competent and safe driver.  

John Cullington

Drive Safe ... Are These Empty Words?

You've just spent the holidays with your family from out of town and they're getting ready to hit the road to return home.  As they start to drive away you wave and say, "Drive safe".  Why do we say these words? Do we say this thinking our words will actually have a positive effect on the way they'll drive on the way home or has this phrase just become the polite thing to say to express our love and concern.

When someone says to us "Drive Safe", do we conscientiously process a plan different from our normal driving patterns in order to drive safer?  I don't think we do.  I think the normal response and/or thought process is to politely wave as if to say thank you for their concern and drive away believing that we already know how to drive safe.

So lets talk about safety.  Over the last 10 years, 392,603 men, women, and children were killed in traffic accidents along with over 3 million injuries (per year).....and that's just in the U.S alone.  Of those traffic injuries and deaths, 16% are attributable to teenage drivers while 84% are attributable to adult drivers.

There are 2 major aspects to safe driving:

1. Skill
2. Behavior

Both are important to safe driving but telling someone to "Drive Safe" is really only addressing the behavior aspect of driving and since most drivers already believe they know how to drive safe, the words basically fall on deaf ears.

Try something new.  When you want your words to have a real impact, address the "skill" side of the equation.  Example:  Hey Uncle Joe, on your way home please don't be in a hurry.  Keep an extra large following distance so you can control the traffic behind you.  Don't drive in other vehicle's blind spots and please don't make lane changes into other vehicle's blind spots that are two lanes over. Also, when you stop to get snacks at the market, make sure the kids know that the little white lights on the back of cars in the parking lot tell them the car is in reverse and getting ready to back up so they should never walk behind those cars. Hey Aunt Mable, I know you're upset that Uncle Joe didn't get you that 5 carat diamond pendant for Christmas but please wait until after you get home to discuss it, I don't want Uncle Joe to be emotionally distracted from his driving.  Apply these SKILLS and you will all get home safe.

Now which method do you think would more effective in preventing accidents?

John

P.S.  If you'd like to know how Uncle Joe can control traffic by keeping an extra large space in front of him, pick up my book, "The Cullington Driving Concepts...Empowering Parents To Teach Crash-Proof Driving" available through this blog.

   

Who Profits From Traffic Accidents?

When I ask people this question, their first response is usually, "Insurance Companies".  When I tell them those insurance companies are the ones that have to pay for the damages and they (insurance companies) make more money when they "don't have to pay", they usually give me a blank look.  Just who makes money when you have an accident?  Auto manufacturers, lawyers, doctors, hospitals, rehab specialists, ambulance companies, police officers, firemen, tow-truck operators, body shops, car rental agencies, wrecking yards, and mortuaries.....the list goes on and on.  Additionally, there are a myriad of non-profits and governmental agencies that get millions of dollars to study the problem, wouldn't their funding dry up if the problem were solved?

It's no wonder the "Driving Death Dilemma" hasn't been solved in this country, too many people are financially dependent on it.  Over the last 10 years of the Iraq / Afghanistan war, 6,800 U.S. soldiers have been killed in combat.  Now compare that number to the 392,600 men, women, and children killed in traffic accidents (during the same 10 year period) in the U.S. alone. Where's the outrage?  The driver education industry in this country is woefully inept but it probably won't change because a lot of people are financially dependent on it not changing.  What are your thoughts? 

Does passing the driving test automatically mean a driver is a "safe driver"?

Are you kidding, absolutely not.  In California, the average behind-the-wheel drive test lasts only about 12 minutes and if the DMV is running behind schedule, I've witnessed a 6 minute drive test.

A licensed driver and a safe driver have different abilities.  To be licensed, an applicant drives around for a few minutes and proves they can mechanically operate the vehicle.  A safe driver has the ability to strategically position their vehicle so as not to involve themselves in accidents.

If licensing was the determining factor to being a safe driver, then why is driving the number one killer of newly licensed drivers?  Why do 80% of new drivers get into a reportable accident within the first 3 years?

A drivers license is false security and should not be relied upon to determine if a driver is a "safe driver".

Is the Driver Education Industry in the U.S. a Failure?

Without a doubt, yes.  Eighty percent (80%) of new drivers will be involved in a reportable accident within the first 3 years of driving .... that's a 20% sucess rate.  In 2004, the California DMV eliminated the requirement for a new driving instructor applicant to take a behind-the-wheel driving exam.  On a daily basis, there are approximately 17,200 traffic accidents which result in approximately 9,500 injuries and 120 deaths just in the U.S. alone.  More people have been killed in auto accidents than all of the combined U.S military casualties from every war since the beginning of our country.

It's broken people.  When a few U.S. soldiers are killed by an IED, it makes national news but when 120 people are killed on a daily basis due to traffic accidents, there's no national outcry.  Have we as a society come to accept these deaths as normal?

Before I get on my soapbox and go after who I think are responsible for this carnage, I would like to hear your ideas.
John