*Menu
Search
Greencastle Banner Graphic

Local drivers being watched

Thursday, June 19, 2008
By MARIBETH WARD, Staff Writer
Greencastle High School driver's education student Ryan Stevens spent an hour Thursday recording whether drivers were coming o full stops, using signals, talking on cell phones or eating or drinking while driving.

Drivers who are not wearing their seat belts, coming to full stops or are eating, drinking or talking on cell phones are being observed by Greencastle High School student drivers.

As part of their safety program, driver's education students spend about an hour at different intersections around town surveying passing cars.

Freshman Ryan Stevens observed cars from the corner of Shadowlawn and Arlington Streets Thursday afternoon.

Stevens had a sheet on which he recorded infractions he saw from drivers passing through the intersection.

"There are a lot of people not wearing seat belts and making rolling stops," observed Stevens.

A few moments after his comment, a truck rolled through the intersection with the driver talking on his cell phone.

"I see a lot of that," said Stevens.

He will write a summary of his survey and turn it into his instructor Dan Layton. Parents pick up kids during the class and drop them at designated intersections. An hour later they return to pick up the kids.

Students are sent out in small groups and will be working the surveys for several days.

Comments
View 7 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

  • And my wife calls me grumpy.

    -- Posted by whatsup on Fri, Jun 20, 2008, at 11:32 AM

  • Great idea! They will learn from this.Visually seeing folks on cell phones-I don't care what age, eating while driving, not making a full stop or even running a red light,no seat belt on etc. These kids need to see how folks are driving in this town. It is not all that great.Probably more than half our citizens need to take drivers ed.

    -- Posted by peace2019 on Fri, Jun 20, 2008, at 11:56 AM

  • There are so many people that don't stop at stop signs, especially when they are turning right. Obviously they are from some other country since they don't know that stop signs mean STOP !! As far as seat belts, that's a joke too. These drivers old or young just snub their noses at the laws of this country and then cry foul when they get a ticket. I wish the police would ticket more of these people for these two offenses. As far as cell phones, i agree, they can't drive when they are talking on a phone and it really needs to be looked at more seriously with not letting people talk on phones when they are driving, whether it is hands free or not, it is a distraction either way.

    -- Posted by magoo55 on Fri, Jun 20, 2008, at 3:26 PM

  • wearing seat belts and stopping at stop signs will not lower gas prices. that's all that matters.

    -- Posted by putcosoldier on Sun, Jun 22, 2008, at 9:42 PM

  • I agree with Bondsman!!

    -- Posted by thistownsucks on Mon, Jun 23, 2008, at 3:47 PM

  • I agree with this, but they should also have plain clothed police officer with them to point out other infractions. however, as one poster said, they do not learn much from it, most often it is a teenager I see tailgating me, talking on a cell phone, or dancing in their cars.

    -- Posted by tbone46135 on Thu, Jun 26, 2008, at 5:41 AM

  • I think the kids might learn a little, but mostly they won't. They already know that people do this stuff. I think the thing that impacted me most in drivers ed was watching the videos of the accidents. You might see that kind of stuff in movies today. But it is more impacting when you see someone laying on the payment with their guts hanging out, and you know that is a real person in a real accident. I also like the idea that new drivers can't haul anyone for 6 months. I think driving safety needs to start at home, but sadly it doesn't. My kids will know how to be safe. They will also know when to do, or not do certain things. That will be at least one safe new driver out there. The police can only do so much, they can't be everywhere, maybe it's time that America needs to get more cameras (big brother complainers who cares). I would rather live because someone finally starts driving safer after a few tickets. Then be killed or injured because they never got caught, and continued the bad behavior.

    -- Posted by Talkergirl on Mon, Jun 30, 2008, at 12:18 AM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: