Teen Drivers Sharpen their Skills at this Year’s Rule the Road

Taught by certified emergency vehicle operators from the Sheriff’s Office and the Evansville Police Department, Rule the Road provides teen drivers with exposure to experiences not traditionally covered in driver education courses. These valuable hands-on driving lessons offer teens the chance to practice lifesaving skills on a series of closed courses set up at Roberts Park. Skills and topics covered will include: controlled skidding, controlled braking, collision avoidance, the dangers of texting behind the wheel, and the seriousness of impaired driving. Two computerized driving simulators will allow students to practice crash avoidance skills. A representative from AT&T will be on hand with “It Can Wait” virtual reality goggles for the students to wear.

“Nationally, traffic fatalities claim more teenage lives each year than any other cause of death,” Sheriff Dave Wedding stated. “Young drivers are simply not as experienced and are less able to cope with the unexpected. Add to the mix a smart phone, loud stereo and a car load of friends and it’s not hard to imagine why crash statistics for underage drivers are so dismal,” Sheriff Wedding added, “Driver training like ‘Rule the Road’ is a great way for us to make a potentially lifesaving impression on young drivers.”

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the full-time staff and soldiers assigned to the Sgt. James W. Harlan Reserve Center for making their facility available to us. The center is the home of the 380th Quartermaster Battalion, along with several other Army Reserve Units.

The Sheriff’s Office would also like to thank our local sponsor who helped made this event possible through a generous monetary contribution:

Pictures from event are shown below.

Pictured above: Students react to a live demonstration of a vehicle airbag deployment, courtesy of Lefler Collision Center.

Pictured above: Mr. Mark Hartman (who retired as a Major from the Indiana State Police) with ICJI discusses some of his experiences at crash scenes involving drivers who did not buckle up.

Pictured above: Ms. Jamie Humphries (who is the Driver’s Education program coordinator for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles) explains how to operate one the of driving simulators at Rule the Road.

Pictured above: Evan Bolkelman from Reitz Memorial High School tries out the ATT&T “It Can Wait” VR Goggles.

Pictured above: Deputy Rodney Miller from VCSO guides a student wearing Fatal Vision goggles around a course set up by Indiana SADD. The golf cart was provided by Eagle Valley Golf Course.