We've all seen it – young drivers driving at excessive speeds, recklessly passing against the yellow line and risking a head-on collision; senior drivers driving way too slowly, ten or fifteen miles per hour below the speed limit, totally oblivious to other cars on the road; and most common these days, distracted drivers paying more attention to their phones than other cars.
Of course it's always the other drivers who do this. Not us.
Anyway, it's important to teach young drivers good habits as well as the ability to safely operate their vehicle. And back in the 1950s, the Lorain Jaycees helped to reinforce those principles by sponsoring the annual Teen-Age Road-E-O.
Here's the ad with the announcement from the May 15, 1956 Lorain Journal.
As the article notes,"All licensed teen-aged drivers who have never been found guilty on a driving offense are eligible to enter.
"Contests, both written and driving, will be given.
"The driving test will consist of maneuvering a car through a course set up on the parking lot."
The actual Road-E-O would be held at the Homewood Shopping Center. It was sponsored by the Lorain Jaycees, Sohio gas stations and cooperating Lorain automobile dealers, who would supply the cars.
Some nice cash prizes were to be given to the winners, along with the opportunity to compete in the Ohio Road-E-O finals.
Who were the Lorain Road-E-O winners? This article from May 28, 1956 revealed their names.
So what was the driving portion of the competition like?
"The test consisted of driving a straight line course, a serpentine course, a curved course and parking. Cars had to be driven through two of the courses both forward and backward."
A nifty idea from 1956 that deserves to be revived today.
20 years ago, with our kids, the incentive for safe driving was direct economics: Their insurance rates (which we paid until they hit 18) were lowered by 25% by passing a driver's course and was lowered 5% for each year without an accident (to a total of additional 25%). We told them we'd pay the base for them and enjoy any reduction but if their rates went up due to stupidity on their part, well, *they* were responsible for that and if they didn't want to pay, then they wouldn't drive.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, we had a daughter and son. She cost us far less for insurance even though he was a far safer driver. Now, after they've spent years driving in big-city environments, I won't ride with either one. "If you did that to impress the Old Man, you really didn't have to!"
You forgot the numero-uno road hazard on the road today Dan.Motorcyclists.They terrorize the neighborhoods by traveling in packs like the rabid hyenas they are.Everywhere they go,they have to go fast.And loud.Gotta make sure the neighborhood hears them so they can stop and stare while the bikers all wave at each other when they pass one another like they are in a parade.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks back on I-480 one of these speeding bikers and his other biker buddy hit each other leading to a very gruesome outcome for one of the bikers.I guess his head was somehow detached from his body,still in the helmet.
So yes,it was the other driver this time.At least no innocent people were involved in this bikers idea of fun.