Universal Drivers’ Education and FOCAL Training for Special Needs Learners

Attention Deficit Disorder! Oh no! Some would say it is a damning diagnosis, especially for teenagers desiring to drive. I have attention deficit disorder and the stigmatizing burden associated with it is something I have carried since third grade. Its weight grew heavier during my teenage years and became nearly suffocating once I reached driving age. Can you imagine how I felt when I finally worked up enough courage to ask my parents’ permission to obtain a driver’s license at sixteen? I felt like I was trying to climb a mountain in roller skates. 

All caring parents of teenage drivers have a standard speech. “Please be careful. Don’t text and drive. Pay attention. Watch your surroundings.  Focus on the road. Avoid eating and drinking in the car. Don’t play the music too loud.”  For me, the standard five-minute exhortation became a thirty minute sermon.  

I endured the sermon and insisted on getting a license. Before taking the big leap towards independence, my father and I embarked upon practice driving runs where he taught me how to drive properly in different scenarios (night driving, highway driving, rainy driving, rush hour driving, etc). Then he observed my mastery of what he taught, offered constructive feedback, and gaged how I handled driving with attention deficit disorder. There were numerous occasions where I was bull-headed. “Okay, okay, I got it dad!,” I’d exclaim when he’d offer driving pointers. In other instances, I would roll my eyes and sigh exasperatingly. Honestly, I don’t know whether my reactions reflected impatience, the impulsivity of my attention deficit disorder, or the typical arrogance most teenagers have. Nevertheless, my father persisted and I finally gained his confidence. I completed over 100 hours of supervised driving with him. On my eighteenth birthday, I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles and passed my driver’s written exam with a 100 and my practical driving exam with a 98. My parents presented me with a 2021 Black Jeep Cherokee for my 18^th birthday. Eight days later, I was involved in a motor vehicle crash where another driver t-boned my car while I was making a left-handed turn. My sister was on the passenger side where the impact occurred and could have easily been one of the many teenagers who die in car accidents. I wasn’t on my cell phone. The radio wasn’t blasting. My sister and I were both wearing seatbelts.  Thank God, He protected us.  

Yes, my sister and I were fortunate. Sadly 2,723 teenagers who had vibrant, promising lives were not. This alarming statistic increases steadily each year. How can this progression be slowed? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, gradual phased in driving is a proven method to combat teenage motor vehicle accidents. In fact, phased in driving is the law in all 50 states. However, mandatory driver’s education is not. Drivers’ education is an evidenced-based mitigation strategy which saves lives. Its emphasis on defensive driving, awareness, anticipatory movements, avoidance techniques, and caution empower teenagers to drive safely. It is reasonable to believe that the combination of phased in driving and drivers’ education, is the best combination for reducing teenage motor vehicle accidents and driving fatalities.  

Currently there are thirty-seven states that require driver’s education prior to licensing. One of the states that does not, Florida, ranks third in the nation for having the worst driving record.  In fact, “[driving fatalities] in Florida have increased from 2,536 in 2010 to 3,906 in 2021.  These alarming statistics are the flashing red light demanding change. What could Florida and the other states possibly lose, other than their life?   

For those states that have drivers’ education requirements, it is oftentimes offered by private vendors that have exorbitant enrollment fees. The expensive tuition disenfranchises teenage drivers whose parents lack the financial resources to enroll their children in the course. Privatizing driver’s education only protects a fraction of the youth who are potentially in danger. In fact, a 2007 behavioral health study from the NHTSA showed that households who earn less than $30,000 per year are 33% less likely to enroll their teenage drivers into driver’s education courses than households whose incomes are greater than $100,000. These teenagers are most likely to be Black and Hispanic.  

If there are known driver’s education access challenges related to income, the challenges are nearly insurmountable for teenagers diagnosed with attention deficit disorders attempting to access courses tailored to their specific needs.  A simple Google™ search of “driver’s education” and “attention deficit disorder” revealed fewer than fifteen programs offering specialized training for ADD teens. Of the programs found on the internet, the most compelling program was the Focused Concentration and Attention Learning (FOCAL) program. FOCAL employed computer simulations to detect and reduce the number of glances teenagers with attention deficit disorder utilized during training.  

I showed the FOCAL program to my parents, while working on this essay. We were impressed with the almost 50% reduction in unfocused glances in the group that participated in the program versus the participants that did not. The data suggested that reduced glances, reduced distractions, and could potentially reduce accidents and fatalities. What if there was an attention deficit disorder driver’s education course in my state?  Would I still have my Jeep? Could I have avoided the horrific impact that smashed the passenger’s side and endangered my sister?  I believe the answer is yes.  My mom said, “you’ve required specialized educational services in the classroom since you were diagnosed. I don’t know why we thought receiving specialized instruction driving was not necessary. We thought the time and attention your dad spent with you with your driving lessons was enough. It is apparent we were wrong.” 

Without question, drivers’ education saves lives. It should be mandatory and accessible. However, it is unclear how to achieve standardized requirements across the nation. Our nation’s politics are clearly divided. History has shown that even “common sense” human rights such as universal health care require Supreme Court intervention. Mandatory drivers’ education is also a “common sense” intervention. It is sad to know that more teenage lives could be lost because politicians could not unify to make drivers’ education accessible, free, and specialized. It will be left up to the visionaries of my generation to make that change. 

Therefore, I envision: 1) Driver’s education becoming as a required course for graduation for high school students; 2) FOCAL training become the standardized curriculum for students with attention deficit disorder to limit the number of distractions while driving. 3) Bountiful funding for the mandatory drivers’ education course and FOCAL training. The funding resources could come from property taxes levied on homeowners and businesses in the district. Another source of funding could come from local churches. Local and state governments could also consider offering tax breaks for major corporations and private drivers’ education vendors who give scholarships to students without resources to pay for the course.

This vision can become reality via a grassroots campaign. Students and parents could start a petition or letter writing campaign compelling school board leaders and state politicians to take action. Compelling symbols could be employed to shock policy makers into action. Mock tombstones could be placed on the lawn of local government buildings representing teen fatalities from car accidents. Hopefully, politician’s heart strings would be pulled and a call to action birthed.

My ideas are just a small spark that could start a fire that ignites a massive blaze of driver’s safety across the nation. The time is now.