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For as long as human beings have lived, older generations have griped about the younger generations, with their fancy doodads and new technology. Smartphones are the latest cause for angst, as teenagers are now connected to the Internet and their friends 24/7. Unfortunately too many teens seem unable to put their phones down even while driving, leading to a national epidemic described as “distracted driving.”
In an effort to curb texting/talking and driving Ford has sent former professional race car driver Mike Speck on a five-state tour of the Northwest as part of its Driving Skills for Life program, reports the Statesman Journal.
Speck, who has raced and instructed other racers for most of his professional career, is part of a team of driving instructors sent to schools nationwide. The Driving Skills for Life instructors have the job of teaching teenagers the dangers of distracted driving, especially texting while driving.
To help hit this point, Speck was outfitted with a brand new Ford Mustang, which he used to put the students in the hotseat. We imagine Speck also probably dropped a hint or too about Fords MyTouch and Sync systems, which aim to curb distracted driving by integrating texting and phone systems into the car.
The Mustang was used to simulate what it feels like to lose control of a car. At another station, teens were told to drive through a series of cones while trying to type a text message. As you might imagine, this proved impossible for the inexperienced drivers, many of whom left with a no respect for the danger of driving while distracted. We wish Ford would have sent a few Mustangs to our high school when we were of age. Kids don’t know how good they have it these days.
