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Driving News: Women in Saudi Arabia & Texting Simulator in North Dakota

Driving simulator

Learn a little more...with a link!

Magazine Article: INFOhio, EBSCOhost Explora, Texting Can Kill, Scholastic Action, September 6, 2010. | Teens admit texting and driving are a bad mix. May need password.

Website Articles, Video & Games: P BS Kids, Ruff Ruffman, Driving | Zany advice on becoming a good driver, including avoiding distracted driving.

Website Article: National Highway and Transportation and Safety Administration, Distracted Driving | These statistics will encourage drivers not to text and drive.

Read the script:

WOMEN IN SAUDI ARABIA ARE READY TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL, BUT THEY'RE IN NEED OF DRIVING INSTRUCTORS.

HEY, EVERYBODY, I'M RICK JACKSON. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

WAY BACK IN OCTOBER, REMEMBER THIS? WE TOLD YOU THAT A BAN IN THE MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRY OF SAUDI ARABIA WAS BEING LIFTED. UNTIL THEN, WOMEN WERE FORBIDDEN FROM GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A CAR. IF THEY WERE CAUGHT DRIVING, THE LADIES COULD BE FINED, OR EVEN SENT TO PRISON.

WITH THE BAN NOW LIFTED, THERE'S A NEW CHALLENGE. WOMEN THERE ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO BE TAUGHT TO DRIVE BY OTHER WOMEN. AND BEING THAT THERE ARE NO FEMALE DRIVERS IN THE COUNTRY TO TEACH THEM, A TRIO OF LADIES FROM OREGON ARE STEPPING IN TO HELP. THEY'LL BE FLYING TO SAUDI ARABIA TO START THE FIRST FEMALE DRIVING SCHOOL. REED ANDREWS REPORTS.

REED: LOIS LENTS HAS TAUGHT THOUSANDS OF DRIVERS DURING HER YEARS AS AN INSTRUCTOR.

LOIS: YOU GOTTA BE RELAXED AS A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR.

REED: LENTS IS PART OF A TRIO OF WOMEN WHO ARE SET TO TEACH NEW DRIVERS THE RULES OF THE ROAD.

- THIS ONE HELPS US CHECK THE DRIVER'S EYES.

REED: THEY REMEMBER HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS FOR THEM AT FIRST.

- NOT SPEEDING. - DEALING WITH MY DAD. - BACKING.

REED: BUT THESE DRIVING LESSONS WILL BE MUCH DIFFERENT. IN A FEW DAYS, THEY'RE HEADING TO SAUDI ARABIA, WHERE WOMEN ARE STILL BANNED FROM DRIVING. BUT THAT ALL CHANGES THIS SUMMER, SO THE LADIES WILL BE TEACHING THE FIRST SAUDI WOMEN HOW TO DRIVE.

LOIS: I AM HUMBLED TO BE STANDING AT THIS HISTORIC MOMENT, AND TO PLAY ANY PART IN IT AT ALL.

REED: IT'S VITAL THEY GO TO SAUDI ARABIA SINCE THE COUNTRY ONLY ALLOWS WOMEN TO TEACH OTHER WOMEN, AND RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE NO FEMALE DRIVING INSTRUCTORS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

LOIS: WE'RE STARTING FROM GROUND ZERO.

REED: THIS TRIP WILL LAST 10 DAYS, AND THEY EXPECT TO GO BACK LATER THIS SPRING AND GET SAUDI WOMEN BEHIND THE WHEEL. LEARNING TO DRIVE COULD PROVIDE AN OPEN ROAD TO WOMEN, IN THEIR FIGHT FOR EQUALITY.

RICK: THANKS, REED. LEARNING TO DRIVE HERE IN AMERICA IS PRETTY MUCH A TEENAGE RIGHT OF PASSAGE. BUT EACH STATE HAS ITS OWN LAWS ABOUT WHEN YOU CAN LEARN TO DRIVE. HERE IN OHIO, THE EARLIEST YOU CAN GET BEHIND THE WHEEL IS AT 15-AND-A-HALF YEARS OLD. THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE ABLE TO GET YOUR LEARNER'S PERMIT.

IN ORDER TO GET A FULL DRIVER'S LICENSE BEFORE THE AGE OF 18, YOU MUST COMPLETE DRIVERS EDUCATION CLASSES. NOW IN NORTH DAKOTA, TEENS ARE GETTING AN EXTRA DOSE OF DRIVERS ED. THEY'RE LEARNING ABOUT THE DANGERS OF TEXTING AND DRIVING, WITH A SPECIAL SIMULATOR. HANNAH SCHLOSSER HAS THAT STORY.

HANNAH: FROM THE OUTSIDE, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE WATCHING A MOVIE.

- NO!

HANNAH: BUT BEHIND THE GOGGLES.

- ACCIDENT AFTER ACCIDENT, UNTIL I FINALLY, HE ACTUALLY CRASHES INTO SOMEBODY BECAUSE HE WON'T PUT DOWN THE PHONE.

HANNAH: IT'S ALL PART OF AT&T'S IT CAN WAIT CAMPAIGN, WHICH PUTS THESE DRIVER ED STUDENTS BEHIND THE WHEEL WHILE TEXTING.

- C'MON! - WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!

HANNAH: A PROBLEM THIS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER SEES ALL TOO MUCH, FROM STUDENTS WHO GREW UP IN A WORLD IMMERSED IN TECHNOLOGY.

OFFICER BALVIK: NORMALLY, EVEN WALKING DOWN THE HALL, THEIR HEADS BURIED IN THEIR PHONE, BUT THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDING AREAS. SO IF THAT CARRIES ON INTO THE VEHICLES, IT BECOMES A VERY DANGEROUS, FOR THEM AND ANYBODY AROUND THEM WHILE THEY'RE DRIVING.

HANNAH: ON TOP OF DEMONSTRATIONS LIKE THIS, OFFICER BALVIK ALSO TEACHES STUDENTS TO PUT DOWN THE PHONE BEFORE THEY START DRIVING. AND SURPRISINGLY, THEIR PHONES CAN HELP.

OFFICER BALVIK: WITH TECHNOLOGY, IF IT'S USED FOR THE RIGHT THINGS, IT'S A GREAT THING. IF IT'S MISUSED OR MISHANDLED, IT CAN BE AN ISSUE.

HANNAH: OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM, THERE ARE APPS THAT WILL SHUTDOWN NOTIFICATIONS TO YOUR PHONE, TO ERASE THE DISTRACTION COMPLETELY. THE LARGER GOAL HERE IS TO BE PROACTIVE AGAINST A NATIONWIDE ISSUE OF TEXTING AND DRIVING.

OFFICER BALVIK: UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS INCREASINGLY NATIONWIDE, THAT DISTRACTED DRIVING IS STARTING TO OVERTAKE FATALITIES ON EVEN DRUNK DRIVING AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.

HANNAH: HE SAYS SEEING THE SITUATION UP CLOSE HELPS STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF HOW QUICKLY AN ACCIDENT CAN HAPPEN.

- PRETTY BREATHTAKING AND WE TOOK THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.

HANNAH: HELPING THESE STUDENTS BREAK A HABIT BEFORE IT EVEN STARTS.