Gulf Sheriff's Office to host Teen Driver Challenge

When it comes to driving a motor vehicle, Gulf County Sheriff's deputy Larry Dickey urges teens not to take tips from a country megastar.

"Don’t do the Carrie Underwood and say, 'Jesus, take the wheel,'" said Dickey.

As the instructor of the upcoming Teen Driver Challenge, Dickey will teach area teenagers the fundamentals of safe, defensive driving.

That means staying cool, alert and responsive to one's environment and fellow motorists.

"You have to keep your senses about you," said Dickey, a driving instructor dually certified by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

"A good driver is always looking around, always focusing on the other driver, not playing with their phone, iPod or adjusting the stereo."

The Teen Driver Challenge will be held March 26 and 27 in Port St. Joe, and includes a classroom lesson and outdoor driving course.

All teenagers with a driver's license or learner's permit may register for the course, and must provide their own vehicle.

The classroom lesson, held Friday, March 26 from 5-9 p.m. ET at the Emergency Operations Center, will teach students the rules of the road, along with proper vehicle maintenance.

Students will learn how to check their engine's oil and fluid levels, replace belts and use a tire gauge.

Dickey described proper tire inflation as one of the most important aspects of driving a vehicle.

"Picture tires as shoes on your feet. If your shoes get worn out, you'll slip and fall. The tires are supporting 4,000 pounds on 12 inches of tire."

The course will also correct unsafe driving behaviors, such as driving with one foot on the gas and the other on the break, which slows reaction time.

Though teens may roll their eyes at the mention of seatbelts, Dickey plans to underscore the need to strap in.

"Seatbelts have been proven time and time again. Ninety-nine percent of the time, that seatbelt will save your life," said Dickey.

It's also the law. Since September 2009, police officers may now stop a driver primarily for not wearing a seatbelt and issue a $78 fine.

Students enrolled in the Teen Driver Challenge need not feel like they are in school.

Dickey said teens can bring their own snacks and promises to keep things interesting with videos and interactive question and answer sessions.

"I try to get the kids involved," said Dickey. "We try to have a good time and make it interesting and fun."

Students who have completed the classroom session will return the next day for the March 27 driving course in the Port St. Joe High School parking lot.

The day-long course, which lasts from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, will provide students one-on-one driving instruction.

Dickey will first take the wheel to lead students through three driving courses mapped out with traffic cones: the figure eight, reverse serpentine and evasive maneuver course.

When the teens have learned the fundamentals, Dickey will ride shotgun as they take the wheel.

Students will learn the "shuffle steering" method, which uses both hands at all times to steer.

Dickey noted that crossing hands to make a turn increases the risk of accidents because one hand momentarily leaves the steering wheel.

Other lessons will help students cope with real-life scenarios such as hydroplaning, which frequently causes cars to spin or flip.

Dickey teaches his students never to jerk the steering wheel in the opposite direction when hydroplaning, advising them instead to "go with the spin," to avoid flipping.

His most important tip is to not panic and maintain control of the vehicle at all times.

Dickey, a father of four, believes passionately in teaching kids safe driving.

He does not get paid over-time to teach the course, but volunteers because he believes that it fills a community need.

"This is one program the sheriff believes in and I believe in," said Dickey. "You do what you can to get these programs out there."

With assistance from Franklin County Sheriff's Office deputy Jim Ward, Dickey conducted a previous Teen Driver challenge in January, which had an enrollment of four students.

Dickey plans to offer additional courses every other month until the summer, when courses will be held monthly.

The Teen Driver Challenge is a project of the Florida Sheriff's Association (FSA) aimed at combating teen traffic fatalities.

According to the FSA, traffic crashes occur every 12 seconds in the U.S., and are the number one cause of deaths among young adults.

Interested teens must register for the challenge by March 22. Parental consent forms are available at the Gulf County Sheriff's Office.

For more information, contact Margaret Mathis or Larry Dickey at 227-1115.

Additional information can be found on the Teen Driver Challenge website, http://fsateendriverchallenge.com/.