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With school well underway by now, parents are yet to heave a sigh of
relief. Paperwork is still streaming in, demands for new school items
and of course, requests from those high school students for a new
vehicle or to borrow yours.
Naturally not all parents are able to afford a vehicle for that beloved
teenager. And with both parents working letting them use yours is out of
the question.
Still there are a lot of teens out there driving for the first time,
just having earned their driving permits during summer vacation.
That's why veteran drivers should be more cautious during this time,
not only to avoid accidents, but to avoid giving the younger drivers a
complex. Courtesy is certainly a must in all situations.
Everytime you get behind the wheel, your safety and that of others is
at stake. That's why it's important to frequently evaluate your driving
skills.
A driving quiz was provided to us by the Mayo Clinic making it easy for
us to evaluate our driving skills and where we need to improve on them.
If you don't think you can be objective, ask your family or friends.
They probably know your abilities better than anyone else, but may be
hesitant to point out problems unless asked. (Ever heard of the backseat
driver? Apparently, this individual has no problem whatsoever pointing
out driving deficiencies.)
If you answer yes to one or more of the following questions, you may
want to limit your driving to take steps to improve a problem.
The quiz is based in part on an American Association of Retired Persons
publication. Yet, the quiz is not only for older drivers, it can apply
to those new young drivers who just recently acquired their driving
permits.
*Does driving make you feel nervous or physically exhausted?
*Do you have difficulty seeing pedestrians, signs and vehicles?
* Do cars frequently seem to appear from nowhere?
*At night, does the glare from oncoming headlights temporarily "blind"
you?
* Do you find intersections confusing? Are you finding it harder to
judge the distance between cars?
* Do you have difficulty coordinating your hand and foot movements?
* Are you slower than you used to be in reacting to dangerous
situations?* Do you sometimes get lost in familiar neighborhoods? (This
happens to all of us at one time or another, and I don't think it should
count!)
*Do other drivers honk at you? (This questions means do they honk at
you in annoyance and not just to catch your attention and wave.)
*Have you had an increased number of traffic violations, accidents or
near-accidents in the past year?
According to surveys, drivers age 16 to 19 have the highest accident
rate - 30 per 100 million vehicle miles driven - but drivers age 65 and
older rank second. Sixty-five-year-olds have an accident rate of only
five per 100 millon vehicle miles driven, but the rate rises to 40 by
age 85.
The most common problems of older drivers are failure to yield the
right-of-way, making improper left turns, difficulties turning at an
intersection, and driver inattention.
The best solution to careful driving is to be courteous at all times
and to take your time. No matter how late you are to work, appointments
or whatever, a life is much more important!
EDITOR'S NOTE: Rosie Flores is an Enterprise writer and editor of
Lifestyles and Golden Years. Her column appears each Thursday.
Driven by budget restraints and a system that is staffed inadequately
now, the Austin Independent School District is taking an innovative
approach to the traditional school nurse program.
Working with the school district, the Seton hospital chain will analyze
existing health-care resources and design a unique program for each
school, if the proposal is approved by the school board.
Seton will train registered nurses, school secretaries and counselors
to work as a team to provide appropriate health care.
Health-care demands in urban school districts, where many children are
at risk and where both parents work, have changed considerably in the
past decade. At the same time, budget restraints have caused district
health personnel to be spread thinner and thinner.
The ``school nurse'' that parents remember from their school days does
not exist any more. In reality, registered nurses have been able to
spend only a small amount of time on each campus.
For that reason, the proposed changes in Austin's school nurse program
will not lower the quality and quantity of health care, but should
improve it.
-Austin American-Statesman
Dyslexia can be corrected easily and simply or so claims Gordon Stokes,
the author of a new book for children (and adults!) who have been
labeled Learning Disabled: Without Stress, Learning Can Be Easy.
"The basis of dyslexia and so-called learning disabilities is negative
emotional stress," says Stokes, who has created a battery of unique
stress-release skills to "solve the problem." Using them in a research
grant from the Los Angeles School District proved the point. The
children in this program jumped from one to four grade levels in one
semester!
The book has a concise, cleverly illustrated text which presents the
exercises that have paid off for thousands of children and adults all
around the world - in the United States, Europe, Scandinavia, Japan,
South America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Hungary, Israel and
Russia. Approved by Denmark's minister of education, many of these
skills are presented right in the classroom.
Their effectiveness is not limited to children. Anyone who wants to
improve reading and reading comprehension skills can use them. If you
want to help an "LD" child improve scholastic learning, or if you're
distressed by the Ritalin-approach to dealing with dyslexia, this book
offers a refreshingly simple, direct alternative.
Without Stress, Learning Can Be Easy is available this August, just in
time to get children off to a good start in a new school year. This
hard-cover book is in full color with many illustrations and sells for
$18.50.
For more information, contact: Charles Ostergrant at Three in One
Concepts, 2001 West Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank CA 91506-1704. Phone
818-841-4786, FAX 818-841-0007.
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not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or
redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP
Materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for
personal and non-commercial use. The AP will not be held liable for
any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the
transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages
arising from any of the foregoing.
_
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