Bill pushes 'green' lessons for new drivers

Tom Greenwood / The Detroit News

Is it environmental awareness or political correctness?

That's the question swirling around a bill recently introduced in the Michigan House that would require driver's education programs to propagate environmental doctrines to new drivers.

State Rep. Bert Johnson, D-Detroit, introduced the bill last month that would require driving schools to promote a number of "green" lessons, including:

• The importance of carpooling and using public transportation.

• The benefits of fuel-efficient vehicles.

• How to maximize vehicle economy through maintenance and driving techniques.

• The recycling of fluids and parts.

Pam Morse, owner of Champion Driving School, said she was floored by the bill.

"The important thing is to learn how to drive safely, so what does 'being green' have to do with anything?" asked Morse, who operates driving schools in Ann Arbor, Livonia, Ypsilanti and Saline. "Plus, driving schools would have to absorb the cost of this bill. This smacks of political correctness."

Johnson chuckled at the thought.

"If it smacks of anything, it's common sense," Johnson said. "The idea is the creation of smarter, young people operating a vehicle, with care and maintenance merging with the idea of clean technology and fuel efficiency.

"People are traditionally down on young people. ... I think giving them this type of information will help them to make better decisions."

In a program overseen by the Michigan Secretary of State, teens younger than 18 must undergo 24 hours of in-class instruction and six hours of in-car driving lessons before receiving a certificate of completion, which allows them to apply for a license.

SOS spokeswoman Kelly Chesney said the department opposed the bill.

"It deviates from the core mission of driver education, which is to prepare our youth for challenges of the road," Chesney said. "While consumer and environmental education is laudable, there are numerous organizations that solely promote those messages. From the department's perspective, the primary focus of driver education should be on keeping our teens safe on our streets."

Allen Park resident Steve Spiceland has mixed feelings about the bill.

"I have a son, 14, and a daughter, age 18," Spiceland said. "My daughter has a learner's permit and my son has already started talking about getting his license when he's 16. My question is this: Don't we have bigger fish to fry than this? Let's concentrate on raising math and science scores instead."

Driving school instructor Gary Matuszak sees benefits to Johnson's ideas.

"Speaking for myself, I think this is an important issue that is long overdue," said Matuszak, a board member of the Michigan Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association. "I have been teaching these lessons for quite awhile now. I have found that a lot of students are interested in doing what they can for planet Earth. It's a positive thing for the environment and the economy."

Michigan Environmental Council spokesman Hugh McDiarmid agrees.

"It sounds like something that we would support," McDiarmid said. The council represents about 60 environmental, public health and faith-based organizations across Michigan.

"The recommendations are not only good for the environment, but there are also positive things for safety, in terms of proper maintenance. The emphasis on carpooling and public transportation takes vehicles off the road, which eases congestion."

But Russ Harding, senior environmental policy analyst for the Mackinac Center, a free market research organization, sees it as government intrusion.

"Everyone, including me, is in favor of fuel efficiency and protecting the environment," Harding said. "But what bothers me is that this is another attempt by the government telling us how to live. Almost every day, they issue some new type of requirement where government tries to impose an elitist view on the people. It's political correctness to the Nth degree."

The bill has been referred to the House Transportation Committee for study. Johnson hopes it will be acted upon before the end of the year.

tgreenwood@detnews.com (313) 222-2023