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American Morning

Cell Phones Behind the Wheel: Driving School Urges Safer Use

Aired May 10, 2001 - 09:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Paying attention to the road and watching out for the other guy are two basic elements of driving safety. For more on coping with the distractions and distracted drivers, let's check in with our Sean Callebs. He joins us from behind the wheel at an Atlanta-area drivers' training school -- Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, exactly, Leon.

We are here at Taggart's Drivers' School -- really one of the largest driving schools in the Southeast. And about 75 percent of the people that come through here -- basically kids, 16, 17, 18, just getting their license and are learning how to drive defensively out on the roads.

And it's a changing world. There are all kinds of distractions out there. We've all had to look at a map, maybe try to wolf down a sandwich during lunch, or something along those lines, fiddle with the music in the car, your sunglasses -- but without question, the biggest concern, right nowadays -- this thing right here, cell phone -- major problems that people talk about -- the concerns that when you drive, it's so easy just to lose your attention span for just a second and you run into all kinds of problems. Now (AUDIO GAP) talk a bit about all the concerns of this -- Barry Schrenk, he is the owner/operator here of Taggart's, in the Atlanta area -- in the Southeast.

Do your instructors really take that into account nowadays -- all the concerns out there, people driving with cell phones -- 115 million people now on these wireless phones, is that a big concern for your instructors?

BARRY SCHRENK, TAGGART'S DRIVING SCHOOL: Yes it is, as a matter of fact. We try to cover the information in the classroom and also, in the car with our students. With our teenaged driver education program, we have introduced some new information, such as road rage and use of cell phones.

So the teenagers are advised of the dangers of using a cell phone and also the fact that it's a security device.

CALLEBS: OK, but what can you tell them out there, realistically, to be safe? What can you teach them that they don't already know?

SCHRENK: Well, if they want to be 100 percent safe, then what they should do is not use their cell phone at all behind the wheel, or in the car -- hand it to a passenger.

But that's probably not going to happen, because most people, at least in the metropolitan Atlanta area are driving alone in their vehicle. If they get a call, then what they should do is pull over to side of the road. Today, you have voice mail on the phones. If you do get a call, pull over...

CALLEBS: You take care of it that way.

SCHRENK: ... and then answer the phone -- take care of it that way.

CALLEBS: We've also heard people talk about concerns -- using a cell phone, that maybe it's the same kind of contributor to accidents that drunken driving is. But you don't buy that.

SCHRENK: Well, I don't think it is the same category as drunken driving. And the reason for that is if you're drunk or under the influence of drugs, you can't correct that situation immediately. Only time is going to resolve that problem. But if you're involved in a situation that's caused by the use of your cell phone...

CALLEBS: Then you can handle that.

SCHRENK: ... once you put the cell phone down, then you should be in pretty good shape.

CALLEBS: OK, Barry, thanks very much.

And Leon, a couple of things to keep in mind right now. Municipalities, cities, as well as states, are now considering some kind of legislation that would ban the use of cell phones while we're driving around. And, of course, the federal government is kicking it around as well.

Now, in a couple hours, we're going to come back and we're going to talk with instructors about what they are learning on the front lines here at the boot camp, in essence, that keep people from being terribly unsafe on the roads -- Leon, back to you.

HARRIS: Hey Sean, we don't know if -- we're trying to decide here whether or not you were trying to prove the point or not, but we noticed that you went a little left to center there when you were making the turn with the cell phone up, huh?

(LAUGHTER)

CALLEBS: It's easy to do. I was focused on where I had to be, what I had to do and also trying to make sure that the -- everything was working on the phone. So, I'm first-hand proof that it can be a distraction.

HARRIS: Even when you're driving a Mercedes. Thank you, Sean -- Sean Callebs in driving school, here in Atlanta.

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