Motorists could help a Medina County father's quest to use simulators to train teen drivers if the state legislature passes a bill creating a special fundraising license plate.
Ray Sanderbeck, whose 15-year-old daughter, Michelle, was killed in a traffic accident in 2006, has led the effort to improve driver education with the simulators through the Michelle's Leading Star Foundation, named for his daughter.
The machines use computer graphics to simulate increasing levels of driving difficulty in a variety of landscapes and weather conditions. Lessons on driver safety complement practice in the simulators.
Sanderbeck said his goal is ''to bring awareness and, hopefully, bring it into other schools.''
Ohio House Minority Leader William Batchelder, R-Medina, recently introduced House Bill 133 to create the license plate, which would direct a $15 contribution to a fund to buy simulators. Vehicle owners would pay $25 above the cost of a regular plate, with $10 covering administrative costs of issuing the special tag.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety would use the contributions ''solely to fund the rental, lease or purchase of the simulated driving curriculum of the Michelle's Leading Star Foundation by boards of education of city, exempted village, local and joint vocational school districts,'' according to the bill.
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles would design the plate, which would include the words ''teen driver education'' and a logo in addition to the usual numbers and letters.
It wouldn't be the first time the Sanderbecks have changed Ohio law.
Michelle Sanderbeck was killed in a one-car accident while riding with three other teenage passengers and a 16-year-old driver who had held his license for only a month. Police determined that speed and the young driver's inexperience led to the crash.
Ray Sanderbeck and his wife, Debbie, inspired changes in Ohio's teen licensing laws, including a restriction that took effect in 2007. It says 16-year-old drivers may have only one nonfamily member as a passenger.
Sanderbeck, who lives in Montville Township, contributed driving simulators in a pilot program he helped teach last year at Medina High School.
The money for the first simulator came through a variety of grants, donations and fundraisers. Sanderbeck said the simulators cost about $10,000 each.
''It's not so much about [teaching basic] driving. I do teach them over 200 defensive driving conditions,'' Sanderbeck said. He volunteers to teach the three-week course six periods a day.
More than 200 students have gone through the Medina program. The course proved so effective in increasing student driving performance, it's now an elective in the school's regular health curriculum.
''My original goal was just to bring it into Medina,'' Sanderbeck said. Michelle would have graduated from Medina High. ''Then my goal began to grow.
''This program makes kids a lot safer. I'm a one-man army.''
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
