Never an accident says HS driver’s education teacher

 

He drives with the most inexperienced drivers in the Santa Ynez Valley and yet he claims he’s never had an accident. His name is Cecil Millett and he’s been a driver’s education teacher at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School for more than 40 years.

“I’ve driven with thousands of students as they complete their training behind the wheel and even though we’ve had some very scary incidents, we’ve never had a ticket or an accident,” he insisted.

 

The program, one of the few in the state to offer behind-the-wheel training as well as classroom instruction, is funded by the students’ parents and the vehicle is provided by Rio Vista Chevrolet in Buellton. The dealership also provides maintenance on the car, a Chevrolet Impala with dual control, a feature that is required by state law. The school covers fuel and insurance expenses.

Millett said many high schools still offer the classroom training but stopped the behind-the-wheel instruction when the state pulled its funding for the program, even though high schools are still required to teach the subject.

 

“Initially schools were reimbursed per pupil, then when funding was withdrawn, this district decided to continue the classes and charge just enough to break even,” he explained. Having a good relationship with the local dealership has also been important.

Students wanting to sign up for driver training take half a semester of classroom instruction and are required to pass their written DMV test before driving. This preparation helps screen students who need glasses or have other physical problems, he said.

 

Once these problems are corrected, the students must have professional instruction and 50 hours of driving behind the wheel, 10 of which must be at night. Parents must certify with their signature that the student has completed this training before the second DMV test is taken behind the wheel with a DMV official.

Millett offers training to four students at a time, letting each child take a turn driving around the Santa Ynez Valley and on the freeway. Instruction is given every weekday and Saturdays. Other driver education teachers at the high school are Ken Fredrickson, athletic director, who teaches the summer classroom sessions, and Erik Wordal, a drafting and mathematics teacher.

 

Millett began teaching Spanish at the high school in 1962, helping with the driver training program on the side. He retired in 1995 but was asked to come back and help with the driving program in 1997, a service he still enjoys. Teachers must be specially certified through the DMV in order to teach the subject and Millett is one of the few teachers who has achieved this certification.

Over the years Millett has taught most students who attended the high school and if they stayed in the area when they became adults, he now is teaching their children to drive. “It makes for a good conversation when someone tells me their mom or dad took driving lessons from me. They are often surprised when I can recall who their parents are,” he said.

 

While Millett has never had an accident, he’s had a few near misses. One time a student insisted on keeping the word “Chevy” on the steering wheel in an upright position while turning, causing the car to veer into the curb several times. When the student finally explained the reason for the maneuver, Millet had to assure the student that it was all right if the word “Chevy” was upside down once in a while when turning.

Another incident involved a student who slid in behind the wheel and asked which pedal was the brake and which one was the gas. That first lesson was very basic, Millet recalled.

 

A third time a student was crossing a narrow bridge when a huge truck loaded with hay headed toward them. The student screamed and let go of the wheel, but Millet was able to steer the vehicle to safety and then explained to the four students in the car how to drive safely on narrow roadways.

 

“We don’t ever use the word ‘accident’ when driving,” he added. “We do always discuss how to drive safely and responsibly. That’s the key – personal responsibility and it’s important that students understand that they can’t get where they are going safely if they don’t take the responsibility to learn all the rules and follow them every time they drive. It sounds basic, but it’s amazing how many adult drivers don’t follow this simple rule. That’s why it’s stressed now while they are young and just beginning their training. It’s something we want them to always remember.”