"We have no sense of responsibility in this society," she said. "People aren't going to look at signs promoting safe driving. I'm sorry, but I feel that something tragic has to happen for people to wake up."

Starr said that children learn best from capable teachers and from parents.

Barbara Malick, manager and driving instructor of the Allied Driving School and Safety Academy on Lincoln Avenue, agrees.

Malick thinks the city is on the right track with its new Street Smarts campaign. But she doesn't believe that the campaign alone will influence driving habits.

This month the San Jose Department of Transportation (DOT) is launching a traffic-calming education and awareness campaign called Street Smarts. This multimedia campaign, made up of signs, banners and presentations, is designed to affect driver behavior.

Linda Crabill, DOT community relations manager, said that the Street Smarts campaign consists of the "three E's": education, engineering and enforcement.

"We're all guilty of some traffic violations," Crabill said. "Street Smarts reminds everyone to walk safe, ride safe and drive safe."

The city's attempts to calm traffic and lessen the number of traffic problems—like drivers running red lights and making fast right-hand turns—has been hit and miss through San Jose neighborhoods.

But instead of altering traffic signals, installing turn-restriction signs or stationing radar trailers, the city is going to take its safe driving efforts directly to drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.

Malcik said safe driving requires hands-on education and should begin in a person's youth. What youth learn in class they can pass on to their parents to make them safer drivers, she said.

"Educate the kids and the kids will educate their parents," Malick adds.

An average driving course is 30 hours of instruction and six hours behind the wheel, she said. But Malick believes that a key detriment to safe driving is the recent development of online driving courses.

"There's no value in learning on the Internet," she said.

Malick claims there are thousands of youths taking online courses who will come away with it not knowing how to drive safely.

Gina Gates runs the Private Education Network located in Willow Glen on Willow Street. Gates said that the learn-at-home driver education program is very popular. Between 10,000 and 12,000 students statewide, ages 16­18, enroll in the 30-day course, she said. The students complete the course but parents proctor the tests.

"If the mayor wants to make a difference in the county, he'll ban Internet driving courses," Malick said. "In my professional opinion, the Internet is bypassing the hands-on learning experience."

Gates disagrees and believes that home study is just as effective as a traditional class, if not better.

"The difference between home study and the classroom," Gates said, "is that the parent is involved with online courses. Students complete all of the material at their own pace. If a student goes to a class four days a week, just how long do you think the teacher can keep their attention?" Gates said.

The city campaign was developed to help all drivers, whether they were taught online or through traditional classes.

Crabill said Street Smarts looks to affect behaviors involving speeding, red light and stop sign violations, and compliance with laws on school zones and crosswalks.

In April the San Jose City Council approved $875,000 for the DOT Street Smart campaign, which starts December 2002 and continues through May 2003.

Crabill said the DOT will look for additional funding from the California State Office of Traffic Safety that will enable the program to continue for three years.

Public education campaigns take about three years to impact behavior, Crabill said. The first year of the DOT campaign will be dedicated to raising awareness, the second to changing attitudes and the third to changing behaviors.

Some of the campaign slogans are: "You've got to know when to STOP," "Stopping is part of driving" and "Red light running has to stop." San Jose Traffic Enforcement Department Sgt. Dennis Dolezal's favorites are "Put the other pedal to the metal" and "Want to meet cops? Drive fast."

Dolezal said, "The campaign is just a continuation of what we've been doing all along. But I'm hopeful it'll reduce the number of traffic accidents."

When it comes to traffic calming, using the law as the primary method of enforcement isn't always feasible, Crabill said. And other methods need to be considered.

Paying attention is the crux of the Street Smart campaign, and not just for drivers.

"We want to encourage pedestrians to have a broader awareness of their surroundings, to make eye contact with a driver before crossing," Crabill said.

"There's this mindset of 'I'm in the crosswalk so I can't get hurt,' and we want to change that."

The campaign will ultimately include sending representatives to visit neighborhood associations, business groups, and elementary and middle schools. The campaign wants to get the safe driving message out to everyone, especially children before they reach driving age.