Bicycles Riding Against Traffic - How Smart Is That?

Yesterday Thelma and I were driving through a residential area on our way to pick up another student for driver’s education. Thelma is a pretty good driver - she's level headed, attentive, and an athlete with great reflexes. All these attributes stood her in good stead after we took a right turn into a quiet residential street and found ourselves on a collision course with a bicycle coming hard at us - against traffic.

This time it was no big deal. Thelma simply applied gentle brake pressure and steered slightly to the left. She evaded the bicycle and was able to return to our side of the road before meeting the car in the oncoming lane. She did a great job and everything turned out fine.

I just wonder what would have happened had the oncoming motorized traffic been any closer than it was. What kind of choice would we have made? Yes, the brakes would have been applied with much more force. Would that have been enough to stop before making contact with Mr. Bicyclist? I doubt it. How would we have evaded contact if braking was not enough? Beats me. Would we have steered left to evade the bicycle? Not on your life. Would Mr. Bicyclist have known that we had to hold our course or collide with another motor vehicle? He was oblivious. Could he have taken evasive action to avoid us? I don't think so.

Yep, that bicyclist was certainly putting a big burden on us and all the other motorist he was driving against. By riding against traffic (presumably so he could see and react to us in case we steered towards him), he was forcing us to make some tough choices.

What were we supposed to do to evade him when he unskillfully veered into our path of travel? Drive into oncoming traffic or just come to a dead stop and risk a rear end collision?

If we had come up against a tight situation while he was going with the flow, the only action required would be to slow down to his pace while we waited for the situation to clear up. He denied us that option by breaking the law.

So you bicycling, fair-haired children of the roadway, why don't you present us motorists with some better choices? How about choosing to play by the rules?

Why Back Seat Passengers Should Buckle In

"There is some self interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests" ~ Chanakya

Domino finishes adjusting the A/C in her Mom's red Subaru Forester before shifting into reverse to back out of her driveway. She's taking her sister to soccer practice and then she and Choco are going to see Grindhouse at the mall.

"Wow, it sure gets hot in here fast. Are you buckled in back there Thelma?"

"Nah, it's uncomfortable and I don't have to. Back seat passengers don't have to wear belts ya know."

"Yeah, you will too. Buckle up!"

"Nah! No I'm not!"

"Look, Goofball! You're going to buckle up or I'm going to throw you out! If we get in a crash I'm not going to die because your big butt comes hurtling into the back of my neck at 90 feet per second! You have 'til the count of three! One...Two..."

"OK! OK!"

Click.

Emergency Tire Changes

I had to make an emergency tire change a few weeks ago. I was lucky enough to make it into the relative shelter of a gasoline station. It was no picnic in there, but nothing compared to what you see in this clip.

Lesson for today - it is not only important to know how to change a tire. Location is critical.

Keep That Right Heel On The Floor

"Beware the man who won't be bothered with the details" ~ William Feather

Many parents ignore foot positioning when coaching their new drivers. It seems so trivial and insignificant, but it's so vital.

When moving the right foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal, the heel should not lift off the floor. The foot should pivot on the heel, which stays planted while the upper foot swivels back and forth between the pedals.

Don't let your teen get away with lifting the foot completely off the gas to slide it over to the brake. It uses up too much time.

"But Sweeney, it only costs a second. What's that? Hardly anything!"

Well my friend, one second at 45 mph equals an extra 66 feet before even beginning to brake. Add that to the young driver's inexperience and slow decision making and you have TROUBLE!

Teaching Your Teen To Dive: Objective # 1 - Establish a Pre-Diving Routine

"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine" ~ Mike Murdock

Those parents who have had an automobile to themselves for years will probably have to scrape some of the rust off when it comes to a pre-driving routine. After all, once you've adjusted the driver's seat and mirrors on your vehicle the first time, how many times have you had to re-adjust them?

If your oldest child is now embarking upon her first adventures in driving you will soon be changing your routine once she begins practicing in your car.

Remember the 'circle check' from your days as a driving student? Hopefully you've been doing this as a matter of course since you were sixteen years old, but let's review this and all the other things you should do before take-off. You know - just in case you've gotten into the habit of merely jumping into your vehicle and dashing off because you're running late.

Step 1 of the pre-driving routine has the driver circling the vehicle to ensure that the tires aren't low on air and to clear obstacles such as toddlers, bicycles, land mines, concrete blocks and the like out of her intended path of travel. Yeah! Now, you're remembering.

Step 2 - The driver enters the vehicle and locks the doors - you don't want to be yanked out of your vehicle by car-jackers. Do you?

Step 3 - The driver adjusts his seat. Now that your teen is going to be driving your car and adjusting the seat to fit his specifications you're going to have to readjust every time you want to drive - sorry.

Just make sure your child does this correctly. His right foot should reach the pedals comfortably with his legs slightly bent. He should be able to keep the heel of his right foot on the floor and operate both the accelerator and the brake pedals. The steering wheel should be a minimum of 10 inches from his chest.

Step 4 - The driver adjusts the head restraints. It should be positioned directly behind the middle of her head.

Step 5 - The diver adjusts the mirrors. Make sure the kid does this after adjusting the seats - not before. The rear view mirror should set so he can look through the entire back window. The left side mirror should give him a level view down the left side of the vehicle.

Step 6 - Fasten safety belts and shoulder straps.

Step 7 - Driver checks passenger safety. Whoever is driving should make sure passengers lock their doors and buckle in.

Step 8 - Check the ventilation. Adjust the heat, air conditioning, or airflow before driving. The fewer adjustments the driver has to make when dealing with traffic the better.

So there you have it - a quick review of what the driver should do before hitting the road. With practice both you and your teen ought to be able to complete this ritual within 30 seconds.

Supervise Your Licensed Teen With High-Tech and Common Sense

"Trust, but verify" ~ Damon Runyon

James Winfield, President and CEO of DriveHomeSafe.com, discovered he had a problem with his children soon after they earned their driver's licenses:

"Within weeks after my new teen drivers were driving solo, I realized they knew enough about driving to be a hazard to themselves (and others)...

Technically, they knew how to drive an automobile. ( I made sure of that).On the surface, they appeared to be able drivers. They could drive an automobile as well at night as they could in daylight. Our new teen drivers could do everything fundamentally necessary or legal to drive an automobile.

What they didn't have and desperately needed was experience and good judgment, which time and maturity could only provide...They get into situations, and do things operating an automobile outside their range of skill and experience to handle...Speeding, and driving recklessly are two misjudgments new drivers do."

Although I do not agree that reckless driving is merely a matter of "judgement", I heartily approve of the steps he took to correct the problem. This is what he did:


1. Negotiated a Teen Driving Contract: The Winfield Family established a basis of mutual agreement and understanding.


2. Eliminated distractions that got in the way of solving the problem of speeding by temporarily stripping the car of its stereo system.


3. Confronted peer pressure issues and circumstances.


4. Installed an easy-to-use Electronic Monitoring Unit to know if the automobile is speeding or driven recklessly.


5. Established geographic boundaries which expanded as the teens' experience grew.


6. Drove in separate automobiles when going to the same destination - teen drivers in one, adults in the other. His kids liked this arrangement. It fed into their need for independence. However, Winfield and his wife did it to gauge how their teen drivers really drove when they didn't have the parents in the same automobile with them.


7. Refused to take Speeding Tickets or Moving Violations lightly.


8. Put responsibility on their teen drivers to financially pay the consequences of their poor driving behavior. Winfield's kids paid for their automobile insurance. The parents paid the monthly car payments. When the teens messed up by driving in ways that caused their insurance rates to increase, they felt it financially. When their insurance premium payment rate decreased due to responsible driving, they benefited.

Winfield reports that this combination of tactics was highly successful and that it forced his teenagers to drive correctly.

Also Winfield is really sold on electronic monitoring devices. There is one system that made the news recently which I find quite interesting. It's called DriveCam.

DriveCam's exception-based video event recorder is mounted on the windshield behind the rear-view mirror and captures sights and sounds inside and outside the vehicle. G-forces (e.g. hard braking, swerving, collision, etc.) cause the recorder to save the 10 seconds immediately before and after the triggered event. Saved events are downloaded, analyzed and assigned a risk score to coach drivers, improve driving behavior and figure out who is to blame in collisions.

The system reminds me of fighter plane gun-cameras. Check out the video clips at the above link. The diver in this clip is a real prize!

I think Mr. Winfield is on to something. I believe his tactics when taken together get the job done. The mission being to keep your teen driver alive.

Here's a final word from James Winfield:

"If it bothers you that your teen driver may cry invasion of privacy, get over it and don't let it stop you. Preventing an automobile accident is what parenting is about. Bottom line, this is not a trust issue, it's about protecting your teen driver from misjudgments teens too often make when driving."

Well said, sir! Well done, sir!

How Will Your Teen Drive After Getting That License?

"The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me" ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"Mr. Sweeney, you were John-Boy's driving instructor, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I remember John-Boy. How's he doing these days?"

"Well, he speeds ALL the time and he put a dent in his Mom's car and their garage door! He's not a very good driver at all!"

So there it is - the silent accusation:

"How in the world could you have passed HIM?"

I can teach my students the rules of the road and how to safely operate an automobile. I can prevent them from passing the course if they demonstrate that they are unable or unwilling to drive safely.

Everyone knows this. Therefore, when the students are with me they are always putting their best foot forward. They're also on their BEST behavior when they go for the state's 12 minute road test. Obviously, some of them are insincere and drop the mask when they are no longer under supervision. Safe driving is an attitude and a way of life. It is obtained through experience and parental involvement. You as a parent must be involved to properly instill this.

That's why we have a graduated licensing system here in Illinois. That is why parents here are required to log 50 hours of driving time with their teen before taking the road test for the driver's license.

But alas, John-Boy has proven that even this is an imperfect solution.

How do you ensure safe driving when they are out on their own?

Well there are some basic measures that may help:

1. Know Your Child's Travelling Companions: Teens have a way of egging each other into doing stupid things. Speeding, bravado, and failure to wear seat belts account for thousands of teen deaths each year. Studies have found that a 16-year old driver with three or more passengers was three times more likely to die in a wreck than one driving alone. In Illinois for the first six months of licensing, or until the driver is age 18, whichever occurs first, the number of passengers is limited to one person under age 20, unless the additional passenger(s) is a sibling, step-sibling, child or step-child of the driver. After this period, the number of passengers is limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat.

2. Be a Nag: Remind your teen frequently of the dangers of operating motor vehicle with anything less than 100% concentration.

3. Ride Periodically with Your Teen: Check him out from time to time. Review safety tips and monitor his driving skills. Bad habits are most likely to crop up in the beginning years of driving. Nip them in the bud. Frequent drive-alongs are the best way to keep tabs on your teen driver's progress.

4. Have Your Child Share Costs: Have her kick in some dollars towards the insurance payments. This will teach her responsibility and may even translate into better driving skills. Now her money is at stake.

Tomorrow: Advanced methods of monitoring your young driver.

Teaching Your Teen To Drive: Tip # 4 - What Should You Teach? What Should They Learn?

"Plan backwards as well as forward. Set objectives and trace back to see how to achieve them" ~ Donald Rumsfeld.

Alright. I've given you advice on determining whether or not your teen is ready to drive. I've given you tips on how to stay cool, calm, and collected. I've told you where and how to train. You also have pointers on when and how to critique your child's performance.

Now what exactly does your teen need to learn to become a good driver? Here is a list developed by the Illinois Secretary of State in coordination with the Illinois High School and College Driver Education Association. If you can't find your state's guidelines you could do a lot worse than this:

1. Establish a pre-driving routine of all necessary checks and adjustments.
2. Starting and Stopping.
3. Making precise left and right turns from the stop and while in motion.
4. Backing Up.
5. Perpendicular, Angle, and Parallel Parking.
6. Learning which driver is supposed to yield right-of-way in various situations.
7. Lane Changing.
8. Reading and Managing Intersections.
9. Defensive Driving Techniques.

These are the things I teach and then some. I'll address the how, when, where and why of these objectives in later posts.

Before I go I'll leave you with a little, mystery question:

Why does Sweeney always teach his students to pull into the curb before he teaches them to change lanes?

Music and Driving

"Music is the shorthand of emotion" ~ Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

Some parents think that driving with the car radio on is a distraction and most teens swear that they can't drive without it.

I've found that the answer depends on several variables. First we have to look at the teen's temperament and capability. What kind of person is this new driver? Is he easily distractable? If so the radio/CD player is not appropriate. Does your new driver have superb powers of concentration? Then a musical background (and I emphasize background) might help keep driver and parent calm during training drives. Having the sound system in operation certainly reflects a more realistic driving scenario.

The driving school at which I instruct actually encourages the use of the radio exactly because it is more realistic. Whenever we're reviewing "old" material or practicing maneuvers that the student feels confident executing, I'll have the music playing at a medium to low volume. When we start work on something new or find ourselves driving in a high pressure situation the music gets switched off so we can both concentrate.

The other thing you have to consider is the type of music being played. I found an interesting article that relates musical beats per minute to the driver's emotional state and performance.

In 2002 Warren Brodsky, an Israeli researcher, said drivers who listen to fast music in their cars may have more than twice as many accidents as those listening to slower tracks.

He put a group of 28 students through their paces on a driving simulator. Each student drove round the virtual streets of Chicago while listening to different pieces of music, or none at all. The students had an average of seven years' driving experience.

Brodsky chose music with a variety of styles, ranging from laid-back George Benson ballads to the ultra-fast numbers beloved of clubbers. The tempo ranged from a slow 60 beats per minute up to a fast and furious 120 beats per minute or more. All the music was played relatively loudly to maximize its effect.

As the tempo increased, Brodsky found drivers took more risks, such as jumping red lights, and had more accidents. When listening to up-tempo pieces, they were twice as likely to jump a red light as those who were not listening to music. And drivers had more than twice as many accidents when they were listening to fast tempos as when they listened to slow or medium-paced numbers.

I concur with Brodsky's findings. I have seen students begin to drive faster when the musical tempo increased and I have seen them slow when we switched to a more mellow tune. Parents might consider using music as a remote control for leadfooted teens.

Anyway, the decision to listen to music should be based on the individuals involved. If you decide to enjoy the tunes consider volume and tempo.

Rear - Ended

"We cannot lower our guard or relax our vigilance..." ~ Hui Liangyu

Ralph brought that '95 Cavalier to a smooth stop so he could wait out the oncoming traffic and complete a left turn into his subdivision.

His behind-the-wheel session was coming to an end. He was looking forward to getting out of the car and going to shoot some hoops in his driveway. I was looking forward to taking a break and going to teach the evening classroom.

Ralph had approached this turn with picture perfect precision. He had initiated his turn signal 200 feet in advance (as this was more of a rural area where one must signal earlier). He had kept the front tires centered and the car pointed straight up his lane while he waited for a decent gap in which to maneuver.

Then the sound of burning rubber. A very loud and prolonged SCREEEECH - during which I got out half a sentence:

"Who the h&## is... " BANG! CRUMPple!

A jolting impact from the rear jammed me back against my seat and propelled our vehicle forward nearly 50 yards.

"... burning rubber!" I finished.

"Well now I know!" I chuckled. At least I think I chuckled.

"What did I do wrong?" cried Ralph.

"Not a thing buddy. But the guy behind us screwed up real bad. You did real good Ralph. We'd be dead if you hadn't kept those front wheels pointing straight forward."

"Man, I think I'm going to puke!" moaned my student.

"Nah, you're OK. You've taken harder hits on the football field. Haven't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right! I have! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Ralph was kind of shaky. Really couldn't blame him.

"Here, pull out your permit and dig through this packet to find the insurance cards and registration. Stay right here. I'm going to check on the car and our hard charging friend back there."

The Cavalier's trunk was crumpled in. We weren't going to get anything out of there for a while. Thank God the vehicle was still drivable.

The walk back to the Nissan pick-up that had nailed us seemed to take forever. It was like walking in a dream - underwater. I guess I was pretty shaky myself.

The front end of the pick-up was in pretty bad shape. Steam was rising from the hood. A puddle of green coolant had collected under the crushed radiator and was starting to trickle down to the curb.

"Look at what your student did to my truck!! He should never get a license," accused the chunky, Rosy O'Donnell-like senorita.

"What do you mean - 'What my student did'?"

"He jammed his brakes on RIGHT in front of me!! And he didn't even signal!"

I reckon she was practicing her lies on me so she'd sound real smooth when she had to explain things to the police.

I just shook my head and turned to walk back to the Cavalier.

"Where are you going?" she screeched.

"Back to my student and then to find a phone to call the cops. You can sell your crap to them. I don't argue with idiots."

About this time a nice looking lady emerges from one of the cars stuck in the jam behind the Nissan and catches up to me.

"Hi, here's my name and phone number. If you need a witness feel free to call. I've been following her for the last 10 miles and she's been driving like a fool the whole way."

"Gee, thanks!"

It's always nice to have someone in your corner.

Since there were no serious injuries I had Ralph drive onto the shoulder to help clear the road. Then I went to the nearest house and had them phone for police support.

When the police arrived 20 minutes later, Ralph and I had all of our documentation ready for inspection. The Nissan's driver had to rummage around for her license.

"Oh, where is that thing? Oh, I forgot the other officer took it when he gave me this ticket."

She had trouble finding her insurance card as well.

"Well this is my uncle's truck. He must have it."

"Mam, you won't be able to pay this citation by mail then. No insurance card means an automatic court appearance," explained Officer Nash.

After that I drove Ralph home and helped him fill out the accident report. We got all the info we needed from Officer Nash's notes.

Someone else taught the classroom that evening while I swapped cars back at headquarters to get ready for the next day of fun and high adventure.

Rosy O'Donnell's look-alike got stuck with the blame and the bill - as well she should have. But could Ralph and I have done anything to avoid that collision?

The answer of course is yes. There is always something each party involved could have done to have averted the crash.

Ralph and I were too focused on the stream of oncoming traffic and didn't pay enough attention to the rear. Since then whenever we're stopped waiting to take a left turn, my students and I devote more attention to our rear view mirrors than we did back in 1996. And, my student is ready to hit the gas if we see any vehicles barrelling down on us.

Do It Yourself Space Cushion Driving

"A man who does not think for himself does not think at all" ~ Oscar Wilde

Everyone who has gone through Driver's Ed has most likely had the Smith System or a similar doctrine drummed into them. This starts at latest on the fourth day of the classroom phase and continues until the last minute of behind-the-wheel. Even old timers who were young during the '70's can remember at least one or two of the 5 keys of safe driving.

I don't want to list those keys here as they are registered trade marks of Smith Systems, Inc. If you want to review them all you have to do is click on the link above and they'll be there for you. Geez..I just checked it out. Even 5 keys is registered!

Anyway, of the 5 main points (see I stopped saying 'keys') my favorite is - Leave Yourself an...OOPS! Almost said the forbidden phrase!

Well, the gist of that particular forbidden phrase is to fight to keep a space cushion around your vehicle. The reason being that if you are not driving near anything you can't hit it and it can't hit you. Sounds like a good deal to me. One of my favorite sayings is:

"Space is your friend. Vehicles and objects on the roadway are your enemies. Stay away from them!"

So I'm really big on a minimum following distance of 4 seconds and I'm fast to get on a kid's case if her following distance gets any shorter than that. I'm also big on not travelling beside other vehicles for longer than necessary. After I've been working with a teen for two hours all I have to do is point at a car riding next to us and she'll respond with:

"Yeah, I know. Get rid of them." Then she eases off the gas pedal and let's it pull away from us and go bother someone else.

Now I discover in KICKING TIRES: THE BLOG FOR CAR BUYERS that Volvo is developing a system that monitors a car up to 19 feet in front of you at speeds of up to 18 mph and will either pre-charge the brakes so you can avoid the accident yourself or, if the car in front brakes suddenly, the system will fully apply the brakes for you.

I'm all for safety systems. I just hope that when "City Safety" is fielded that it doesn't create a sense of complacency in either younger or older drivers. I can just hear the kids now:

"I don't have to worry about following distance! The car will do that for me."

Yeah, right. Now tell me what happens when the driver behind you doesn't have the system.

Is Your Teen Ready To Begin Driver's Training?

"Experience teaches only the teachable" ~ Vernon Law

Did you ever hear the story about the man who was so eager for his son to begin Driver's Ed that he rushed over to the driving school before classes were scheduled to start?

"You really didn't need to do that," said the school administrator. "Your son could have given that to the instructor on the first day."

"I couldn't trust my son with that check," the father answered.

I wonder what made dad think that his son would be anymore trustworthy behind the wheel of a two thousand pound guided missle. Just because parents have tossed more than 180 calendar pages into the trash since their youngster was born does not automatically mean the kid is ready to drive.

You've got to consider three things before putting your teen on the cold, cruel road.

1. Is your teen able to control the vehicle?

• Does he/she have sufficient size and strength to operate the controls?
• Good vision?
• Good reflexes?
• Good coordination?
• The ability to process information quickly, weigh risks, and arrive at good split second conclusions?

2. Is your teen willing to learn? Can he memorize traffic laws and then apply that knowledge to real life conditions while operating the car?

3. Is your teen emotionally mature? Can she handle setbacks while remaining cooperative with you, the instructor, and other drivers?

If your child is not ready, it's better to wait before beginning driver training. Although your teens may interpet such delay as punishment you are giving them time to mature and develop to the point where they can drive right.

You're not doing them (or the world) any favors by letting them drive too soon. I'm sure you don't want to kill your teen with 'kindness'.

Let The Other Guy Merge

"We shall show mercy, but we shall not ask for it" ~ Winston Churchill

We did some expressway driving yesterday. Alfonso had driven on limited access highways with his parents on several occasions already so he was highly confident going there with me.

He did a pretty competent job too. He merged in well. He executed all lane changes smoothly. He was comfortable with the high speeds. He kept the Malibu centered in his lane - even in curves. He appeared to have a good handle on this kind of driving. He and his parents had put a lot of good work into this.

Just one flaw. When driving in the right lane near merge areas, he didn't want to adjust his speed to help the entering traffic come onto the roadway. On the contrary, he charged into them like he was Vince Papale (from the movie, Invincible) on kick-off coverage - ignoring my commands to slow down.

"Ease off, Boyo!"

I finally intervened by applying the instructor brakes from my side of the car.

"What are you trying to do to this white van?!"

The van lumbers onto the expressway just a foot or two in front of us.

"He's supposed to yield to us!" exclaims Alfonso.

"You need to lighten up and let these people merge in. And you're supposed to drive safely. What was he supposed to do? Jam on his brakes and be rear-ended? Drive onto the shoulder? Or crash into us?"

How I despise youthful arrogance.

Anyway, Alfonso got sucked into that cry-baby blame game I mentioned a few posts ago.

People, Parents, Teens, Fellow Drivers! Lend me your ear! We need to shuck this "it's the other guy's fault" mentality. If you see a problem developing, you are the one responsible for taking action to avoid collision. Don't depend on the other drivers. They just might not come through for you. Take ownership of the situation.

Do it...and you go home to your loved ones.

Do it not...and your loved ones go to your funeral.

Teaching Your Teen To Drive - Tip # 3 Critique On The Spot

"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery" ~ Mark van Doren

Talk to your teen as you travel together. Give him the benefit of your vast experience by speaking aloud your stream of conciousness in regards to the traffic situation. Analyze the situation ahead just like you always do, but now remember to turn up the speaker system and let the kid hear the hundreds of observations and decisions you have to make to stay alive during a simple trip to the mall.

Your kid has been watching you drive for a long time. Over the last fifteen years you've made it look so easy he just might think he can just step in and do even better than the old folks.

Then he gets behind the wheel and finds out it's not as easy as it looks.

So help your teen sharpen his awareness, focus and decision making by including him in a continuous verbal expression of what you are seeing and reacting to on the cold, cruel road. After a few trips, get him to start talking too. This allows both of you to know what the other is thinking, seeing and planning.

I've found that it's best to compliment good moves and point out errors immediately and then move on. This is mainly because I want the student to get the news within the context of the action. So much happens during a driving session that he probably won't even remember the action I'm critiquing if I bring it up 15-30 minutes down the road - unless it was a near death experience.

You can also take the multi-media approach to teaching by incorporating body language and hand signals. Sometimes events unfold so quickly that words just don't do the job. If you see a car nosing out of a driveway, a simple gesture in that direction will alert your driver to the threat.

My Dad never did get the hang of that when I was a kid. He'd just scream "LOOK OUT!!!" and expect me to identify the hazard. All he did was spook me. Please be nice to your teen.

Anyway, now is the time to remind yourself of the safety hazards you notice while you're driving and communicate these to your teen as you travel. Remind him that defensive driving is all about anticipation.

One Lane Closer To A Collision

"The driver was in my lane and driving really fast, and that was it - bam, it's over" ~ Clark Metcalfe

"Why do you like driving in the left lane so much, Alfonso?" I asked as our green Malibu tooled down Rte 14.

"I don't know. Its faster I guess." answers my student. "You want me to move into the right?"

"Well yeah, but I'm worried about the choices you're going to be making when I'm not here to hound you."

Alfonso signals, checks his mirrors and blind spot, and takes the car safely into the right lane.

"Man, why do I always have to tell you to do that? What are the two main reasons for spending time in the left lane?"

"To prepare for a left turn and to pass." he sighs.

"Right! And why shouldn't you stay positioned in the left lane if your not going to do either one of those things?"

"Because it forces passing traffic to to weave from lane to lane." Alfonso sighs again.

"Yes, that's what the book says, but what else? What is something that's way more important to you?"

"Man, I don't know!"

"How about because when you're driving in the left lane you're closer to oncoming traffic. What happens if one of the jokers on the other side falls asleep or stoops down to pick up a a french fry? What happens if one of those cars comes across the yellow line?"

Probably a head-on collision!" Alfonso perks up.

"Well, if you're in the right lane when that oncoming traffic crosses the center line, you'll have just that much more time and space to get out of the way. Might make all the difference between a trip to the morgue or one to your girlfriend's house."

All depends on where you want to go.

Teaching Your Teen To Drive: Tip # 2 - Start Easy and Keep a Steady Pace

"Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty" ~ Albert Einstein

I know a lot of parents who throw their rookie driver onto the busiest road in town just minutes after the kid obtains her learner's permit. This might be a good approach if she has already had some "bootleg" experience on grandpa's pickup truck on a private farm road. It may not even be a bad idea if the kid has grown up driving ATVs, snowmobiles, and dirt bikes.

But, if she has had no experience with motor vehicles outside of being a passenger then this old "sink or swim" approach might just backfire. You'll make her fearful. It's difficult to teach people when they are afraid. After all, the Army doesn't put troops in combat before they've at least gone through basic training. A lighter approach is definitely in order.

Starting out in a quiet neighborhood and getting familiar with the car where she is not under heavy fire will make every one's life easier. Remember when she was a baby? She had to crawl before she could walk and she had to walk before she could run.

Once your teen can drive in a straight line and stay in the correct lane when taking turns, you can venture forth to the grocery store, school, the movies, where ever. Just not before she's ready.

It's crucial that she gets as much "wheel time" as possible. As often as possible. Repeated 15-20 minute trips spread over the week are much more effective than 3 hour marathon sessions conducted only once in a while.

Repeated exposure to the actual driving experience is key to understanding how things work on the cold, cruel road.

I'm Not Going Too Fast!! I'm Right At The Limit!

"In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed" ~ Charles Darwin

Young Alfonso is driving 50 mph, the posted speed limit on this stretch of Rte 59. We're closing in fast on the Dodge Ram to our front.

"Time to start slowing down, kiddo." I say matter of factly.

"Why, I'm right at the speed limit!" he complains.

"Yeah, but the guy in front of us isn't and we're not playing tag. Do you think we can make this Malibu jump over him?"

"Oh!" says Alfonso as he brakes gently - just 4 seconds behind the Ram. Not a bad interval, but not as good as the 12 second gap we had once enjoyed.

I suppose most people just expect things to unfold exactly according to their plans and forget that sometimes we have to adapt to less than ideal conditions.

The guys who designed the roads posted those speed limits for ideal conditions. Ideal usually meaning dry straight aways with maximum traction, perfect visibility, and little or no traffic.

When was the last time you drove under ideal conditions? Yeah, just what I thought.

That means that you are not going to be driving the posted speed limit in traffic jams, blizzards, monsoons, or fog banks. It also means you're going to reduce your speed (that's fancy talk for slow down) before you drive into a curve.

Basically you have to remember the STV formula. If you're driving in tight areas and space is at a premium - slow down. If the road is slick and you don't have much traction - slow down. If the rain is coming down in sheets and your visibility to the front is a mere fifty feet - slow down. The posted speed limit no longer applies.

Adapt to the situation and prevail.

Teaching Your Teen To Drive: Tip # 1 - Keep Your Cool

"When anger rises, think of the consequences" ~ Confucious

The 1st rule of the Teach To Drive Club is -

DON'T YELL AT YOUR KID.

The 2nd Rule of the Teach To Drive Club is -

DON'T YELL AT YOUR KID. *

At least not while they're behind the wheel. Wait until you get home. Then you can vent all you want.

Really, I'm not joking. How do you feel when someone bawls you out? Do you remain focused on the task at hand? Or do you withdraw into the recesses of your mind - feeling defensive, angry, resentful, and hurt?

Same thing with your teen. High emotion will really screw up his driving performance, reduce his attention span, and become yet another one of many existing distractions.

Yeah, I know. It's really tough not to rant when the kids do something stupid and scare the devil out of you. Just remember that if you get over-excited, the danger increases for the both of you.

There are a few things you can do to help reduce your terror, such as:

• Use the vanity mirror on the passenger side as a rear view mirror for you...or buy a cheap suction cup from an auto-parts store.
• Paste a STUDENT DRIVER sign in the rear window or on the bumper. Maybe your fellow motorists will show mercy.
• If you have an emergency hand brake in the center console it will stop the car and should override the gas pedal. But go easy on it. A sharp yank could send your car into a spin.
• In addition to the hand brake (or if your emergency brake is a pedal), you can negate your young driver's heavy foot by pushing the gear selector lever from drive to neutral.

These techniques will give you more control over the situation when your teen is behind the wheel. You can slow or stop the action at will. Then you can deal with your child more calmly.

Remember, don't yell at the kid in the car. Driving and emotion are a bad mix.

* If you missed the subtle humor here go to Blockbuster and check out The Fight Club.

Either Drive Safely or Play "The Blame Game"

"When two quarrel, both are to blame" ~ Dutch Proverb

"Mr. Sweeney, that tailgater riding our rear is really getting on my nerves! Is it OK with you if I stomp on the brake real hard and then let up on it real fast? I want to scare him off!"

"No!! You know better than that! Just relax and make sure you don't have to make any sudden stops. You don't want to be involved in a rear end collision. Believe you me!"

"Hee, Hee! Just kidding! But even if he hit us, wouldn't it be his fault?"

"Yes, Caitlin, it would be, but wouldn't you just rather get home on time?"

Just about everyday my students and I are threatened by careless or aggressive drivers. After we yield right of way to them or take evasive action, the kids pepper me with questions or comments such as:

"That wasn't fair!"

"If we had crashed, wouldn't it have been their fault?"

"Who would get the ticket?"

"Why did we have to yield to that jerk? We had the right of way!"

I'll answer with a quick analysis of what the other guy should have done if we lived in a perfect world where everyone drove by the book.

Then I ask them if they would rather be alive or right.

Word combinations like "right and wrong", "guilty or not guilty", "liable or exempt" are used in nice, comfortable offices by lawyers and insurance adjusters to sort things out after the crash.

Drivers on the cold, cruel road ought to be more concerned with phrases like "safe or dangerous" and "dead or alive".

Drivers(at least good drivers) are more concerned with avoiding crashes rather than figuring out who the bad guy is.

Good drivers yield to those who are mistaken because we'd rather go home a few seconds later than waste hours on things such as:

1. bandaging wounds
2. talking to police officers*
3. filling out accident reports (don't you already have enough homework?)
4. waiting for repairs on a busted up vehicle
5. lying in bed waiting for bones to mend
6. talking to insurance people*
7. talking to lawyers and judges*

Don't play the Blame Game. It's a game that you will lose whether you're right or wrong.

Instead compensate for the other driver's mistakes. Slow down when that knucklehead races out in front of your vehicle with only inches to spare. He shouldn't have done it, but give him some room anyway. You won't regret it.

*Not that there is anything wrong with talking to these great folks, but wouldn't you rather do so under better circumstances? Like at a ball game or a picnic?

The Truth About Driver's Ed

With a provocative title like this, you may be expecting something scandalous. Sorry, I'm just going to welcome you to my Blog and tell you what I want to do with it.

Mainly I'd like to give you a little info that you can use to your benefit. I hope I'll even entertain you and make you smile.

I'm figuring that "you" are either a 15 or 16 year old who wants to see what the mean, old driving instructor is thinking or that "you" are the parent of a teen who is getting ready to go through driver's ed and you're looking for some help in surviving the ordeal. Whoever you are - you should be able to find something here you can use.

I'll provide training tips and pointers for the parents. Info that will help you keep your sanity while you try to keep your child alive.

I'll offer solutions for the problems and mistakes I see being made everyday on the road.

Kids - the training tips for parent's may help them remember what it was like to be a 15 year old who didn't know everything about driving. Many have forgotten that maneuvering the car was not always second nature.

Besides training tips I'll offer comments on some of the following:

• new traffic laws
• old traffic laws
• inventions
• gimmicks
• automobiles
• news articles
• movies
• books
• safety studies
• accident reports
• anything else related to driving

Feel free to comment.