What's Your Driving Personality?

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may we are never able to fully know ourselves as we are, especially the evil side of us" ~ Mohandas Gandhi

How does your personality shine through when you get behind the wheel? Are you the Dudley Do-Right of the the roadway who strictly obeys every rule in the book? Or did they base the movie Anger Management on your driving record?

Here's a nifty 60 question test to help you find your spot on the spectrum. Parents, this might help you see yourself through your teen's eyes. Remember, he's learning every little thing from you. You might want to see what you've been teaching him all these years.

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.

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.

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.