What Do You Do If...Objects Are Thrown From An Overpass?

Believe it or not there are those that don't think that driving is risky enough. They want to spice up the experience by throwing objects from overpasses onto unsuspecting drivers and their passengers. We've been hearing about this more often. Just Google "Objects Thrown from Overpass Hit Cars" and you'll get a slew of headlines - here are a few:

Rocks Thrown From Overpass Hit Cars on Beltway - Southern Maryland ...

Orlando Sentinel - More vehicles hit with thrown objects by ...

ROCK THROWN FROM OVERPASS PUTS TEEN DRIVER IN HOSPITALIT WAS THE ...

Parkway West Thrower Targets Driver - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh

Projectiles range from AA batteries to 20 lb frozen turkeys. Given the force of impact at higher speeds even the little batteries can wreak havoc on vehicles and human flesh.

So what can you do to protect yourself from this menace?

Well, if you're lucky enough to see the thrower before you reach the overpass you can reduce speed, change lanes, and head for the shoulder.

While heading for the shoulder take extra care if other traffic is attempting evasive action. What happens when you have 5 to 10 vehicles scattering to avoid bricks raining down on them? Don't get caught in the melee.

Once you make it to the shoulder you can call 911 (hopefully you have a cell phone) and bring the police to the rescue. Keep an eye the thrower(s). Once he hits a car or disrupts traffic he'll usually flee. It may help the police if you can tell them which way the bad guy went.

If you are unable to take evasive action because you spotted the thrower too late, sound your horn. Perhaps it will divert or even deter the goofball.

Stability Control Standard by 2012

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Announces A Substantial Life Saving Technology For All New Passenger Vehicles

In a move that could ultimately save up to 10,000 lives each year on U.S. roadways, the nation's top transportation official today announced plans to make new crash prevention technology standard equipment on every new passenger vehicle sold in America by 2012. U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters and National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Nicole R. Nason announced the final rule to require the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) on all new passenger vehicles during a tour with auto makers at the New York International Auto Show today.

ESC uses automatic computer controlled braking to keep drivers from losing control on slippery roads or in emergency maneuvers, in many cases preventing deadly rollovers from occurring.“This technology will save thousands of lives. Like airbags and seat belts, ten years down the road we will look back at the new ESC technology and wonder how we ever drove a car without it.”

Secretary Peters said.“ESC technology will put the brakes on crashes and help drivers keep control of their cars in critical situations,” Administer Nason said. “ESC works, it will save lives, and it can give American drivers and passengers the peace of mind that comes from knowing their vehicles have some of the most technologically advanced safety equipment available.” The final rule will require all manufacturers to begin equipping passenger vehicles with ESC starting with model year 2009, and to have the feature available as standard equipment on all new passenger vehicles by the 2012 model year (September 2011).

Hang in there drivers, only a few more years and Electronic Stability Controls will be standard on all new passenger vehicles. Until then we'll continue to rely on the older and increasingly obsolescent DARC system. DARC (Driver Awareness of Roadway Conditions) requires the driver to focus on driving the vehicle and actually scan ahead to identify curves and turns that might require a reduction of speed before entering those parts of the roadway. Once the driver identifies these requirements the DARC system prompts him to use his foot to brake and avoid skidding and turnovers.

Recently DARC has been rendered ineffective by increasing demands on its sensor and processing capabilities caused by the use of extra peripherals (such as telephones and PDA's) that slow it's processing and reaction time.

This problem can be fixed by activating the SAAD (Stay Alert and Drive) feature of the DARC. SAAD disconnects the peripherals and reboots the DARC on its original parameters.

Should the SAAD fail, a DrivRR (Driver Responsible for Results) patch can be downloaded to remedy this problem.

Should You Teach Your Kid to Pump The Brake Pedal During Emergency Stops?

"The wise man avoids evil by anticipating it." ~ Publius Syrus (Roman Author, 1st Century B.C.)

The answer to that question is:

It depends...

It depends on the vehicle you're driving. Is it equipped with an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) or the old disc and drum brake combo.

The ABS does the brake pumping for you. It monitors each wheel's speed and keeps them rotating very rapidly, changing the pressure in the vehicle's brake lines to maintain maximum braking just short of locking up the wheels. This means you can steer out of trouble while braking. You can take evasive action at the same time you are slowing down.

The older disc and drum brakes that we old-timers grew up with required skillful cadenced braking during emergency stop situations in order to maintain steering control. Wasn't that fun... press the brakes until just before tire lock up, then back off a little and then deploy pressure again until near lock up, then let up slightly, then press down again, then...etc.

Geez, I'm glad they invented ABS. I get tired just writing about pumping the brakes. Anyway, if you try that with ABS you'll reduce its effectiveness.

Most newer cars have the full, four wheeled ABS package. If this is what you are driving then you'll want to teach your kid to keep that right foot firmly pressed on the brake pedal, without pumping, to let the system work for her.

Make sure she's ready for the sound, feel, and braking results as well. When she presses hard on those anti-lock brakes maybe she's going to feel a weird pulsing/vibration sensation. Or maybe the pedal will suddenly drop. Or perhaps the clicking and grinding noise will freak her out. Tell her that these things mean the system is at work. Tell her not to back off the brake until she gets down to the speed she needs to avoid the collision.

On the other hand, if she's lucky enough to be sitting behind the wheel of a 1966 Mustang or a 1956 T-Bird, then go ahead and teach her the old, cadenced braking technique.

You're going to have to teach her to work with whatever you're driving. Caution her about the other type of braking system.

Excellent Source of Studies Concerning ABS
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=2006

Teaching Your Teen To Drive: Objective #2 - Starting and Stopping

"Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand." ~ Chinese Proverb

Once you and your young driver have worked out a pre-driving routine, it's time to get the car moving. Right? Well, not quite. There are still a few key points you'll want to cover before you get rolling.

You should review some of the things he has learned in the classroom - for instance, the fact that one can start the car only if the gear shift selector lever is set on Park (P) or Neutral (N). The ability to start the car in Neutral comes in pretty handy should it ever stall in traffic.

You'll want to review all the warning lights, switches, knobs, and gauges on the dashboard. The windshield wiper switch, the headlight switch, and emergency flashers/warning lights should get special attention. When you need these three, you REALLY need them.

Before he ever inserts key into the ignition switch, remind him to let it go once he hears the sound of the engine. Otherwise you get the buzz-saw sound and your starter motor is one step closer to the junk yard.

Now we're ready to get moving.

Before letting your teen move the car for the first time take it to an off-street area, such as an empty or sparsely populated parking lot. If you can't find one that fits the bill, a straight stretch of level street (about 500 feet) in a quiet neighborhood will suffice.

Have your teen start the engine and shut it off a couple times before moving the car.

Have him drive in a straight line without using the accelerator. I've met so many kids that think the car can't move without help from the accelerator. I suppose old habits developed on the little "Bob the Builder" Jeep die hard. This is where he should learn that he doesn't have to hit the gas to obtain motion.

After he comes to this new understanding, you can have him cross the lot again (or drive down another straight stretch) with the gas pedal slightly depressed, going maybe 10-15 mph, so he can judge the relationship between pedal pressure and acceleration. Have him keep this up while changing the accelerator pressure until he's slowing down and speeding up smoothly.

Then you can teach him to control his speed with the brake. He can practice going forward and backward using only the brake pedal. Have him increase the speed incrementally and then work on slowing down from the higher speeds.

This is where emphasizing keeping that right heel on the floor will pay off. He has to pivot from the accelerator to the brake to do this properly.

You both might be a little nervous at the start of this session. Just stay calm and keep on practicing. Stop when either one of you begins to tire or loose patience.

Don't Let The Gadgets Replace Good Driving Technique

"Why is it drug addicts and computer aficionados are both called users? ~ Clifford Stoll

It's always good to have back-up systems to keep you safe. Volvo's City Safety system for preventing rear-end collisions and it's Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) for helping the driver detect vehicles in his blind spot are outstanding safety innovations. Lane Departure Warning Systems are great too. Technology is a wonderful thing. It helps make life easier.

These systems produce impressive results. Prime, Inc, a North American refrigerated, flatbed and tanker carrier, has achieved an 85 percent decrease rate in run-off-road and rollover accidents since deploying Iteris' Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system.

Technology is a wonderful thing. It makes life safer.

But it is not meant to be used as a crutch. Theses gadgets were never designed to replace safe driving techniques or common sense. They were designed to aid the driver during occasional goofs.

Drivers still have to maintain adequate following distance. The gadget is meant to back you up when you when you're not on the ball. Drivers still need to make head checks to detect objects in their vehicles' blind spots. The BLIS is meant to back you up when you slip up. The LDW saves lives, but that doesn't mean you can sleep behind the wheel and still get home in one piece.

Drivers, if you're going to drive then drive. Even with the gizmos the car can't drive itself.

What About Blind Spots?

"More and more people are buying bigger and bigger, ... and the bigger the vehicle the bigger the blind spot" ~ Consumer Reports

When are you going to teach your teen driver about blind spots? And how are you going to approach blind spots so the kid remembers that they're important - even vital?

The time to address the subject is when you're establishing that pre-driving routine - just about the point you're explaining how to adjust the mirrors. By the way you'll want to do this on a nice day, if it's raining you will get wet. Do this in your driveway or an empty section of a parking lot to be safe.

Here's what you're going to do. Remember the side-view mirrors have to be adjusted so that in his regular seated driving position, your teen can see a only sliver of the vehicle in each mirror.

1. After the mirrors are properly adjusted, stand outside the car several feet away from the driver's side mirror. Your teen should be able to see your reflection.


2. Slowly, step straight backward while your teen watches you "disappear" from the side-view mirror.


3. Continue moving backwards until he reacquires you in the rear-view mirror.


4. Repeat several times on each side of the car until he knows where each blind spot begins and ends.

Now that the kid knows the meaning of blind spots and where they are, you'll have to teach him how to deal with them. While he's still behind the wheel of a non-moving car have him pretend that he is preparing to change lanes. Have him follow this sequence for a lane change to the left:

1. Check the rear-view mirror.


2. Check the left side exterior mirror.


3. Glance back over the left shoulder to ensure there is no vehicle in this blind spot.


4. If all is clear, activate left turn signal and steer left.

Repeat this procedure for both left and right sides. Repetition is the Mother of Learning. Build this procedure into his muscle memory. Checking blind spots has got to become automatic.

This will be his introduction to blind spots. There are some lessons you'll use to reinforce this knowledge, but this where he finds out that mirrors don't show everything and that he's got to move his head around to get the complete picture.

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.

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.

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.

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 # 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.