New Driver + Busy Street = Very Stressed Out Parents

How do you introduce your daughter or son to driving on busy city roads? Do you toss them the keys as they leave the DOL office with their new permit and stay "Take us home"? Do you say " No driving on Division until you are done with Driver Education!"?

We have seen examples of both these extremes. There are better ways. One of our favorite approaches combines guided observation with driving time. During the guided observation portion parents are driving, for the first 5 minutes parents will explain to their son or daughter what they are scanning for and where the risk are. During the next 5 minutes parents are driving and the New Driver is telling parents what they are scanning for and finding the risks. 

After 10 minutes your New Driver takes over and continues to tell you what they are scanning for and where the risks are.  If they are doing well, let them drive. If  they need more practice scanning for risks, you take over driving and let them practice scanning and finding risks from the passenger seat. You continue to integrate guided observation with driving time until your daughter or son demonstrates the skills and awareness needed to manage the risk associated with dense traffic. 

For the first year or two after your son or daughter gets their license, it is good practice to repeat this drill every month or so. It reinforces the need to stay focused and scan for risk when driving.

Enjoy

Interface Driving Academy

My Car; My Responsibility; No Excuses

Distracted Driving, is it really that big a deal?

Most of us have driven while distracted, we talk on a phone, we read or send a text message, we have a conversation with a passenger or think about what is going on at work or home. Is driving distracted really that big a deal?  

Every day in the US 9+ people are killed and thousands injured in accidents related to distracted driving. In an AT&T survey 49% of adults and 43% of teen drivers admit to texting while driving. Over 40% of drivers admit that texting while driving is a habit and almost 50% of teens surveyed indicate they have seen their parents text while driving. Like it or  not, our kids will drive like us.

According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, drivers who text are 23 times more likely to be in a crash than drivers who do not text. And it is not like we do not know the risks; 98% of the people who responded to the AT&T survey mention earlier indicated they were aware that texting and driving isn't safe, yet 40% admit it is a habit. We have a problem.

This is an easy problem to manage. There are numerous applications for smart phones that will block incoming calls and texts while driving. Some are manual and must be turned on each time you drive others are automatic and start when ever the phone is travelling faster than 5 or 10 miles per hour. 

Some of the devices do allow for hands free use, but  when we are  talking on a cell phone or listening and responding to text messages using a hands free application or response and reaction times are slower... a lot slower. Talk using a hands free device and you have the reaction time of someone driving drunk.

If you had a cold, would you casually sneeze into someone's face? Of course not! That would be rude, inconsiderate, and self-centered. When we drive distracted, we're not the only one exposed to the risk. The person injured in a crash may not be the distracted driver, it is often someone else. The risk you accept when you drive distracted is spread to others like a sneeze to the face. Everyone in your car is exposed to the risk you create. Drivers, motorcyclist, pedestrians and bicyclist near you are exposed to the risk you create. How rude inconsiderate or self-centered is that?  

Don't be a rude, inconsiderate, or self-centered driver. Turn off the phone. Turn on a safe driving app. Reduce the risk of a crash for yourself and those around you.