Safe Teen Driving Blog

Tips for Teens: Safe Fourth of July Driving

2009-07-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Though teens cannot legally celebrate the fourth of July with alcohol, teen drivers still have to contend with intoxicated drivers on the road. Summer is always a dangerous time for teen drivers; they are at particular risk on holiday weekends.

Risk factors for teens on the road during holiday weekends include:
-Due to their limited driving experience, teens often have difficulty handling emergency situations; for example, they might try to pass a driver who keeps drifting into their lane.
-Teens may have trouble recognizing when other drivers might be impaired and neglect to allow an adequate space cushion between their vehicle and the vehicles of those drivers. For example, they may tailgate a vehicle traveling far below the speed limit.
-Teens often have poor impulse control, which could lead them into playing traffic games with aggressive or impaired drivers, such as racing from one traffic light to another.
-Teens may be so preoccupied with their own driving that they fail to notice the actions of other drivers.

Here are some tips on how to recognize an impaired driver:
-their vehicle is straddling two lanes
-they have a close call, such as nearly hitting a parked car
-they make wide, clumsy turns
-they are traveling well below the speed limit (10 mph or more)
-they are following too closely
-they are braking erratically or stopping at inappropriate places (such as at an intersection with a green traffic light)
-their headlights aren't on at night, or they leave their turn signal on for a prolonged time

Teens can use defensive driving techniques for safe holiday driving:
-Always wear your safety belt. This is your best defense against impaired drivers.
-Obey the speed limit. Driving too fast means you have less space to respond to hazards.
-Avoid being distracted from watching the road by noisy passengers, loud music, or using a cell phone.
-Maintain an adequate space cushion on all sides between your vehicle and other vehicles. If you notice someone driving erratically, increase your space cushion.
-Observe the behavior of other drivers, but keep your eyes moving; don't get so distracted that you miss another hazard.

Teen drivers can report possible impaired drivers to local law enforcement, but parents should make sure their teens understand that they must pull off the road and stop before using a cell phone.

Driver Education: Commentary Driving

2009-06-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

For most parents who are teaching their teens to drive, using commentary driving seems to make perfect sense. But like many other simple tasks, commentary driving is not always easy to do well, and if done improperly, can be frustrating for both the parent and teen.

Since commentary driving involves speaking out loud while driving, parents should model it for teens well before they allow the teen behind the wheel of the vehicle. Teens are likely to feel self-conscious about the process (and parents may, too), so several lessons just on the method itself will be helpful. Parents should emphasize the fundamentals; for example, taking note of the speed limit every time they enter a new street and watching for pedestrians in every crosswalk.

Just as they would with any other driving lesson, parents should begin practicing commentary driving in a relatively simple driving environment and progress to more complex situations, such as driving on the expressway. Each lesson in a new driving environment should be preceded by a demonstration by the parent of commentary driving in that environment; this allows teens to absorb some of the new hazards they will encounter from the safety of the passenger seat.

One purpose of commentary driving is to focus the driver's attention on her or his thoughts, which in turn helps to maintain a high level of alertness. This is particularly helpful with teens, who may be struggling to overcome the excitement of finally getting to drive enough to focus on the process. It's also helpful to parents, who otherwise might experience great anxiety as they wonder whether or not their teen has noticed hazards ahead, such as other drivers drifting out of their lanes or following too closely or cars parked on the side of the street.

While commentary driving involves talking while driving, the content of the discussion should be specific and targeted to the driving environment. The driver maintains a running list of observations and actions. An example of commentary driving is: "Approaching intersection....green light....car in oncoming lane waiting to turn left....checking mirrors....light still green....checking intersection....crossing intersection....". Comments that are general, i.e., "checking ahead," are not helpful because they don't increase the awareness level of the driver. The person commenting should say what they see and how they plan to handle what they see.

Parents should resist the temptation to interject into teens' comments unless absolutely necessary. Questions such as, "What would it mean if that traffic light was yellow?" and "How many seconds should your following distance be if it starts raining right now?" distract teens from what's in front of them and teach them to rely on someone else's observations instead of making their own. Parents should make note of any discussion points on a log and cover them at the end of the lesson when the vehicle is parked.

If teens get distracted and stop commenting, parents should encourage them to return to the process with general comments like, "Keep going; tell me everything you're seeing and what you're going to do." When teens repeatedly stop commenting, they may be tired or overwhelmed, signaling that the lesson should end. After the lesson, parents can point out that when drivers stop commenting, their level of alertness goes down.

Parents can also ask questions that help teens understand how commentary driving works after the lesson is over. For example, ask, "Could you practice commentary driving while talking on your cell phone? How do you think talking on a cell phone affects a person's driving?"

Commentary driving can be an effective driver education tool if used properly; parents who invest time and energy in the process help their teens to be better, safer drivers.

Driver Education: How Drugs Affect Driving - Inhalants

2009-06-17T04:22:00.000-07:00

Most parents worry that their teens will get involved in illegal drugs, but some parents are unaware of one of the main determinants of whether teens will experiment with drugs - availability. Because they are legal, easily accessible household products, inhalants are one of the most commonly abused drug categories. According to the 2007 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, 4.6 million teens have tried inhalants. After alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, inhalants are the most frequently-used drug by teens. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, inhalants are one of the first substances abused by children. Though addiction is rare, inhalants can act as a gateway drug when they are replaced with other accessible substances as children age and chase the next high.

Inhalants include solvents, such as paint thinner, gasoline, and glue; gases, such as butane, propane, and nitrous oxide; and aerosol propellants. Experimentation could occur with any household product containing chemicals - spray paint, cleaning products, felt-tip marker fluid, vegetable oil spray, correction fluid. Inhalants are "sniffed" from an open container or "huffed" from a rag soaked in the substance and held to the face. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, most inhalants cause a quick high similar to alcohol intoxication. The intoxication from inhalants typically only lasts a few minutes, so users often inhale repeatedly over a period of several hours, increasing the risk of adverse effects.

Effects of inhalants include:
-stimulation
-loss of inhibition
-slurred speech
-loss of motor coordination
-headache
-nausea or vomiting
-wheezing
-loss of sensation
-loss of consciousness
-muscle cramps and weakness
-memory impairment
-weight loss
-depression
-damage to the cardiovascular and nervous systems
-sudden death, even with first-time use

Because abuse of inhalants often occurs at a friend's house or in out-of-the-way places such as in empty parking lots and on dead-end streets, and because driving is viewed as a fun activity by teens, the danger of inhalants can be compounded when teens use inhalants and drive. The intoxication caused by inhalants can cause the same problems as driving under the influence of alcohol - impaired judgment and decision-making, risky driving behavior, and poor motor coordination.

Ensuring that teens don't experiment with inhalants requires a high degree of vigilance on the part of the parent. Inhalants are cheap, legal and easy to obtain, often from the teen's own home. Teens are often not aware of the risk of using inhalants, reasoning that they are harmless household products and that they are only going to be used occasionally. In fact, the 2007 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study showed that from 2001 to 2005, the number of teens who perceived inhalant use as risky decreased significantly.

Parents shouldn't assume that if they don't mention inhalants, it won't occur to teens to use them. At any given time, a teen can be presented with the idea by a friend. In fact, since inhalants are often the first drug used by children, they should be one of the first drug categories parents discuss. Make sure teens know that even common household goods, such as cleaning products, can be harmful - show them the warnings on the labels about using them in well-ventilated areas, and ask them to explain how they think intentionally inhaling the fumes could harm someone. Talk about the risk of sudden death from sniffing or huffing, and ask teens to talk about how they would feel if they were with a friend who died from inhalant abuse. Opportunities for reinforcing the risks of inhalant abuse are everywhere - in driver training courses, in health education classes, in newspaper articles, and on television shows.

Restricting the availability of popular substances is also important. Clean out the garage and properly dispose of leftover chemical products. Those that must be kept should be locked in a cabinet or shed. Parents may wish to help teens avoid temptation by limiting or banning aerosol spray products such as deodorants, hairspray, fabric protector, and whipped cream. Keep a close watch on teens' bedrooms and recreational areas for empty containers or smelly rags, especially in odd places, like under a bed or chair or in the back of a closet. Parents who suspect inhalant abuse must take action immediately.

Driver Education: How Teens Can Drive Safely on the Expressway

2009-06-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

A complete driver-training program includes lessons on all types of streets and highways, both night and day, in a variety of weather and traffic conditions. But many teens get the majority, if not all, of their driver training on familiar roads close to home. Some young drivers do not make their first expressway trip until after they are licensed and driving on their own. This is a high-risk method for teens to gain driving experience, because:

-Young drivers who don't have freeway experience have trouble controlling vehicles traveling at high speeds
-Teens have minimal experience in dealing with emergency driving situations, particularly at high speeds
-When expressways are unfamiliar to drivers, they spend more time searching the driving scene for directional signs and landmarks
-Teens often aren't aware of the level of risk on interstates, so they may continue other risky driving behaviors, such as nonuse of seat belts and allowing distractions such as loud music and noisy passengers
-Though expressways have a low incidence of collisions, the crashes that do occur have high injury severity rates because the higher speeds exponentially increase the amount of force involved in the crash

Commentary driving is an excellent way to train teens to drive safely on the expressway. With commentary driving, teens maintain a running dialogue of their progress - what they notice as they observe the roadway and what actions they will take: "The car in front of me is slowing down, so I'm slowing down and checking my following distance. My exit is coming up in one mile, so I'm putting on my turn signal, checking my mirrors and blind spot, and moving into the exit lane. The exit ramp has a posted speed limit of 45 mph, so I'm slowing to that speed. It's starting to rain, so I'm increasing my following distance."

Commentary driving forces the driver to use critical thinking skills to make driving decisions. The fact that the driver's observations are verbalized is comforting to the person (typically a parent) teaching the teen to drive, because it allows the instructor to follow the teen's thought process and quickly make corrections without lecturing, which teens tend to tune out anyway.

Teens often feel awkward about commentary driving, so it is helpful to model it for them prior to beginning driving lessons. This also allows parents to perfect the process and to see the roadway with new eyes, thus relating better to the beginning driver.

From a practical standpoint, it is obviously important for teens to work up to practicing driving on the expressway. The first several lessons should occur during non-peak hours on dry roads during the daytime. Introduce one variable - nighttime hours, rainy weather, rush-hour traffic - at a time, and ensure the teen is completely comfortable with each before progressing to the next.

The following training tips will help teens be safer drivers on the freeway:
-Make sure the teen understands that though traffic on the expressway can seem predictable because everyone is moving in the same direction at approximately the same speed, surprises can occur and drivers must be ready to deal with them at all times.
-Use commentary driving to make sure teens know how to identify interstate interchanges, signs, lane markings, and speed limits.
-Help teens learn how to enter and exit expressways properly: searching the road ahead, signaling, evaluating other drivers' speed, calculating the amount of available space, adjusting speed to the flow of traffic, identifying exits early, and following exit ramp speed limits. Practice entering and exiting the freeway at different points to broaden the young driver's experience.
-Include information in the lesson plan on how high speeds affect following distance, stopping distance, and the physics of motor vehicle crashes. To avoid overloading the young driver, provide these lessons off the road, or have teens take a driver safety course and report what they learned.
-Help teens understand how the steering needs of vehicles change at high speeds; excessive steering can cause drivers to lose control on the expressway.
-Reinforce that driving must be taken seriously; many traffic games occur on freeways. Make sure teen drivers maintain a steady lane position in the right lane, except when passing, and refrain from being competitive with other drivers.
-Talk about the dangers of the expressway, such as crosswinds when traveling on bridges or through mountain passes, other drivers tailgating them, and sharing the road with large trucks, and how to handle each one.

Driver Education: Traffic Safety for New High School Graduates

2009-06-05T04:09:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and school is out. Many young drivers will be spending more time on the road going to the beach or pool, working at summer jobs, and having fun with friends. This is an especially exciting time for teens who are 2009 high school graduates. Recent grads are filled with elation, a sense of freedom, and hopes and dreams for the future. But euphoria and increased independence can cause problems when they lead relatively inexperienced drivers to take chances behind the wheel. And summertime is a dangerous time for drivers in general; traffic deaths for all drivers increase during the warm-weather months, peaking in July.

Three deadly holidays take place during the summer - Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, in a 2004 analysis of six holiday periods, the average number of traffic deaths during holiday periods was 156 per day, compared to 117 per day on non-holidays. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 20 of the 25 deadliest days on US roads over a five-year time frame fell during the period from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.

Teen motor vehicle fatalities are also highest in the summer, partly because it's an unsafe time for all drivers, but also due to risk factors specific to young drivers. Like other drivers, teens spend more time on the road during the summer (averaging 44% more hours driving each week, according to the NHTSA) and are more likely to drive at night. But they lack the experience of older drivers in dealing with heavy traffic and low-visibility conditions. Like other drivers, teens behind the wheel in the summer are often accompanied by multiple passengers. But teens are often much more distracted by their passengers than older drivers, and they are unlikely to assert themselves even when they are aware that they need to concentrate on driving.

Parents who want their teens to survive the summer must stay involved in their teens' driving activities. Without close supervision, the vast majority of teens lack the emotional maturity to stay safe behind the wheel - or as passengers of other teen drivers.

-Though most parents will broaden driving privileges for summer, avoid giving teens too many privileges at once. Extend privileges one at a time and make sure teens prove they can handle the increased responsibility before adding more.

-Conduct supplementary driver training lessons. For example, many teens have limited experience with night driving during the school year; a few lessons will help them learn good nighttime driving habits from the beginning. A teen driving checklist helps parents provide valuable feedback on the driving lesson.

-A driver training course will help teens review fundamental driving concepts during a time when they are most at risk. A quick safe-driving refresher could help an inexperienced young driver make the right choice in an emergency. Parents whose teens receive even one traffic ticket must address the issue immediately; tickets mean teens are probably engaging in more risky driving behaviors than parents realize.

-Parents should check up on their teens' seat belt use as often as possible. In 2006, the NHTSA reported that 58% of 16- to 20-year olds who were involved in fatal motor vehicle collisions were not wearing seat belts. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that teen seat belt use increases over time when strict parental limits are set.

-A heightened level of awareness about their teens' access to alcohol, particularly on holidays, is critical for concerned parents. Teens may even have access to alcohol via their friends' parents; ensure that teens understand that underage drinking is never acceptable, no matter what any other parent says or does, even for a special occasion. Create a codeword so your teen can ask to be picked up without risking the ridicule of friends.

Driver Training: Teens and Seat Belt Use

2009-05-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

As many drivers know, teens have a higher fatality rate in motor vehicle crashes than any other age group. One reason for this is that teens have lower seat belt use rates than adults. In 2006, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 76% of drivers aged 16 to 24 used their safety belts; this figure was lower than for any other age group. Perhaps more telling, in 2006 the NHTSA also reported that 58% of 16- to 20-year olds who were involved in fatal motor vehicle collisions were not wearing seat belts.

In some states, the numbers are even worse: An observational study by the Utah Department of Health found that the teen seat belt use rate was only 67% compared to a state safety belt use rate of 88.6%. The University of Missouri reports that between 1995 and 2000, only 24% of fatally injured teen drivers were buckled up, compared to the national average of 36% for teen drivers who died in motor vehicle crashes during this time.

Why don't teens wear safety belts? The Utah Department of Health study reported that teens offer the following reasons:
-Forgetting to buckle up
-Wanting to be cool
-Peer pressure
-Seat belts are uncomfortable
-Traveling only a short distance
-A feeling of invincibility

The same study also found that the teen seat belt use rate falls when other high-risk factors are present, such as when teens:
-Drive under the influence of alcohol
-Drive at night
-Have multiple teen passengers
-Are driving without a driver's license

What can we do to increase the seat belt use rate among teenagers? Initiatives include:
-The University of Missouri study found that whether or not teens will use safety belts is established well before the teens begin driving. Parents who want their teens to buckle up must wear their own safety belts and use child restraints and seat belts on their children from birth. The University of Missouri study found that teens were heavily influenced by a lack of seat belt use by the adults in their lives, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that teen seat belt use increases over time when strict parental limits are set. In an NHTSA study, about half of the unbelted students observed at 12 high schools were riding with adults who were wearing seat belts.
-Education and outreach are important methods of encouraging safety belt use. Many teens do not understand the physics of a car crash. The University of Missouri study found that teens are not well-informed about the consequences of crashes where occupants are unbelted. Teens also tend to extrapolate urban legends to a statistical majority, so they need to learn how to apply critical thinking skills to traffic safety concepts.
-Graduated Driver Licensing programs in many states have seat belt use requirements. For example, in North Carolina, graduated licensing law includes provisions for fines for up to $100 for safety belt violations by new drivers. Teens need to be educated on their state requirements and the penalties for violating them; parents need to enforce GDL laws as part of their house rules.
-Parents who are purchasing a vehicle for their teens should consider models with safety belt reminder systems.
-Schools have the opportunity to increase seat belt use by requiring student drivers and passengers to be buckled up when entering and leaving campus. Enforcement can be tied to vehicles with parking decals; penalties can be tied to restriction of and eventual loss of parking privileges.
-A primary enforcement safety belt law is effective in increasing safety belt use among teens, particularly among those who absolutely refuse to wear them otherwise. The NHTSA reports that teens are more likely to wear seat belts in states with primary enforcement laws versus in states with secondary laws. Teens often perceive indifference to safety belt use on the part of law enforcement in secondary enforcement states, because they don't understand that enforcement is restricted by the law. "Click It or Ticket" campaigns are also successful in increasing overall seat belt use rates.

Driver Education: Why New Drivers Should Take a Defensive Driving Class

2009-05-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

Though teens receive driver training prior to being licensed and are subject to Graduated Driver Licensing laws to protect them from statistically high-risk driving situations, training shouldn't end when teens get their licenses. Reasons for this include:

1. Newly licensed teenage drivers are often giddy with newly acquired freedom. They will assimilate more information once they have become accustomed to the increased level of independence they've earned.
2. Teens may pick up bad driving habits, such as carelessness and recklessness, from riding with other teens.
3. Teens who received defensive driving lessons prior to gaining driving experience often have difficulty applying those lessons until they are licensed.
4. New drivers often suffer from information overload; spreading driver training lessons out over time means they will retain more in the long run.
5. Though drivers are statistically less likely to be injured or killed in motor vehicle crashes as they leave their teens, the overall risk remains high throughout the teenage years when compared to other age groups.

Taking a defensive driving course six to twelve months after licensure is very helpful for new drivers. Teens can take the course online or in a classroom. Typical topics include:
-Crash statistics and the physics of vehicle crashes
-Crash prevention techniques
-Occupant protection devices (such as seat belts and airbags)
-Driving under the influence of alcohol
-How to share the road with large trucks, motorcyclists, and pedestrians
-Dealing with stress and drowsiness while driving
-The hazards of speeding
-An overview of traffic laws in your state

When teens take a defensive driving class, they have the opportunity to apply concepts that may have seemed abstract prior to licensure. For example, crash prevention techniques are easier to appreciate once the driver has experience in maneuvering a vehicle; unlicensed teens are unlikely to understand how much stress and sleepiness negatively impact their driving abilities. However, as newly licensed drivers, teens haven't been driving long enough to have ingrained driving habits, so they still have an opportunity to eliminate unsafe practices and become safe drivers.

Driver Education: Teens and Defensive Driving

2009-05-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Teens are often urged to "drive defensively." This is an excellent suggestion for any driver and is of particular importance to new drivers, who have limited experience in dealing with emergency situations and who are developing driving habits they may have for the rest of their lives. But what is defensive driving, exactly?

Driving defensively means driving in such a way that you reduce the risk of a crash, which will in turn prevent injury to yourself and others. It means going beyond following the rules of the road to put safety first. For example, if another driver is supposed to yield the right-of-way to you but fails to do so, as a defensive driver you will yield the right-of-way to that driver to avoid a collision.

Defensive driving isn't just important in emergency situations, however. Using defensive driving techniques will help you:
-manage stressful driving conditions
-avoid traffic tickets
-keep your vehicle in good mechanical condition
-keep your driver's license

There is no doubt that driving can be stressful, especially when traffic is heavy. One element of defensive driving is to maintain an adequate following distance from the vehicle in front of you. This decreases the risk of a rear-end collision if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. Other ways to manage stress by driving defensively include:
-driving at a speed that is appropriate for conditions (which may be lower than, but is never higher than, the posted speed limit)
-checking intersections for cross traffic when you have a green traffic light (in case another driver runs the red light or a pedestrian is in the crosswalk)
-keeping a space cushion on all sides of your vehicle so you have room to maneuver if necessary
-watching the road ahead of your vehicle and checking your mirrors every three to five seconds so you notice hazards before they become a problem

Avoiding traffic tickets is especially important to drivers who are subject to a Graduated Driver's Licensing program; these programs often restrict advancement to the next stage of licensure unless very few or no points accrue on the teen's license. Traffic violations also mean hefty insurance increases for young drivers, who are already paying high rates because they are in a high-risk category. But following the rules of the road only when you're worried about getting a ticket is not sufficient; if you're not concentrating on driving defensively, you're likely to make mistakes due to your reduced level of alertness. These mistakes could result in a ticket or even a crash, and even a minor fender-bender can result in points on your driving record.

Part of defensive driving is making sure that your vehicle is in good mechanical condition. Don't wait for a breakdown to get your vehicle checked out; your owner's manual offers a schedule of suggested maintenance tasks. Tires with low air or worn tread reduce your traction and make skids more likely. Your brakes need to be in top condition at all times. Even something as simple as not having windshield wiper fluid in the reservoir can impair your visibility and increase your chances of a crash. Don't just put gas in the car and drive; take responsibility for ensuring that your vehicle is ready for the road.

As you've probably learned from your driver handbook, having a driver's license is a privilege, not a right. This means that your driver's license can be taken away, including for some non-driving offenses. Driving defensively is part of an overall pattern of responsible behavior that will help you keep your license and the increased level of independence that comes with it.

The Importance of a Safe Driving Attitude

2009-05-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

One important aspect of driver training is the development of a safe driving attitude. The reason a safe driving attitude is so important is because you will make many choices as you drive, and your driving choices have consequences. There are many benefits to a safe driving attitude, including:
-limiting stress while on the road
-saving you money on tickets and increased insurance costs
-helping you keep your driver license
-reducing your chances of being in a crash

To have a safe driving attitude, you must have control of your emotions and behavior, practice defensive driving techniques, and accept responsibility for all of your driving decisions.

Emotion is a word used to identify feelings such as anger, fear and joy. If you allow them to, emotions can change the way you assess risk and make driving decisions. When strong emotions such as anger affect you, your ability to make wise decisions may be reduced, increasing your chances of making a mistake. You may be so preoccupied with your anger that you misjudge the risks involved or don't even notice important events in a particular driving situation.

Always be aware of your state of mind. Look at yourself objectively and decide if you really have the focus and alertness you need to safely use a motor vehicle. If you have any doubt, wait. Give yourself time to calm down and concentrate on safe driving.

You can expect some emotional stress in your everyday driving. Learning to manage it is important for your safety and the safety of others:
-If you are angry and excited, take a short walk, write your feelings down or talk to a friend before you get behind the wheel.
-No matter what is going on in your life, when you get behind the wheel, make a decision that until you arrive safely at your destination, you will focus on driving.
-Always allow plenty of time to get to your destination so you won't get impatient with red lights or heavy traffic.
-Realize that many aspects of driving, such as heavy traffic and the actions of other drivers, are beyond your control. Stay calm when faced with stressful road conditions.

Part of having a safe driving attitude is consistently practicing defensive driving techniques:
-Make sure your vehicle is properly maintained
-Wear your safety belt and make sure your passengers do the same
-Choose a speed appropriate for conditions
-Make sure you have a space cushion all around your vehicle whenever possible
-Be alert and aware of the actions of all other road users, including motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians
-Watch the road ahead, behind and on both sides of your vehicle
-Anticipate problems early and select the best course of action in case the worst happens
-Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt when they make mistakes

Accepting responsibility for our decisions is an important part of becoming an adult. Willingness to do so demonstrates maturity and trustworthiness. When you drive, you must make sure you are willing to accept responsibility for all of your driving decisions. Other drivers cannot "make" you behave in one way or another; your reactions to their behavior are within your control. You must discipline yourself to put safety first no matter what any other driver does.

Developing a safe driving attitude is an important component of driver training; doing so from the beginning of your driving career will help keep you and others out of harm's way on the road.

Teens and Distracted Driving

2009-05-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Car crashes are the number one killer of American teens, and the primary cause of fatal teen crashes is driver error. Driver distraction is included in the broad category of driver error. Though not every distracted teen driver is involved in a crash, distraction increases the risk of either causing a collision or being unable to avoid one. And though distracted driving is a problem for any driver, it is of special concern for inexperienced drivers, who may be distracted more easily and for longer periods of time and who may have difficulty controlling the vehicle even under normal conditions.

Modern diversions such as cell phones and other technical equipment are simply additions to traditional distractions such as eating, reading, dealing with passengers, reaching for objects, and looking at things or people outside of the vehicle. Dealing with passengers is one of the most frequently reported causes of distracted driving, and lively teen passengers can be particularly distracting to new drivers. Distracted driving is nothing new, but educational efforts to combat it are increasing.

It's important to realize that when you're driving, you're already multitasking, because you are:
-Trying to control a large machine at high speed
-Responding to the driving environment, including road and weather conditions, other traffic, and road signs and signals
-Reacting to changing conditions, such as other drivers pulling out in front of you and pedestrians crossing the road ahead

Adding another task to this list might be just enough to make you lose control of your vehicle or fail to act in time to prevent a collision.

The following tips will help prevent distracted driving:
-Increase your awareness of both physical and mental distractions. Physical distractions occur when you take your hands off the wheel and/or your eyes off the road. They happen when you adjust your stereo, take a drink of water, or reach for an object that has fallen on the floor. Mental distractions are sometimes more difficult to identify, because they don't necessarily interfere with the physical act of driving. They occur when you argue or even laugh with a passenger, receive surprising or interesting news on your cell phone, or are preoccupied with a problem at school or work.
-Minimize the need for adjusting controls while you are driving. Take a few moments to prepare for your trip when you enter the vehicle. Adjust the seat position, climate control, stereo, and other devices before you leave your driveway or parking spot. If you are driving an unfamiliar vehicle, spend a few extra seconds locating the controls so you won't need to look for them while you are driving.
-Review driving directions and maps, enter your destination into your navigation system and check traffic conditions before you leave. If you have a passenger, she or he can act as your navigator. Avoid sudden stop and turns while on the road by pulling over in a safe place, off the road and away from traffic, if you get confused or lost.
-Pull over to a safe place, off the road and away from traffic, to talk on the phone, text message or email. Using hands-free equipment is not safe enough because of the likelihood of mental distraction. Turn the phone off before you start out to reduce temptation.
-Stop at restaurants to eat or drink. Unwrapping food and condiment packages, reaching into bags, and having greasy fingertips are physical distractions. Realizing that you got the wrong sandwich is a mental distraction that is difficult to correct once you've left a drive-through window. Spilling coffee on your new shirt qualifies as both a physical and a mental distraction. Reduce your risk of a crash and your stress level by taking a few minutes to enjoy your meal outside of your vehicle.
-Keep in mind that your vehicle's mirrors exist to help you view traffic, not yourself. Don't use them for personal grooming while the vehicle is in motion.

As a driver, your only task when you enter your vehicle is to arrive safely at your destination. Anything else can be taken care of when you arrive. As a new driver, begin developing good habits right away by avoiding distractions and concentrating on your driving.

Four Ways Teens Benefit from Following Graduated Driver Licensing Laws

2009-05-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

It isn't uncommon for teens to rebel against Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. They may reason that since they passed the driving test, they shouldn't have to deal with restrictions. Or they may be unfamiliar with the GDL laws in their state and violate them unintentionally. But there are many benefits to obeying GDL laws for teens, such as:

1. They're a chance to prove your maturity and trustworthiness. One of the basic requirements for functioning in our society is the ability to follow the rules. Teens who are unwilling to do so demonstrate a lack of maturity and make other people, specifically adults, think they can't be trusted. Conversely, showing that you're willing to abide by certain restrictions lets adults, specifically your parents, know that you are grown-up and dependable enough to handle additional privileges.

2. They can help you get out of risky situations with your pride intact. You may have the best intentions of following GDL laws, but sometimes friends make that a challenge. It might be hard to resist when a friend wants you to break curfew or pile one too many passengers into your vehicle; GDL laws give you an outside authority you can blame for your refusal to do these things. You can explain that you don't want to get caught breaking the law because you might lose your license and/or your parents might ground you from driving if you get a traffic ticket.

3. They're the law. You won't be lying if you tell a friend you are afraid of losing your license for breaking GDL laws; violating the terms of the law could result in the loss of your driving privileges. If you get a ticket for breaking a GDL law, you will have to pay a fine and your insurance rates, which are already high, could increase. After accruing a certain number of points on your license, you could lose it for a specified period of time and have to pay more fines to get it back. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the GDL laws in your state.

4. They really do keep you safe. GDL laws exist because statistically, teens get into many more crashes than adult drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), sixteen-year old drivers have crash rates that are about three times greater than 17-year-old drivers, five times greater than 18-year-old drivers, and approximately twice the rate of 85-year-old drivers. We know that GDL laws work, because there has been an overall decrease in fatal crashes involving teens nationally since GDL laws began to be implemented. Specific restrictions have also been found to be effective; for example, an NHTSA study found that states with nighttime driving restrictions for teen drivers show decreases in crashes of up to 60% during the restricted hours. GDL laws work because they help teens increase their driving skills while minimizing the risks of being on the road with limited experience.

You can probably see how these four factors tie together. If you break GDL laws, you show the adults in your life that you can't be trusted, you are more likely to be peer-pressured into taking risks you know you shouldn't take, you take a chance on losing your license, and you raise the possibility that you or someone riding with you will be injured or killed in a crash. When you choose to follow GDL laws, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

A Pre-Prom Plan for Avoiding Alcohol

2009-05-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

Prom is an exciting event in the lives of many teens, who are preoccupied with buying dresses or renting tuxedos, selecting corsages and boutonnieres, choosing formal hairstyles, and making post-prom plans. But prom can also be a dangerous time for teens who choose to drink alcohol or ride with other teens who drink. You must plan ahead in order to ensure your own safety.

First, you need to understand that underage drinking is never acceptable. The fact that prom is a special occasion or that some parents might "look the other way" when their teenage children drink alcohol does not change the fact that underage drinking is illegal and very dangerous. If you are attending a party at a friend's house, make sure your friends' parents don't intend to provide alcohol; if they do, tell your parents. This is illegal in every state. An alternative is to talk to your parents about organizing an after-prom party of your own.

If you will be riding with a friend, make sure it is someone whose parents do not permit the use of alcohol. You'll still need to have a back-up plan in case something goes wrong. Create a code with your parents so you can signal for help without attracting your friends' attention. If your parents don't text, give them a few lessons before prom night; texting is a much easier way for you to communicate than via phone. If you need a ride, you can text a code that means "Please come get me!", such as "Dinner was great!" When your parent arrives to pick you up, tell your friends you have a family emergency. Talk to your parents ahead of time about being able to call for a ride with no questions asked until the next morning, when you are calm and safe. However, if anyone at the event you are leaving is in danger of hurting themselves or others, you'll need to tell your parent right away.

Make a record of your planned itinerary for the evening, and agree to inform your parents of any changes. Be alert to spontaneous changes in plans on the night of the prom; you won't have as much control over the situation if it takes place in an unfamiliar location and/or with people you don't know well. In the excitement of the evening, you could end up in a risky situation before you realize what is happening. This is why it's especially important not to drink any alcohol at all, even a little; because even a small amount of alcohol reduces inhibitions and impairs judgment, you may react emotionally while under the influence without considering the consequences of your behavior.

Remember that the use of alcohol by teens increases the risk of activities that may result in serious long-term consequences, including:
-Use of other drugs (alcohol is a gateway drug because its use compromises judgment and reduces inhibitions)
-Driving under the influence
-Alcohol poisoning from binge drinking (teens often binge drink to relax and may participate in drinking games that result in ingestion of large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time)
-Increased sexual activity and multiple sexual partners due to lowered inhibitions, which increases the risk of pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases
-Exacerbation of underlying, perhaps undiagnosed, mental illness
-Violence and rape (whether the victim is under the influence or not)
-Suicide

Planning for an alcohol-free prom may be a challenge, but doing so will help you have a safe, happy prom night.

Support for Graduated Driver Licensing Laws

2009-04-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), adolescent drivers, especially 16- to 17-year olds, are disproportionately involved in deadly motor vehicle crashes. Sixteen-year old drivers have crash rates that are about three times greater than 17-year-old drivers, five times greater than 18-year-old drivers, and approximately twice the rate of 85-year-old drivers. According to the NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), specific contributors to these higher crash rates include:

Lack of driving experience and skills: Compared with crashes of older drivers, those of 16-year-olds more often involve driver error

A propensity towards risk taking behavior and poor decision-making

Driving at night: Per mile driven, the nighttime fatal crash rate for 16-year-old drivers is twice as high as during daytime hours

Distraction from teenage passengers: Fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers are more likely to take place when other teens are in the vehicle, and the risk increases with every additional passenger

Speeding: Sixteen-year old drivers have a higher rate of crashes in which excessive speed is a contributing factor

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs help young drivers get driving experience progressively while minimizing risk, beginning with a restricted permit and eventually leading to full licensure.

Most programs include three stages:

Learner Stage: Supervised driving, ending with a road test

Intermediate Stage: Limiting unsupervised driving in high-risk circumstances

Full Privilege Stage: A regular driver's license

Provisions of graduated licensing laws may include:

Required hours of adult supervision during the learner stage

Restrictions on late-night driving

Restrictions on driving with teen passengers

Seat belt requirements for drivers and passengers

Restrictions on cellular phone use

Prohibiting the driver from moving up to the next level due to traffic violations

GDL laws in most of the states that have them do not comply with all of the recommendations of the NHTSA; still, there has been an overall decrease in fatal crashes nationally since GDL laws began to be implemented. In 2006, 7,463 drivers who were 15 to 20 years old were involved in fatal crashes - an eight percent decrease from 8,074 involved in 1996. Individually, states with GDL laws also show improvement:

California: A five percent decrease in crashes for 16- and 17-year-old drivers

Florida: A nine percent decrease in crashes for 16- and 17-year old drivers

Michigan: A 26% decrease in crashes for 16-year-old drivers

North Carolina: A 25% decrease in crashes for 16-year-old drivers

Oregon: A 29% decrease in crashes for 16-year-old drivers and a 16% decrease in crashes for 17-year-old drivers

NHTSA research has also found that the most comprehensive GDL programs are associated with the greatest decrease in crash rates for teen drivers.

It is more difficult to evaluate the individual components of GDL laws because of the overlap of restrictions, but the NHTSA has conducted some research in this area. An analysis of the passenger restriction laws in California, Massachusetts, and Virginia indicated that there were 740, 173, and 454 fewer 16-year-old involved in crashes per year, respectively. A different study found that states with nighttime driving restrictions for teen drivers show decreases in crashes of up to 60% during the restricted hours.

Public support for GDL laws is also strong. In 2007, the NHTSA conducted the Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey (MVOSS), a national telephone survey about driver safety. Seventy-nine percent of the participants said that teen drivers should proceed from a learner's permit to a provisional license status rather than directly to an unrestricted adult license. The results of the survey also indicated strong support, ranging from 73% to 99%, for specific restrictions on provisional driver license status, such as:

Requiring young drivers to wear a seat belt at all times

Prohibiting driving after 9pm, unless supervised by an adult

Limiting the number of teenage passengers allowed in the vehicle

Prohibiting the use of a cellular phone while driving

Requiring the new driver to hold the provisional license for at least one year without any traffic violations before receiving an unrestricted adult license

GDL provisions are still in their infancy in many states, so evaluating the results of these programs is difficult. However, outcomes so far are promising. The enactment of and enforcement of these laws are important steps in efforts to save the lives of young drivers.

How to Use a Teen Driving Contract

2009-04-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Teaching your teen to drive safely is one of your most important responsibilities as a parent, and training shouldn't end when your teen gets a driver's license.

The early years of driving are a dangerous time for teens. Almost 40% of all deaths for 16- to 19-year-olds occur in motor vehicle crashes; drivers in this age group are four times more likely to be involved in a crash than older drivers.

Setting and enforcing limits on your teen's driving privileges will help keep your teen safe while reinforcing that driving is a serious matter. Be sure to set limits that comply with your state's Graduated Driver's Licensing laws. A Parent-Teen Driving Contract can help you ensure that your teen knows the rules in your household for getting and maintaining driving privileges and the penalties for breaking those rules.

Completing a Parent-Teen Driving Contract will be most effective if the concept and expectation are presented in advance (preferably at age 14). Make sure your teen understands that she or he will not be allowed to drive until an agreement is reached and both parties have signed the contract and initialed each term presented in it. Start a dialogue early about what the terms might include. Set aside at least thirty minutes to review the contract together before you and your teen sign it. Post the contract in a conspicuous place in your home so you and your teen can review it frequently.

How to Use the Teen Driving Experience Log Book

2009-04-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

One of the Graduated Driver Licensing requirements for a Florida Operator's License is that the holder of the Learner's License must have a parent or guardian certify that the driver has had at least 50 hours of experience behind the wheel, ten hours of which must have been at night. Many parents sign the affidavit without much thought, knowing that they must have accumulated at least 50 hours while teaching their teen to drive. But it's important to maximize the training quality of these hours. The best way to do this is with a Teen Driving Experience Log Book.

The Driving Experience log helps both the parent and the teen driver ensure that the teen is trained on a wide range of driving skills in a variety of conditions. Here are the components of the log and how to use them:

Date: Try to space driving lessons two to three days apart. This gives the teen driver enough -time to process the lesson without causing learning fatigue. Try not to let too much time go by between lessons (for example, letting your teen practice driving only on weekends).

Vehicle: Try to conduct driving lessons in at least two different vehicles, even if your teen will only be using one of the family cars after being licensed. Teen drivers need to understand the differences between accelerating, steering, and braking different vehicles. Teach your teen to spend a few minutes getting familiar with the location of the gearshift, headlights, defroster, windshield wipers, and gauges when you conduct training in a new vehicle.

Route: Resist the temptation to allow your teen to practice driving only on familiar routes close to home (for example, to and from the nearest grocery store). While it is important to conduct training in these areas, your teen will likely be driving farther from home soon after being licensed. Expand routes to include challenging roads, such as expressways, as your teen gains experience and skill.

Maneuvers Practiced: Just as with routes, new drivers should practice a variety of maneuvers. For example, teens should practice parallel parking on downtown streets as well as straight-in parking in shopping center parking lots. They need to learn how to make three-point turns, how to drive in a roundabout, and how to pull safely off the road if the vehicle overheats. Parents who are having trouble creating diverse lesson plans should consult a resource such as the National Safety Commission's Driver Education Handbook for Parents.

Weather: Parents may be hesitant to ride with an inexperienced driver on slippery roads, but new drivers will eventually have to contend with driving in inclement weather conditions. They should get this experience while a parent is still present to provide guidance. Most teens are not capable of comprehending the risks of reduced visibility and hydroplaning on their own.

Remarks: This is a good place to make note of routes and maneuvers with which the teen driver needs additional practice. Staggering lessons so the teen is not practicing the same complicated concepts in consecutive sessions will reduce frustration for both parties.

Prep Time: Teach your teen driver to conduct a pre-trip inspection of the vehicle. Record this time and lecture time (keep lectures short to compensate for teens' short attention spans) here.

Actual Driving Time: End each training session when you sense that you and/or your teen are approaching fatigue, but try to end each lesson on a positive note. If your teen struggles during a lesson, spend the final few minutes practicing a technique she or he already does well.

Day Driving Time; Night Driving Time: The 50 hours of driving experience including ten hours at night required by the GDL law is a minimum. You are the best judge of how much training your teen needs to be a safe driver.

Debrief Time: Calmly discuss your teen's progress. Be sure to allow your teen to give feedback. Reassure your teen that you will continue practicing difficult maneuvers and offer praise for her or his successes.

Teaching their teen to drive is a stressful, emotional experience for many parents, but making training time count is one of the most important things you will ever do for your child.

Prepping for a Safe Prom: Talking to Teens

2009-04-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Prom season is fast approaching and many parents are busy helping their teens buy dresses or rent tuxedos, select corsages and boutonnieres, and choose formal hairstyles. But prom preparation should also include frequent, specific, and frank discussions with teens about how to stay safe and avoid alcohol on prom night. Here are some tips on what to discuss:

- First, talk to other parents; then, talk to your teen about their friends' parents. Being part of your social group is no guarantee that other parents espouse a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol. You might be surprised to discover that other parents plan to provide their teens and their friends with alcohol in a "safe" manner and location. Though this is illegal in every state, it is a relatively common occurrence. If any of your teen's friends' parents plan to provide alcohol or "look the other way," reinforce your own house rules about alcohol with your teen. Make sure they understand that underage drinking is never acceptable, no matter what any other parent says or does, even for a special occasion. Make sure your teen will be riding with friends whose parents do not permit the use of alcohol. Try to organize an after-prom party for your teen with other teens' parents who have a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol and are willing to help chaperone.

- Next, create a code. Your teen must be able to signal for help without risking the ridicule of friends. If you haven't started texting with your teen, this is a good time to practice. Texting is an easy, unobtrusive way for your teen to check in with you frequently throughout the evening. Your teen might say or text, "Dinner was awesome!" as a code for "Please come get me." When you arrive to pick up your teen, she or he can blame you for having to leave or you can give the excuse of a "family emergency." Make an agreement with your teen that if you do have to pick the teen up, a discussion about the reason can be tabled until the next morning, when you and your teen are both calm and safe. Otherwise, teens may avoid calling parents for help because they don't want their parents to know about the circumstances that required the ride home.

- Make a record of your teen's planned itinerary for the evening, and require your teen to inform you of any changes. Be alert to spontaneous changes in plans on the night of the prom; your teen won't have as much control over the situation if it takes place in an unfamiliar location and/or with people she or he doesn't know well. In the excitement of the evening, your teen might not anticipate difficulties and could end up in a risky situation before she or he realizes what is happening. You'll need to check in more frequently in case your teen needs extra guidance.

How to Use a Teen Driving Checklist

2009-04-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

Teaching their teen to drive is a stressful experience for many parents. The parent is nervous about the teen driver's safety, while the teen is giddy with excitement. Parents may be ambivalent about this rite of passage because it means their child is growing up, while teens are eager for the new level of freedom and independence associated with a driver's license. The parent wants the teen to absorb as much information about the driver training process as possible; the teen just wants to learn enough to pass the road test.

One way to manage driver training sessions is to use a Teen Driving Checklist. The checklist provides an opportunity to review concepts and provide feedback on the driving lesson. Using this tool provides structure to each lesson, which facilitates learning for the teen and helps the parent feel more comfortable about the process of teaching the teen to drive.

The parent should complete one copy of the checklist during each lesson. Before the parents share it with the teen at the end of the lesson, the teen can complete a second copy of the evaluation. This self-evaluation helps teens learn to assess the driving behavior of themselves and other drivers, a critical concept once they are out on the road on their own. After the teen finishes the self-assessment, the two checklists should be compared and discussed in detail.

Parents should be sure to acknowledge areas of improvement as well as make a note of skills that need further discussion and practice. If the driving lesson was particularly difficult, parents can wait a few hours to have the discussion, but it should take place prior to the next driving lesson so the teen won't continue to practice bad habits.

Since the checklist includes basic, intermediate, and advanced skills, parents can easily tailor each driving lesson to a specific set of skills. Avoid packing too much into one driving lesson, which could overwhelm the teen driver. It is better to hold a few extra lessons than to take a chance on skimping on a teen driver's knowledge of critical driving skills.

Graduated Driver Licensing Laws: A Comparison

2009-04-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

A national model for Graduated Driver Licensing Programs has existed since the mid 1990s. The model provides guidelines for states to create their own GDL programs. Currently, no state follows all the guidelines, and GDL programs vary widely from state to state.

The recommended guidelines are:

Stage 1: Learner's Permit
-State sets minimum age for a learner's permit at no younger than age 16;
-Pass vision and knowledge tests, including rules of the road, signs, and signals;
-Completion of basic driver training;
-Licensed adult (who is at least 21 years old) required in the vehicle at all times;
-All occupants must wear seat belts;
-Teenage-passenger restrictions;
-Zero alcohol while driving;
-Permit is visually distinctive from other driver licenses;
-Must remain crash and conviction free for at least six months to advance to next level;
-Parental certification of 30 to 50 practice hours; and
-No use of portable electronic communication and entertainment devices.

Stage 2: Intermediate (Provisional) License
-Completion of Stage 1;
-State sets minimum age of 16.5;
-Pass a behind the wheel road test;
-Completion of advanced driver education training (safe driving decision-making, risk education, etc.)
-All occupants must wear seat belts;
-Licensed adult required in the vehicle from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. (e.g., nighttime driving restriction);
-Zero alcohol while driving;
-Driver improvement actions are initiated at lower point level than for regular drivers;
-Provisional license is visually distinctive from a regular license;
-Teenage-passenger restrictions: not more than one teenage passenger for the first 12 months of intermediate license. Afterward, limit the number of teenage passengers to two until age 18;
-Must remain crash and conviction free for at least 12 consecutive months to advance to the next stage;
-Supervised practice; and
-No use of portable electronic communication and entertainment devices.

Stage 3: Full Licensure
-Completion of Stage 2;
-State sets minimum age of 18 for lifting passenger and nighttime restrictions; and
-Zero alcohol while driving.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

To understand the range of differences among states, let's examine the GDL laws of four states: California, Florida, Mississippi, and North Dakota.

The NHTSA recommends that the state sets the minimum age for a learner's permit at no younger than age 16. In California, the minimum age for a learner's permit is 15 years, six months; in Florida and Mississippi, the minimum age is 15. The minimum age in North Dakota is 14.

Before getting a license or restricted license in Florida, new drivers must have a mandatory holding period of the learner's license of twelve months; the other three states require six months. In Mississippi, license applicants age 17 and older are exempt from the holding period. The NHTSA recommends an intermediate (provisional) stage with a minimum age of 16.5. The applicant must remain crash and conviction free for at least six months to advance from the learner's permit to the intermediate level. They further recommend that in the intermediate license stage, the applicant must remain crash and conviction free for at least 12 consecutive months to advance to full licensure.

The NHTSA recommends parental certification of 30 to 50 practice hours of driving in the learner’s permit stage. While California and Florida each require 50 hours, 10 of which must be at night, neither Mississippi nor North Dakota require certification of any driving practice hours.

Applicants in Mississippi must be age 15 years, six months before getting a license or restricted license. Florida, North Dakota, and California require a minimum age of 16; however, in California, license applicants who do not take driver education must wait until age 18 for a license. The NHTSA recommendation is for full licensure only after completion of the intermediate licensing stage, with a minimum age of 18 for lifting passenger and nighttime restrictions. However, North Dakota does not have any passenger or nighttime restrictions, and Florida and Mississippi have only nighttime restrictions. California's passenger restriction is that for the first 12 months, the restricted driver may have no passengers younger than 20, with limited exceptions for immediate family.

One way to improve the traffic crash figures for teenage drivers is to advocate for stronger Graduated Driver Licensing requirements in your state. In the meantime, you can reduce the risks for your own children by ensuring that they obey existing GDL laws and by implementing some of the NHTSA's guidelines into your own house rules if your state has relatively weak GDL laws.

Bicycle Safety Tips while on Spring Break

2009-04-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Beach towns are a popular spring break vacation destination, and often a bicycle is the easiest form of travel in these small, often-congested areas. But bicyclists are vulnerable to other road users, especially motor vehicles. In fact, the first automobile crash in the United States occurred in New York City in 1896, when a motor vehicle collided with a bicycle rider (Famous First Facts, by Joseph Kane).

Tips for Bicyclists

Bicyclists must obey all traffic controls and signals.

Be sure to comply with helmet laws in the state where you are riding. Bicycle helmets are recommended for all ages.

Watch for pedestrians as well as motor vehicles.

If you are allowed to ride on the sidewalk, yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing.

Keep at least one hand on the handlebars.

On the roadway, check behind you before changing lanes. Signal your intent to turn to other vehicle operators by pointing in the direction you are going to turn.

Do not ride two abreast when this will impede the flow of traffic.

Do not wear headphones or any other listening device except a hearing aid while bicycling.

Tips for Motorists

Give bicycles extra space whenever possible. Some riders may not be able to control their bicycles well and may suddenly get in your path. Be sure to give extra space to young riders, riders who seem distracted, riders who may have been drinking and older riders.

As you start to pass, approach slowly and try not to frighten the rider. Be aware of the possible path the bicyclist may take. Riders may swerve for hazards you are not aware of, such as potholes, puddles, and storm drains.

Always start your pass well behind the bicycle. You should have at least a half-lane of space between your vehicle and the bicyclist. If you do not have this much space, wait for a gap in oncoming traffic and then pass.

Before you move over to pass, signal to traffic behind you to let them know that you are changing lanes. You may want to warn the cyclist by tapping your horn.

At night, use your low beam headlights when traveling near bicyclists. Avoid shining your high beam headlights into riders' eyes.

When parallel parking, check for bicycles before opening the driver's side door.

Bicycling is a fun, efficient form of transportation. Put safety first for a better spring break.

Spring Break Pedestrian Safety Tips

2009-03-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Many students look forward to spring break as a rite of passage. Taking a vacation from academics just as the weather turns warmer is a welcome break; it's a time to hang out with friends and relax. Students often travel to a beachfront community so they can spend the week lying on the sand, playing beach volleyball, and participating in water sports.

Businesses in beachfront communities typically welcome spring breakers. But the increase in all types of traffic can be frustrating for year-round residents, and spring breakers themselves may drive carelessly or recklessly. This can prove deadly for pedestrians, who must often cross beachfront avenues to access the beach or nearby businesses.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2007, 4,654 pedestrians were killed and 70,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes in the United States. On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 113 minutes and injured in a traffic crash every eight minutes. Forty-eight percent of all pedestrian fatalities in 2007 occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Tips for Pedestrians

Pedestrian safety is an important, though often unconsidered, aspect of spring break safety. As a pedestrian, follow these tips to make the most of your spring break:

Put safety first. You are on spring break to have fun, but disregarding your own safety could result in tragedy.

Don't assume that motorists will yield to you when you are at an intersection or even in a crosswalk. Be especially careful at intersections where drivers may be turning onto another street. If you are in their path, they may not see you in time to stop.

Use a designated crosswalk when possible. Stop and look left, right, and left again before crossing.

Stand on the curb or off the roadway while you make sure it is safe to cross the street. If your view of the street is blocked, stop when you reach the edge line of the object and look around it before entering the roadway.

Include motorcyclists and bicyclists in your visual search before you cross the street. A collision with any other vehicle, even one with only two wheels, could result in serious injury or death.

If there is no sidewalk and you must walk in the street, walk facing traffic and be especially careful.

At night, try to cross the street only in well-lit areas. Increase your visibility to others by carrying a flashlight.

Tips for Motorists

Of all the highway users, pedestrians are the most vulnerable, so drivers have a special responsibility to watch for and protect pedestrians.

Let go of assumptions you may have about pedestrians so you can put their safety first. Many pedestrians are not fully aware of traffic laws, including those that pertain to signals. Many do not know the distance needed to stop a moving vehicle. Never assume that pedestrians will move out of the way. Be ready to stop to allow a pedestrian to cross safely.

Many pedestrians take for granted that drivers will yield the right of way to anyone in the crosswalk. When they cross at an intersection with a Walk signal, pedestrians may not even look for oncoming traffic. Always watch for pedestrians in case they are not watching for you.

Pedestrians waiting to cross the street often stand in the street instead of on the curb. Groups of pedestrians often separate when they are crossing the road. Some may even dash across the street without warning. When you see pedestrians waiting to cross, cover your brake and remain alert.

Be especially vigilant about pedestrians at night, even in well-lit areas. It is often difficult to identify pedestrians at night.

How Parents Can Enforce Graduated Driver Licensing Laws at Home

2009-03-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Parents typically feel ambivalent when their teens receive their driver's licenses. They appreciate the freedom from being their teen's sole source of transportation, but they worry that their teens won't be able to handle the corresponding freedom of being behind the wheel on their own. In most states, teens' freedom is limited by Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. But many parents are unaware of these laws or, if they are aware of them, fail to implement them as house rules.

This is a mistake. Enforcing GDL laws as house rules is an excellent tool for parents, who have the support of an existing law, the need for which and the efficacy of which is fully supported by research. Enforcement of the law by the police, while somewhat irregular in some states, is a very real possibility and could result in legal consequences for the teen. This gives parents additional support from an outside source when enforcing the law in their own households.

The first step in implementing your state's GDL law is to become familiar with it. The law is typically detailed in the first or second chapter of the driver handbook. Many states post their driver handbooks online. You can also find information on GDL laws at your state's Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Public Safety website. Once you locate the information, save or bookmark it for future reference. GDL laws change as teens mature and gain experience (the "graduated" in Graduated Driver Licensing).

The next step is to help your teen understand the importance of following GDL laws. Begin a dialogue with your teen before she or he even has a learner's permit. Ask your teen to tell you why she or he thinks GDL laws exist. This helps your teen think and allows them to educate themselves about the process. Make sure your teen understands that GDL laws exist not only to protect teens from themselves, but to protect them from other teens. Your teen needs to follow GDL laws whether she or he is the driver or a passenger. Remind your teen that GDL laws become less stringent as the teen demonstrates responsible driving behavior - it's not just about having another birthday.

Next, incorporate your state's GDL laws into your house rules. For example, newly licensed drivers are typically restricted from driving during certain hours. You can ensure that your teen obeys the law by integrating these time limits into your teen's curfew.

Finally, establish penalties for violating the GDL law or receiving a traffic ticket, whether the violation is for disobeying the GDL law or another offense. Be clear about the penalties from the beginning and relate them to driving by withdrawing driving privileges or enforcing new limits on driving. Help your teen understand all the ramifications of receiving a ticket, such as points on the license, fines, insurance increases, and failure to achieve the next stage in the GDL process.

Enforcing the GDL law in your household is a valuable tool that will help ensure your teen's safety behind the wheel.

Restricting Your Teen's Access to Alcohol: A Guide for Parents

2009-03-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

Restricting your teen's access to alcohol is one of the most important things you can do for them as a parent. There are highly-publicized risks of fatal alcohol poisonings and devastating car crashes due to drinking and driving, for example. But there are other, less-publicized risks that could be equally destructive to your teen's health and well-being, such as increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy, violence and rape, and suicide.

Teens are ill-equipped to handle the physical, mental or emotional consequences of drinking alcohol, but they have poor impulse control and a sense of invincibility and must contend with overwhelming peer pressure. They need consistent support and structure from their parents if they are going to avoid alcohol and its attendant repercussions.

Here are some guidelines for developing a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol for your children:

Start an ongoing dialogue early about alcohol: the risks, the ramifications, and your desire for your teen not to use alcohol. Emphasize abstinence from alcohol as part of your overall value system. Ask for a commitment not to use alcohol.

Offer praise for good decisions and guidance for mistakes. Working together to rectify a bad grade can be good practice for dealing with bigger problems in the future.

Help teens set short-term and long-term goals. Relate their goals to their physical endurance, mental acuity, and emotional fitness. Ask them how they think using alcohol could keep them from achieving their goals.

Invite mentors and other people your teen would not want to disappoint into the dialogue. Ask them to support your efforts to encourage abstinence from alcohol.

Train your children to ask, "Is it worth the risk?" Make sure they can apply the potential consequences you've discussed to real-life scenarios. Discuss the situations of people you know or those of people in newspaper and magazine articles and ask your teen to help you list the problems they have encountered as a result of drinking alcohol.

Model good behavior where alcohol is concerned. While it is true that it is legal for you to drink alcohol, teens have very little tolerance for what they perceive as hypocrisy, and they often fail to make distinctions when making judgments.

Keep alcohol locked up and out of sight. Many adolescents, and even pre-adolescents, begin experimenting with alcohol in their own homes.

Monitor situations where temptation can occur: for example, when your teen participates in unsupervised group activities or attends events, such as weddings, where alcohol is being served to adults.

Limit your teen's attendance at parties, both in number and in length of time spent. Make a pact to pick your teen up at any time, from any place, with no questions asked until the following morning when you are both calm. Limit sleepovers unless they are at your house under your supervision.

Communicate with the parents of your teen's friends. Ask what they are doing to ensure that the children don't have access to alcohol when they are under their supervision. Share situations (not names) that you have discussed with your teen; their responses will help you determine whether or not you are on the same wavelength regarding teens and access to alcohol. Tell them you welcome feedback on how your child behaves when you are not present and that you will not reveal the source of the information.

Observe other parents' efforts to restrict minors' access to alcohol. Offer to help chaperone at events your child will attend. Be careful – even "good people" have erroneous ideas about teaching teens to "drink responsibly" under their supervision. Make sure your teen understands that even if another parent is allowing the use of alcohol, your teen does not have your permission to partake and should come home immediately.

Keep your teen busy. Kids often get into trouble when they have too much unsupervised free time. Invest time and effort into helping your teens find safe, fun ways to spend their time, such as participating in faith-based activities.

Adopt a trust-but-verify policy. Even "good kids" can find themselves in difficult situations. Your teen doesn't have the benefit of your years of wisdom and experience. Explain the risks of being in the wrong situation; even if your teen doesn't drink, being present at a party where teens are drinking can have serious consequences. Monitor your teen's – and your teen's friends' - Facebook and MySpace pages.

And, last but certainly not least, realize that your teen is vulnerable to making poor choices every day. Don't let your guard down. Finding a balance between being too controlling and allowing too much freedom will require constant effort, but it is a worthwhile endeavor. Your teen's health and happiness may depend on it.

Spring Break Safety - How to Identify an Impaired Driver

2009-03-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

Many spring breakers drive to and from their vacation destinations. Spring break drivers are often relatively inexperienced due to their youth and may have difficulty navigating hazardous driving situations. One way to manage the risk is to spot impaired drivers early so you can increase your space cushion. This way, if the impaired driver causes a crash, you are much less likely to be part of it.

Although the term "impaired" typically refers to drivers who are under the influence of alcohol, for the purposes of this article, it refers to any driver who is exhibiting difficulty with the driving process. A driver may be "impaired" by drowsiness, confusion, distractions inside or outside their vehicle, aggression, talking on a cellular phone, or a variety of other causes. For those who are sharing the road with an impaired driver, the most important issue is that the other driver is impaired; the specific reason isn't as significant, because the reactions of other drivers should be the same regardless of the source of the impairment.

You should scan the general behavior of other vehicles when you search the driving scene, noticing any drivers who are:

Drifting within their lane

Speeding or driving at erratic speeds (speeding up, then slowing suddenly)

Weaving in and out of lanes

Exhibiting odd behavior, such as stopping for a green traffic light

Displaying aggressive behavior, such as following too closely

Once you recognize that a driver is impaired, you must increase the amount of space between your vehicle and theirs. Motorists are often tempted to pass a driver who may be impaired, but this option is dangerous because it decreases the space between you and the impaired driver, even if only temporarily. The point of identifying impaired drivers is to note their unpredictability. If the impaired driver makes another mistake while you are passing, you could be involved in a crash.

Take the following actions when you recognize an impaired driver:

Reduce your speed. This will increase your following distance if you are behind the impaired driver. Also, reducing your speed will allow you to more safely take other actions, such as changing lanes.

Continue scanning the driving scene. Don't get so distracted by the impaired driver that you cause a crash yourself.

Increase your following distance from other vehicles. If you tailgate the vehicle in front of you, you will be forced to focus on that vehicle to avoid rear-ending it.

Once you've increased your distance from the impaired driver, check the space cushion all around your vehicle - in front, behind, and on both sides. Make sure you haven't compromised your space cushion in your effort to move away from the impaired driver. Make any necessary corrections carefully. Remember to signal for all lane changes.

Resume your scan of the driving scene. Impaired drivers are common in popular vacation spots.

If you think an impaired driver is in imminent danger of causing a crash, ask a passenger to note the license plate number, a description of the vehicle, and the vehicle's location and direction of travel. Have your passenger contact law enforcement, or pull off the road so you can safely make the call yourself.

Make your spring break a safe, healthy, relaxed vacation using defensive driving techniques from the National Safety Commission.

Tips for Teens: Drowsy Driving during Spring Break

2009-03-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Many young people spend the time following the end-of-year break from school looking forward to Spring Break, when they will have a great time frolicking with friends in a sunny, sandy locale.

But the long hours of recreation in the hot sun and the excitement of spending the week with friends can cause fatigue on the drive home. Six hours of sleep or less triples your risk of becoming sleepy while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses.

Being fatigued while driving can result in a serious crash due to:

Impaired reaction time, judgment and vision

Problems with information processing and short-term memory

Increased moodiness and aggressive behaviors

Some drivers try to avoid these effects by ingesting substances such as NoDoz, Red Bull, or coffee, each of which contains caffeine, a stimulant. But it's important to realize that the effect of any of these products is, at best, minimal and temporary. The "crash" that follows when the stimulant effect wears off can leave a driver feeling more tired than ever and can increase irritability. Sleep is a neurobiological need that can only be met with sleep, so increased dosages of caffeine will only increase the severity of side effects, not the degree of wakefulness. Too much caffeine can cause restlessness, nervousness, muscle twitching, and an irregular or rapid heartbeat.

To increase your chance of arriving home safely, make plans for your return from Spring Break that allow for a good night's sleep the night before you leave. Sleep experts recommend at least seven to nine hours. Avoid alcohol and medications (over-the-counter and prescribed) that may impair performance. Plan to leave at a time which will not require you to drive through the night.

Take your driving trip with a companion so you can switch drivers when needed. Passengers can also watch for early signs of driver fatigue. Passengers should stay awake to talk to the driver. Schedule regular stops every 100 miles or two hours. Never try to drive "straight through" - you might never arrive at all. When you stop, spend several minutes stretching and taking a short walk.

Signs that tell you that you must stop immediately for sleep include:

Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids

Trouble remembering the last few miles driven; missing exits or traffic signs

Yawning repeatedly, rubbing your eyes, or trouble keeping your head up

Drifting from your lane, tailgating, or hitting a shoulder rumble strip

Remember, the only cure for sleepiness is sleep!

Alcohol Access and Your Teen: Is Your Teen Mature Enough to Drink?

2009-03-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

So your teen is having some friends over to "hang out." Your teen wants you to provide a movie, snacks, and a six-pack of beer. Should you do it? Isn't it safer to have your teen home with you so you can provide supervision? When you were young, the drinking age was 18, and you turned out fine. Isn't it more important to teach your teen to be a responsible drinker than to abide by a law that features an arbitrary age limit?

Some parents do provide teens with alcohol, or simply look the other way when their teens drink, espousing a "kids will be kids" attitude. They think there is nothing they can do to stop the teen from drinking. They fear their teen's reaction to a strict prohibition against drinking. They want to be their teen's friend because they want to keep the lines of communication open.

Some parents think that if the teen only drinks alcohol in their own home, the parents will be in control of the amount consumed. They think they can keep watch over their teen to make sure that nothing bad happens while the teen is intoxicated. They reason that at least this way, their teen isn't driving drunk or riding with another drunk teen. They rationalize that if they let the teen's friends sleep over, everyone will be safe.

But these parents aren't taking many facts into account that refute the notion that parents should allow underage children to drink:

Teenagers are not physically, mentally or emotionally ready to be under the influence. Even one alcoholic drink is too much for their developing bodies and brains.

For every year under the age of 21 a teenager begins drinking alcohol, they are five times more likely to battle a lifetime of alcohol abuse and dependence (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005)
Adolescent use of alcohol increases the risk of dependence because teens' brains are not fully developed. The prefrontal cortex, which we use to assess situations, help us use good judgment, and keep our emotions and desires under control, does not develop completely until we are in our early 20s (NIDA, 2007)
Teenagers may look mature, but their bodies are still developing. They require a lower level of consumption of alcohol to obtain a rapid "high," which means their judgment is affected almost immediately, but they also have increased levels of alcohol tolerance, making it easy for them to overindulge.
Teenagers are emotionally immature. They are still learning about themselves, relationships, and what direction they should take in life. Because even a small amount of alcohol reduces inhibitions and impairs judgment, they may react emotionally while under the influence without considering the consequences of their behavior.

The use of alcohol by teens increases the risk of activities that may result in serious long-term consequences, including:

Use of other drugs (alcohol is a gateway drug because its use compromises judgment and reduces inhibitions)
Driving under the influence
Alcohol poisoning from binge drinking (teens often binge drink to relax and may participate in drinking games that result in ingestion of large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time)
Increased sexual activity and multiple sexual partners due to lowered inhibitions, which increases the risk of pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases
Exacerbation of underlying, perhaps undiagnosed, mental illness
Violence and rape (whether the victim is under the influence or not)
Suicide

Parental accountability for social hosting is on the rise. Twenty-four states have enacted social hosting laws to hold adults criminally responsible for providing alcohol to minors. No state makes it legal for an adult to provide alcohol to other people's children. Civil suits can result in the loss of many or all of a person's assets – whether they knew alcohol was being served in the home or not. Turning a blind eye is not an excuse.

When you host a gathering for your teen, you must tighten your resolve. Avoid being a friend and focus on your role as the parent. The following tips will help you through the process:

Set expectations with your teen ahead of time. Make sure your teen knows that you will not allow alcohol (or other drugs) at the party and that this is communicated to all guests. Ask your teen to tell you about any concerns she or he has about any of the guests or any situations that could occur. Make your neighbors aware of the party and enlist their help in monitoring the area.

Make a guest list with your teen. Limit the number of teens so you can be sure of adequate chaperonage. Be sure you have contact information on each teen's parent. Make sure guests and their parents understand that if a teen leaves the party, she or he won't be allowed to return and parents will be called. Make sure parents who won't be chaperoning know the start and end times of the party and will prearrange transportation.

Limit guest access to certain areas of the house and property. Lock up all valuables, breakables, alcohol and weapons. Plan activities to occupy the guests. Provide plenty of snacks, soda and water. Set an example by not providing alcohol for any adults who are present. Regularly move through the party unannounced and as inconspicuously as possible, checking any off-limit areas. Collect all keys so you can keep track of who is arriving and leaving. Keep coats and purses in an area that can be monitored. Speak to each person before they leave; check for warning signs of impairment.

If a guest arrives at the party already under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, keep them there while you call a parent to pick them up. If the guest leaves and someone is hurt or injured, you could be held responsible.