Teaching Safe Driving Tips
Sam Chapman
May 29, 2009
I have a daughter coming up on 16 and it won´t be long until she is driving. I want her to be safe and have been thinking of teaching her things that she may not learn at a driving school. Here are some the tips I want to share that I hope will help people become safer drivers.
Turn right. Have you ever been at a stop sign trying to turn left only to be there for what seems like an eternity because of heavy traffic? What I like to do under those conditions is turn right and then look for a place to turn around. Not only will this be a safer option than turning through a bunch of traffic, but it will probably get you away from that stop sign faster.
Look through the windows of the vehicle ahead of you. While it is always a good thing to be aware of the vehicle in front of you, what about the vehicle in front of that one? Whether stopped at a traffic light or driving, look through the windows of the vehicle in front of you if you can. You can see traffic lights turning yellow and other things farther ahead if you look through other vehicle´s windows.
Don´t get distracted. Never text while driving. Don´t try to read a map while driving. Use a hands-free phone. Don´t put make-up on while driving. I don´t care if you see others doing it, that doesn´t make t safe. Even looking for and inserting CDs while driving can take you mind of driving.
Buckle up even when in the parking lot. Even a crash at 10 mph can cause serious damage to the human body. One question I like to ask of a young, male driver is how much he weighs and how fast he can sprint. I usually get a response like 180 he weighs pounds and that he can sprint 10 mph. Newton's 2nd Law tells us that force = mass x acceleration. Let´s simplify a bit and say that force = weight times speed. So a young man weighing 180 pounds sprinting at 10 mph will have the force of about 1800 pounds. So I ask the young man if he ran full speed at a brick wall and put out his hands to stop himself a split second before the wall, could he stop without getting hurt? So then, what about a car driving 15 mph in a parking lot? If it smashed into a wall, a pole or a truck, could the driver stop himself from hitting the windshield if he wasn´t buckled?
Don´t drive in the left lane if there is no turn lane. Think about force again. If you and another driver are driving in opposite directions and both are in the left lane, would you want to do a high five out the window as you passed each other? Hitting any object at 60 mph isn´t a pretty thought – drive in the right lane.
Square your corners. Picture an intersection with the street to the left having a center line all the way to the intersection. We´ve all observed a driver making a left turn cutting across that line. The end of that line represents another vehicle waiting to proceed. If you make it a habit of turning to the left like you are turning around a square with the corner being that center line, you probably won´t hit someone if another vehicle is sitting still or just coming to a stop at the intersection.
Look at the white line. When driving at night it is very easy to become blinded by approaching headlights. Looking at the white line on the right side of the road can help protect your eyes from the glare of headlights while allowing you to stay focused on the road.
Keep your distance. Don´t get too close to the vehicle in front of you. You never know when he might slow down quickly. Check your six (look behind you). I know this sounds like a fighter pilot thing, but be aware of what is happening behind you. If someone is tailgating and will not back off, slow down or pull over and let him by.
Don´t blast the stereo. For one thing, singing or dancing to loud music can be amazingly distracting. You will also not be able to hear emergency vehicles or horns if someone is trying to warn you about something.
Signal your intentions. Use turn signals even when nobody is around. That will build the habit of using them all the time. If you are not using the brakes, but are slowing down, tap the brakes so vehicles behind you will be aware that you are slowing down.
Stay out of blind spots. Trucks, buses and motor homes have blind spots beside them. If you can´t be seen, the larger vehicle may start a turn and run you off the road or into traffic. Get around or stay behind large vehicles.
Slow down in the dark and when it is raining or snowing. I was driving on a country road years ago in the dark and I slowed down as there was no light besides that coming from my car. Seemingly out of nowhere, a huge, black cow appeared in the middle of the road. If I had been going any faster I may have not been able to avoid hitting it. You don´t need to worry so much about black cows in snowy conditions, but sliding off the road or into oncoming traffic is not my idea of a good time.
Watch out for kids. Whether in a school zone or a neighborhood, keep an eye out for kids on bikes, playing or just not paying attention.
Don´t drive when tired. Being tired slows reactions and reduces awareness.
Keep loose things secured. Groceries, books, backpacks and other items should be on the floor or in the trunk. Remember force? Having a heavy object loose in the back seat can be very dangerous if you slam on the brakes.. Even a five pound frozen chicken can become a dangerous flying object.
Turn right. Have you ever been at a stop sign trying to turn left only to be there for what seems like an eternity because of heavy traffic? What I like to do under those conditions is turn right and then look for a place to turn around. Not only will this be a safer option than turning through a bunch of traffic, but it will probably get you away from that stop sign faster.
Look through the windows of the vehicle ahead of you. While it is always a good thing to be aware of the vehicle in front of you, what about the vehicle in front of that one? Whether stopped at a traffic light or driving, look through the windows of the vehicle in front of you if you can. You can see traffic lights turning yellow and other things farther ahead if you look through other vehicle´s windows.
Don´t get distracted. Never text while driving. Don´t try to read a map while driving. Use a hands-free phone. Don´t put make-up on while driving. I don´t care if you see others doing it, that doesn´t make t safe. Even looking for and inserting CDs while driving can take you mind of driving.
Buckle up even when in the parking lot. Even a crash at 10 mph can cause serious damage to the human body. One question I like to ask of a young, male driver is how much he weighs and how fast he can sprint. I usually get a response like 180 he weighs pounds and that he can sprint 10 mph. Newton's 2nd Law tells us that force = mass x acceleration. Let´s simplify a bit and say that force = weight times speed. So a young man weighing 180 pounds sprinting at 10 mph will have the force of about 1800 pounds. So I ask the young man if he ran full speed at a brick wall and put out his hands to stop himself a split second before the wall, could he stop without getting hurt? So then, what about a car driving 15 mph in a parking lot? If it smashed into a wall, a pole or a truck, could the driver stop himself from hitting the windshield if he wasn´t buckled?
Don´t drive in the left lane if there is no turn lane. Think about force again. If you and another driver are driving in opposite directions and both are in the left lane, would you want to do a high five out the window as you passed each other? Hitting any object at 60 mph isn´t a pretty thought – drive in the right lane.
Square your corners. Picture an intersection with the street to the left having a center line all the way to the intersection. We´ve all observed a driver making a left turn cutting across that line. The end of that line represents another vehicle waiting to proceed. If you make it a habit of turning to the left like you are turning around a square with the corner being that center line, you probably won´t hit someone if another vehicle is sitting still or just coming to a stop at the intersection.
Look at the white line. When driving at night it is very easy to become blinded by approaching headlights. Looking at the white line on the right side of the road can help protect your eyes from the glare of headlights while allowing you to stay focused on the road.
Keep your distance. Don´t get too close to the vehicle in front of you. You never know when he might slow down quickly. Check your six (look behind you). I know this sounds like a fighter pilot thing, but be aware of what is happening behind you. If someone is tailgating and will not back off, slow down or pull over and let him by.
Don´t blast the stereo. For one thing, singing or dancing to loud music can be amazingly distracting. You will also not be able to hear emergency vehicles or horns if someone is trying to warn you about something.
Signal your intentions. Use turn signals even when nobody is around. That will build the habit of using them all the time. If you are not using the brakes, but are slowing down, tap the brakes so vehicles behind you will be aware that you are slowing down.
Stay out of blind spots. Trucks, buses and motor homes have blind spots beside them. If you can´t be seen, the larger vehicle may start a turn and run you off the road or into traffic. Get around or stay behind large vehicles.
Slow down in the dark and when it is raining or snowing. I was driving on a country road years ago in the dark and I slowed down as there was no light besides that coming from my car. Seemingly out of nowhere, a huge, black cow appeared in the middle of the road. If I had been going any faster I may have not been able to avoid hitting it. You don´t need to worry so much about black cows in snowy conditions, but sliding off the road or into oncoming traffic is not my idea of a good time.
Watch out for kids. Whether in a school zone or a neighborhood, keep an eye out for kids on bikes, playing or just not paying attention.
Don´t drive when tired. Being tired slows reactions and reduces awareness.
Keep loose things secured. Groceries, books, backpacks and other items should be on the floor or in the trunk. Remember force? Having a heavy object loose in the back seat can be very dangerous if you slam on the brakes.. Even a five pound frozen chicken can become a dangerous flying object.
Print
Email
