We have noticed that while some parents are very eager to start practicing with their teen. Other parents are not as enthusiastic about the thought of being strapped in the passenger seat, with their teen at the wheel. Many teens are not getting the practice they need to be safe. Either way, I wanted to answer some of the FAQ’s I get regarding practicing. Along with some incentives to make sure your teen is getting the best driver education possible!!

Q. How often should I be practicing with my teen?

A. The law requires that a minor get 50 hours of practice with an adult 25 or older who is a CA licensed driver. 10 of those hours should be at night. This does not necessarily mean only Mom or Dad. Grandparents, other relatives, family friends, and even your teens friends parents are other good options. Drive as frequently as possible!!

Q. What should I be practicing with my teen?

A. It is important that a student driver get practice in lots of different types of traffic, and new places. Sometimes it is hard to tell what to look for. For the most part, new drivers can appear confident, and most of the time, make good decisions as the driver. Next thing you know, he/she makes a bone head maneuver, that caught you off guard. This can be very scary for the students practice buddy. This is where your experience comes into play #1 Remain calm!!! A panicked driver will do even stranger things… #2 Find a safe area and pull over to discuss what happened and what they should have done. I carry a white board, to illustrate my words. “Right of way” and “blind spot” are just terms until it’s time to find out first hand what those terms actually mean. If you need to be somewhere at a particular time, leave at least 10 minutes early!!!

Q. My teen does not want to practice, what do I do?

A. Don’t get angry. They are simply anxious about what you will think. #1. Remind them that you are under legal obligation to make sure they practice. Offer to drive out of the neighborhood, then switch. Start with shorter, more familiar drives. Often the hardest part is starting. Once they get going, most of the anxiety will disappear. Tell your teen that if they have enough, or want to stop, they can. Breathing is key, if you notice your teen breathing fast or sweating. Ask them if they are okay. People also hold their breath when they are frightened, remind them to breathe too, oxygen will help their brain function better. #2. I have also heard that bribery works…teens love a drive-thru!

Q. Can their be passengers in the vehicle?

A. Yes. As long as the “practice buddy” is in the passenger seat, your teen can drive siblings, or their teammates home after practice. Remember that your teen will feel more pressure to drive well in front of others. Make sure you feel that your teen is ready to handle some distractions, and added stress while driving before attempting passengers. I suggest talking with siblings about letting the driver concentrate, and keeping quiet if a mistake is made

Q. It has been a long time since I learned to drive. How do I know if I am teaching my teen correctly?

A. Ask the instructor! We are happy to answer you questions, and can usually pop in for a few minutes at the end of the lesson to discuss your Teen. We also would like to offer a licensed driver brush-up for practice buddies. This is a private one hour evaluation and brush up on your existing skills. This can eliminate arguments over ‘the right way’ to do something.
Having a private lesson is a great time to discuss any concerns you are having with your teen’s instructor. I myself did not take professional driving lessons until I became an instructor. I was amazed by who much I thought I knew… This class would be extremely valuable to anyone who enjoys being ‘right’ all the time Ask about our one hour brush up lesson for $55.00.

Q. I think my teen might need additional lessons… Can I get a price break on a second set?

A. We set up our lesson format to be very flexible. There are 12 and 18 hour packages available, or you may do lessons a la carte, as needed. For the holidays, we decided to offer a special promotion to students who could benefit from some additional training. After your student has completed their first six hours on instruction, and you purchase an additional six hour package for $300.00, we will use the last lesson as the drive test! This is a $60.00 savings!

Regular Price Break down:
Lesson #5 $80.00
Lesson #6 $80.00
Lesson #7 $80.00
Drive test $120.00 (includes one hour warm up, test in our car, unlimited time at DMV for processing, ride home
Total $360.00

At Drive Happy our goal is not to be the largest driving school. We simply want to be the best. We are very proud of what we do. My favorite part of teaching is seeing the students ‘light bulb’ switch on, and suddenly everything make sense. I really enjoy building pride and confidence in my students. People often overlook the importance of driving safely. We focus so much on work, school, and family…that we forget how we get to work, school, and family. We drive, everyday. We all share the same roads, and all share the right to be safe. Let’s work together, and Drive Happy!!

The California DMV has released the on-line version of the new 2009 Driver Handbook. Download a copy by clicking here.

Here is an excerpt, taken from the New Laws for 2009 section:

No-Texting Law Effective January 1, 2009

• Drivers may not use a wireless communications device to write, send, or read text-based communications, while driving a motor vehicle.

Administrative Per Se (APS) Zero Tolerance Law Effective January 1, 2009
• It is unlawful for a person who is on probation for a DUI offense tooperate a motor vehicle at any time with a BAC of 0.01% or greater. Violation(s) of the law will result in a 1-year suspension of your driving privilege. Refusal or failure to complete a preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) or chemical test while on probation will result in a 2-year revocation of your driving privilege. Two or more prior DUI convictions within ten years will result in a 3-year revocation of your driving privilege. You will not get a restricted license for any of the above violations.

Effective July 1, 2009
• If you have a prior DUI conviction(s) and are convicted of driving with a suspended driver license, you will be required to install an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) for up to three years depending on your driving record.

Important
• Many Californians are choosing bicycling as an alternative mode of trans-portation. Bicycling is beneficial in reducing both smog emissions and gasoline usage. It is environmentally sound and increases physical health. Both bicyclists and motorists must follow the rules of the road and follow safe driving practices. Motorists should be especially watchful for bicyclists to ensure every ones safety.

The licensing process for a teenager can be confusing,  to say the least.  Here is an example of one of the most misunderstood rules for teens.  From the DMV website:

Before being eligible to take your driving test you must:

AND

• Have held your permit for a minimum of six months

This means that a teenager has to wait 6 months from the date the permit was issued, until they can take the Behind-the-Wheel test.  The intent of this rule was to ensure that students had adequate time to practice before obtaining a California Driver License.  Sounds reasonable, right?

Unfortunately, it has not worked.  Teens are not using this 6 month period to practice and perfect their driving skills.  What they are doing, is procrastinating.  The mandatory 6 month waiting period has allowed student drivers to put driver training on their mental back burner.  Students and parents commonly tell us that the reason they are not practicing often or scheduling regular lessons is that they “have a whole 6 months to do it”.

To a teenager, 6 months is an eternity.  Imagine that you are a teacher,  and you assign a term paper to your students that is due at the end of the school year.  When do you think they will begin to work on that paper? The day before the end of the school year of course!  The same logic holds true with learning to drive.

Procrastination has become the norm in the industry, and the DMV is encouraging it with their well meaning but poorly planned rules.  When will we realize that these arbitrary time limts are not making our drivers safer.  Only better training and thorough testing will make them safer.

Agree?  Disagree?  

Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

I’ve got another article to share with you this morning.  The topic is the danger of unlicensed drivers on our roadways.  Here is an excerpt:

. . .a full 20 percent of 14- to 18-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2006 did not have a license. This means unlicensed teens are significantly over-represented in fatal crashes.

I think that this makes a strong case for professional driving schools.  Unlicensed drivers are un-trained drivers.  It seems obvious that an untrained driver is more like to crash and die,  doesn’t it?

The article goes on to discuss some of the other finding of the study.  You can read the full text from marketwatch.com here.

I’m still not comfortable with the focus on “teen” drivers.  I think we need to be talking about un-trained drivers,  regardless of age.  Many studies have shown that the age of the driver is not an indicator of their ability.  The most significant indicator of a driver’s risk is their training and experience!

We need to be requiring driver training for all new drivers,  not just teens!

Share your thoughts below.

Boo!

Hey,  this is Josh from Drive Happy wishing everyone a Happy Halloween!

Please be careful out on the roads today.  Watch for all those little ghouls and goblins.  Be especially careful in residential areas,  by slowing down,  and scanning those driveways for trick or treaters. We’ve got a poster from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to share with you today:

I think we all know that drinking and driving is really stupid.  Let’s also remember that NOT wearing your seat belt is also stupid.  Gory costumes are fun,  gory realities are not.  

For those parents who will be out with their kids tonight (like us),  here are a couple of quick tips:

• Stay on the sidewalk (where available) or,  as close to the edge of the road as possible.
• Cross the streets carefully at the corner
• Bring flashlights and try and use reflective clothing or reflective tape
• Keep your group together as much as possible
• Put one parent at the head of your trick or treater group,  and another behind to maximize safety

Alright everybody,  have a Happy Halloween!

The Drive Happy office will be closing 30 minutes early today,  so we can get our kids ready for trick or treating and our Halloween party!  We will of course still be answering the phone,  so give us a call at 951-805-8666.

Drive Happy!

From abc7.com:

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) – A 6th-grade girl was struck and killed on her way to school Wednesday. She was crossing the street in a crosswalk when she was hit.

The 11-year-old girl was crossing the street to Eleanor J. Toll Middle School in Glendale and she was hit just after 8 a.m. Wednesday. Witnesses say the crosswalk lights were flashing but the SUV driver didn’t stop.

The crosswalk lights were flashing.  More importantly,  there was a child in the crosswalk!  Too often we focus on arbitrary lights and signals,  ignorning the real dangers.

Here is what I think the most important sentence in the entire article:

The driver of the SUV was questioned by Glendale police but police say she was not impaired in any way and was not speeding so they’re treating it as an accident.

Are we trying to send the message that its OK to run over children, as long as your sober and going slowly?  

With the Presidential election in full swing,  and an international credit crunch  making headlines everyone is shouting “ACCOUNTABILITY!”

If we expect John McCain,  Barack Obama,  or the CEO of Merryl Lynch to be accountable for their actions, should we not expect the same for drivers?

A life has been lost.  Destroyed for no purpose.  Will we call this an unfortunate accident,  and walk away?  At the very least I think a thorough investigation of this driver is warranted.  

Perhaps a revocation of Driver License.  If the investigation uncovers negligence or carelessness, criminal charges are warranted.

Let’s stop the phony speeches and empty promises,  and practice what we all claim to believe. Accountability for everyone. If your actions lead to the death of another human being, you had better have a damn good reason for it. . .

Agree?
Disagree?
Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

From the California Office of Traffic Safety:

 

How often have you seen someone driving down the road that you were pretty sure was drunk, or at least driving dangerously?  Haven’t you said to yourself, “I wish a police officer was here to see this and pull this guy over!”

Now, you can be the one on the spot.  Now, as you travel California’s streets and highways, you can do something to help get drunk drivers off the road.

The Office of Traffic Safety, California Highway Patrol, and local law enforcement want everyone to drive safely and responsibly.  Always designate a sober driver, and if you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911. The public can use the emergency number to report and help the CHP identify drunk drivers before it is too late.

I could not agree with this campaign more.  Drunk drivers belong in jail.  Do your part,  pick up the phone and call 911.  If you can provide the CHP with a location and brief description of the vehicle, they will pull them over.

We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls from customers complaining about how long it takes to get an appointment at the DMV to take the permit test.  The average wait time right now is 3-4 weeks,  and we think that sucks.

But,  we do want everyone to know that you DO NOT need an appointment to take the written test!  In fact,  the DMV’s appointment system is so redundant that it really doesn’t save any time at all.  Government efficency at its finest!

Walk-in visitors are allowed to take the written test,  provided that they arrive before 4:30pm,  and they have the required documents. You can even use the DMV website to find out what the current wait time is at your local DMV!  (Click here for the current wait time at the Temecula DMV)

If you need to what the required documents are use the following links:

Teens (15 1/2 – 17 1/2)  Adults 17 1/2+

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill today banning texting while driving.  This bill closes a loophole in the current cell phone bill that bans holding the phone to your ear,  but somehow allows you to type into a tiny keyboard.  We always thought that this type of bad driving habit was reckless driving,  a law that has been on books for many years,  but apparently not.

The bill signed today will go into effect on January 1st of 2009.  The fine is $20 for the 1st offense and $50 for subsequent offenses.  So,  GET OFF UR FONE N DRIVE! LOL

One more thing,  if your under 18 years old,  texting and driving is already illegal.  It is covered under the teen cell phone law that went into effect July 1st of this year.  DUDE U R BUSTED!  ROFL!

Drive Happy!  

The California DMV requries all new drivers under the age of 18 to complete 50 hours of supervised practice with an adult 25 years or older before getting their California Driver License.  To help teens and parents log these hours we have created the free Drive Happy Practice log.  You may download this pdf document and print,  photocopy, fax,  and share it.

Download the free Drive Happy Practice Log here.  drive-happy-practice-log.pdf