Spiel

44 JUNE 2013 Children have an innate passion for learning, especially for learn- ing about things they care about. For the 12 to 16 age group, there are few things they care about more than getting their driver's license as soon as they are eligible. In this article I will present a way to get your motivated teen working on important driving skills so that, when they do get behind the wheel, they already have many of the observational skills of an experienced driver. I came to this plan because my neighbors' son, Andrew, will be getting his license in a year. While his dad will be teaching him the basics, I volunteered to give him additional seat time once he has a learner's permit. I started to make a list of topics which I could work on as we drove. I was shocked by how many things I came up with which experienced drivers do routinely. Good drivers are constantly observing and evaluating dozens of things both inside and outside the car. I decided that my student should start working on situational awareness -and be good at it- before he ever got behind the wheel. I made up the checklist at the end of this article. Over a period of weeks, I intend to go over the meaning of each item. Then I want Andrew to practice them every time he rides along as a passenger. I want him to get in the habit of focusing on the important things and ignoring the scenery, the song on the radio, or the cute girl walking down the sidewalk. I'll tell his dad that Andrew has no business driving until he's good at situational awareness. I want those things to be second nature by the time he's trying to learn steering, speed maintenance, and braking. I invite you to critique my plan and my list. Tell me what I should add. Please keep in mind that this is a list to remind the student of what the teacher has already described in detail. I'm eager to hear from parents who try it with their child. Please email me at falk.robert@paideiaschool.org. If your child is already driving, be sure to sign them up for the Street Survival teen driving course: www.streetsurvival.org. The next one in our area, sponsored by SCCA, is tentatively scheduled for November. APPROACHING THE CAR Tires, wet spot under car, dirt on lights, dirty windows, suspicious persons nearby. BEFORE YOU START THE CAR Lock doors, seat position, mirrors and steering wheel set correctly, objects on floor, objects blocking your view, all passengers wearing seatbelts. AFTER STARTING THE CAR Fuel gauge, warning lights, oil pressure, strange sounds, unusual steering response, car feels "wrong". GPS set before you start driving. YOUR LOCAL AREA Most accidents occur within 5 miles of home. As you drive, learn the trouble spots you encounter frequently: blind curve or driveway, hole in road, car-chasing dog, etc. Pay special attention as you drive through those areas. AS YOU DRIVE LOOK AHEAD. LOOK AHEAD. LOOK AHEAD! ( It's too late to do anything by the time a problem is right in front of your car.) Where will you be in 7 to 10 seconds?) Check mirrors every 5 to 7 seconds, NO CELL PHONES OR HANDS- FREE PHONES, watch gauges and warning lights, control distracting passengers. (Teens have 85% more accidents than adults. With three friends in the car, it goes up to 182% more accidents.) 4-second rule. WEATHER Has it been raining less than 1/2 hour? Has it been below 37 in the past few hours? Are you driving toward a patch of road which seldom gets direct sun? Snow, rain, ice, side wind, blinding sun, fog ahead? Outdriving your headlights? ROAD SURFACE Going over bridge in cold weather. Gravel, oil, or sand on road? Vehicle ahead leaking something? Possible gravel on road from construction site or from gravel side-road ahead. Standing water. Water rushing across road. Possible deep water. Debris on edge of driving surface. Low or soft shoulder. High curb. Severe dip where driveway joins road. Reverse camber on turn or on road you are turning on to? SIGNS Speed limit, warning, info, school zone, deer crossing. VEHICLES OR ANIMALS Ahead, behind, beside. Precarious load on vehicle ahead. Deer, elk, etc are herd animals; if you see one, there are others. OTHER DRIVERS Angry. Erratic Tailgating you. Driver in front of you tailgating the car in front of him. YOUR MIND AND BODY Are you losing concentration. Sleepy? Daydreaming. Angry or upset? Trying to show off? Taking chances because you are in a hurry? GIVEN WHAT YOU ARE OBSERVING, WHAT CAN HAPPEN AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT? building safe-driving skills in kids too young to drive article By roBert faulK

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