Why We Started DrivingMBA

By maria | Published: May 15, 2012

There was an incident in New Zealand that was highlighted on many publications/websites. It involved Boston University students engaged in a Study-Abroad experience, riding in a loaded minivan, with the tragic outcome of loss of control, resulting in needless loss of life.  Click here for the story.

Many will say that the foolishness of the individuals that may have been riding in the vehicle without a seat belt was the cause of deaths. While this might be true, the root cause was the loss of control of the vehicle in the first place.

We will never know what exactly happened to cause the vehicle to drift off the roadway. What is very apparent is the results of an attempt to correct the situation that was unsuccessful.

We started DrivingMBA after reading about several fatal collisions due to loss of control within a very short time span in our school district. We are convinced that in the vast majority of cases of loss of control, the driver is simply unprepared for the event, leading to taking the wrong action.

That is exactly why airline pilots train on simulators: learn how to handle the highly unusual but possible events that are potentially fatal. Sully successfully putting the airliner down on the Hudson was the result of having practiced landing the aircraft without power hundreds of times on a simulator.

We expose our students to events and situations that hopefully will never occur on the road, but if it does, we know that they will not be ad-libbing at highway speeds without a clue as to the proper response.

Is it a vastly superior way of preparing for eventualities that might never occur? The airlines seem to think so, and the loss of life due to pilot error is dwarfed by the continued carnage on our nation’s roads.

We as a nation need to experience a change of sentiment with respect to the acceptance of over 30,000 lives lost annually that could be reduced dramatically if only we addressed the root cause: poorly equipped and trained drivers.

 

Posted in Driver Training | Leave a comment

Space Management – A Key to Defensive Driving

By maria | Published: April 16, 2012

Managing space is key to being a defensive driver. In order for any driver to be able to react to situations that come up it is important to have space around your vehicle – front, back and on the sides, if possible. The most critical space is the space you leave between you and the vehicle in front of you. In the State of Arizona the recommended space rule is 3 to 6 seconds, in other States it is 2 to 4 seconds.  In my opinion MORE is always better. How do you measure seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you? While following at a constant distance, identify a stationary object like a sign or a tree and wait until the vehicle in front of you has passed that object and count one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand until your vehicle comes to the object.  Remember that speed matters — the faster you are travelling, the more space you need to maintain that cushion.

It is particularly important for a young driver to know how much space they have in front of them and to maintain a minimum of 4 seconds. The reason is simple: if anything out of the ordinary happens, and it does on a pretty regular basis, they will need enough space to see it, decide what to do and then execute their decision.  All of this happens quickly, and with little space it is virtually impossible to avoid a collision.

Some people will say, “it isn’t possible to leave space when there is heavy traffic.” I would beg to differ with you. Whenever I am on the road I constantly “test” what we “preach” and I am here to tell you that it is possible. Do people cut in? Sometimes, but not as often as you would think AND when I leave more space between myself and the person in front of me, the person behind me tends to widen their space between their car and mine – it is a win-win all around.

It is also important to maintain a much larger space cushion when driving in inclement weather such as rain, snow or ice. The rule is to reduce your speed by at least 1/3 of the posted speed limit and maintain a larger space cushion. When driving larger vehicles such as trucks or SUV’s more space is required to stop those vehicles. Remember, for novice drivers, bigger is not necessarily better. Large vehicles are difficult to control and stop for a novice driver. A regular sized sedan, with a small engine and safety features is a good choice, if possible.

How do you get space behind you? One of the strategies I mentioned above: the more space you leave, the more likely the person behind you will leave more space as well. Use your signals when you are going to lane change or turn. It is how you communicate your intentions to other drivers. Covering the brakes is another strategy, where you place your foot lightly on the brake pedal without applying any pressure.  The brake lights will go on and it signals the driver behind you that you are slowing down. Be careful not to apply pressure and actually brake, particularly if someone is very close to you, because if they are not paying close attention they may hit you from behind.

Teach your new driver to be aware of what is going on around them at all times. Driving in the right lane where they have a shoulder as an option and where they can maintain the speed limit is a good place for them to drive.  Just remember space will ALWAYS be your friend and you will find once you get into the habit of maintaining a safe space cushion, it will become second nature to you no matter what the traffic conditions.

We have specific exercises included in our Defensive Driving curriculum which demonstrate all these points.  If you don’t believe that you need that much space, give us a call and we will be happy to demonstrate why even you, as a seasoned driver, need to maintain a lot more space than what standard practice on our roads seems to be.

Posted in Driver Training | Leave a comment

Drinking and Driving – A Deadly Combination

By maria | Published: March 16, 2012

The article below is featured in the Spring 2012 MASK Magazine.

The danger of driving while under the influence of alcohol is widely known. General awareness and stiffer laws have increased significantly over the years. Here are some statistics that relate specifically to teenagers:

• One in five teens binge drink

• Only 1 in 100 parents believes his or her teen binge drinks

• Teen alcohol use kills about 6000 people each year

• Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and one out of three of those is alcohol related

It is a crime for a person under the age of 21 years old to operate or be in actual physical control of a motor vehicle while there is any “spiritual liquor” in their body. That means zero is the acceptable limit for a teenager. There has been a great deal of information sensitizing the public and in particular the teenage population about the dangers of drinking and driving and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has been instrumental in this effort. MADD is an organization that began with a mother who lost her child to a drunk driver. Today, MADD is a major force in getting legislation passed to strengthen DUI policies in all states.

Why a 21-year-old age limit? The age limit for alcohol is based on research that shows that young people react differently to alcohol. Teens get drunk twice as fast as adults but they also have more trouble knowing when to stop. Teens naturally overdo it and binge more often than adults.

My message is always the same to parents – you are a role model to your children. It is important, no matter what the behavior, whether it is the use of a cell phone while driving or drinking and driving, to remember that your teenagers take their cues from you. If you don’t want them to drink and drive, then you need to examine your own behavior. Do you have a couple of drinks and get behind the wheel of a car? Don’t assume that because your teenager is a “good kid” that they won’t drink and drive or get in the car with someone who has been drinking.

Have conversations about these important topics with your kids. Be clear about the rules in your household, what the consequences are for breaking the rules, and most importantly be prepared to follow-through on the consequences. Teenagers will push the envelope and they will learn very quickly whether they have to toe the line and follow the rules or whether breaking the rules means a “warning” and no real consequences. Remember, your role is to be their parent; they don’t need you as a friend. They need you to set boundaries and help them navigate the tumultuous adolescent years.

 

Posted in Driver Training | Leave a comment

GHSA Reports Teen Driver Fatalities are on the Rise

By maria | Published: February 19, 2012

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) recently published a study that indicates that after an 8-year downward trend, teen traffic fatalities are on the rise across the country. The increase in numbers is not huge, but in my book, a few more teenage deaths are not to be taken lightly.

It has been my experience that there is almost “an acceptance” that “some teenagers” are going to die behind the wheel because they are teenagers. On the flip side of that, there are parents that choose to believe “not my kid.” First of all, “accepting” the fact that teenagers are going to die on our roadways is ludicrous and unfortunately it happens to SOMEONE’S kid every day. In fact it happens to approximately 10 to 15 families every single day.

In the GHSA study it cites Graduated Driver License (GDL) laws as one of the reasons why teenage fatalities have been on the decline. We at DrivingMBA support GDL’s. Some are better than others. Stuart Goodman, who lobbied for Arizona’s law in 2007 says, “we are in the middle of the pack” in comparison to other states. We also believe that GDL laws fall short and have a potential negative effect. In most states GDL’s only place restrictions on drivers under the age of 18. Once a teenager turns 18 GDL laws don’t apply. Why does that matter? It matters because those teens that wait can go to the MVD, take the written test AND the skills test with no training or holding period required.

No matter what age you begin to learn to drive, there is a process involved in developing the necessary skills. It only BEGINS with knowing, and more importantly understanding the rules of the road. There are basic skills that need to be developed such as hand and foot control, steering, lane position, making right and left turns, and managing space and speed. These while important, are not the only indications whether a student is ready to be on the road on their own. Their ability to scan and notice potential hazards, develop a plan and execute their plan in a matter of seconds is an essential skill. Their ability to make quick judgments is essential. They also need to learn that no matter what type of vehicle or “how good” their skills, the vehicle they are driving and they themselves have limitations. A parent will know their teenager is ready to be licensed when they can sit in the passenger seat and read a book and feel comfortable with their teen’s ability – not before.

I tell my students and our parents – I do not care how old your student is, or that their friends have their license or that you need them to have a license to make your life easier – what I CARE about is that your teenager is ready for the responsibility of driving. That means developing all the skills I talked about above as well as having a mature and responsible attitude toward driving.  Otherwise, they need to keep practicing.

Click on the following link to download the GHSA Teen Study

 

Posted in Driver Training | Leave a comment

Changing the Driving Culture

By maria | Published: January 19, 2012

It is that time of year again when state legislators come together and hundreds of bills are drafted and pushed through the process.  This year in Arizona, State Senator John McComish is sponsoring a bill that would ban wireless devices in the cars of new drivers.  While I have been accused of being a zealot about the topic of cell phone use in vehicles, I am not in favor of this particular bill.  If we are going to ban cell phones, then they need to be banned for ALL drivers, not just teenagers.  I am on the road every day and I see people crossing the white or yellow line and MOST of the time they are on a cell phone.

If we were being honest, we know for a FACT that it is NOT just teens that are driving recklessly with eyes on their phones instead of the road.  Are they the most “at risk?”  Absolutely.   They are novice drivers and it is of utmost importance for them to be focused on the road, but it does not alleviate the need for them to have good role models in the adults in their lives, or to change the mentality of drivers of all ages.  Legislation is not the answer to this problem.  I am always for traffic safety legislation, stiffer penalties and making the laws stronger, but laws in and of themselves will not change the cavalier attitude people have about driving.

Click here to take an interesting awareness test.  Our brains are JUST not wired to pay attention to multiple things.  When we are driving, no matter what age we are, we need to stay focused on the road and what is going on around us.  When did our vehicles become our entertainment centers or our offices?  The fact that cars sell based on electronic packages and not safety features is pretty telling in and of itself.  So, of course, car manufacturers are giving the customers what they want – all the latest technology and bells and whistles they could possibly dream of.  The Detroit Auto Show is going on this week and in a recent article in the Detroit Free Press, young drivers said they wanted “a smartphone on wheels.”

While there is a concerted effort to make the electronics “less distracting” they are a distraction in that they take our ATTENTION away from driving.  It is a split second when something happens that we are not prepared for and someone’s life changes forever.  Why is it no one seems to get this and more importantly why don’t people care?  I believe the answer to that question is because it hasn’t happened to them, and my reaction is, how selfish we have become.  Read this open letter from someone that it did happen to.  She didn’t expect it either, but yet it happened to her because someone else was distracted behind the wheel of a car.  Is that the ONLY way people are going to “get it?”  If it happens to them?  How unfortunate for all of us.

Posted in Distracted Driving | Leave a comment

NTSB Urges Ban on Cell Phone Use While Driving

By maria | Published: December 17, 2011

YouTube Preview ImageThe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending a national ban on cell phone use while driving.  I recently posted this message on DrivingMBA’s facebook page and the comments I received were in favor of the idea.  There are concerns as to the difficulty in enforcing this law.  What do you think?

Those of you that are engaged with DrivingMBA know my position on cell phone use while driving.  I have been accused of being “over the top” on it.  The reason is pretty simple.  I am an owner of DrivingMBA, and because of that I have come to know and become friends with people who have suffered the consequences of car crashes.  In our December issue of the DrivingMBA/Red Means Stop newsletter you will read what Frank Hinds wrote 15 years after his daughter, Jennifer, was killed by a red light runner.

I know and have come to consider Frank and his wife Gail, friends. It breaks my heart every time I hear Frank talk about his daughter; and Gail, she doesn’t talk about it much, as I suspect it is too painful. I have a daughter of my own, and cannot even begin to fathom what that pain would be like.  Jennifer didn’t die because of cell phone use.  She died because someone ran a red light. Guess what folks?  Red light running often occurs because someone is distracted.  In my opinion, being on the phone, only makes the probability that much higher.

All of us have been in our vehicles and watch people crossing the white or yellow lines and invariably, if you look over at them, they are on a cell phone. You see, MOST people that engage in the activity think, “I can do it and it is not a problem.”  The truth is “you can’t” and you are being irresponsible when you make the choice to use your cell phone and drive.  If you have children and you use your cell phone while you are driving you are setting a horrible example and you are putting your children at risk.  It is really no different than if you chose to drink and drive, as the results are often the same.  Distracted driving, and particularly being distracted by texting or talking on a cell phone has become an epidemic.

There are thousands of families across the globe that have fallen victim to distracted driving. I can’t think of a single phone call or text message that is worth inflicting that kind of pain on someone or on your own family.  Can you?

Posted in Distracted Driving | 2 Comments

Why We Should Lower the Minimum Age For Getting a Permit (and Get Parents to Participate in Teaching Life Skills)

By maria | Published: December 5, 2011

by Rich Wojtczak

Many of the so-called experts are advocating that getting a permit to begin driver training should be delayed, some even suggesting 17 as the minimum age. Their arguments typically center around immaturity. While I agree that there are some teens that lack the desired level of maturity at 15, the same unfortunately is also true for some adults over the age of 35.

By delaying the start of training we are most likely reducing the amount of time that a teen gets to practice under the watchful eye of a responsible adult. In fact, if we do nothing but increase the minimum age, we stand a good chance of giving the teen a reason to simply delay licensing beyond the GDL window, which studies show is already happening. There are a growing number of teens that are not pursuing a driver license when they are eligible.

A better approach would be to issue the permit at 15, and increase the holding period to a year, or even longer. Along with that, should be a requirement, similar to what Texas has implemented, that requires driver training until the age of 25.

Parents need to understand the consequences of delaying the initiation of their child into the world of motor vehicle operation. They are pretty much abdicating their chance to influence how much and what quality training their child gets in a life skill.

The financial burden of having a teen driver on your insurance is huge. The cost of high quality training is not a drop in the bucket. Parents need to balance that against the value of putting a well trained and prepared child on the road where a single mistake can mean injury or death.

How much did the football, cheerleading, dance, soccer, baseball, basketball training cost? Was the consequence of inadequate training potentially death at an early age?

 

 

Posted in Driver Training | Leave a comment

Technology and the Skill of Driving

By maria | Published: November 19, 2011

I attended a conference last week and one of the topics discussed was technology in vehicles. I was flabbergasted at the amount of technology that is in many vehicles today and the kind of technology that is being developed for the future.  The younger generation really doesn’t care about the vehicles or the safety features; what matters to them is the electronics available in those vehicles.  According to the studies, it is the electronic packages that sell vehicles these days.  While it is exciting and amazing how far we have come in technological advances, it is also troublesome to me. I continue to wonder what are we doing to the human capacity to think and do for ourselves.

It really struck me when I was in the restroom and was trying to get the faucet to go on because it had one of those sensors that make the faucet turn on by itself. Of course, it wasn’t working properly or I wasn’t placing my hands in the right place, but I looked over at the woman next to me and said, “I hate these things that are supposed to do things for you. “ While I am sure there is a legitimate argument about hygiene when it comes to turning the water on and off manually, because, of course, the sensors allow the water to turn on without you having to touch anything, but really, “mother I would rather do it myself!” I feel that way when I am typing and all of a sudden the computer starts to correct my grammar or my sentence structure. Personally, I prefer to read and re-read what I have written and make sure it says what I want it to say and how I want to say it. I really don’t want to rely on the technology to do that thinking for me.

I own a driving school that utilizes state of the art technology to assist in the training of novice drivers, so I do not have an aversion to technology – it certainly has its place, but there is a key word I want to highlight, and that is the word ASSIST.   As much as I believe in the power of technology to improve many aspects of our lives, I simply do not believe that technology should replace our ability or capacity “to do” and much more importantly “to think.”  Even in our business, we use the simulation technology to assist in the training process, it does not replace an instructor that interacts and helps a student through the learning process.

There are all types of technology that go into vehicles. The functions range from full entertainment to navigation to safety features. Below are some of the “alphabet soup” safety features that are in vehicles today:

  • ABS – anti-lock braking system. When your wheels lock up on wet and slippery roads or during a panic stop, you may lose traction and control, causing your vehicle to spin. Anti-lock brakes keep your wheels from locking up, so you can maintain directional control around hazards if you can’t make a complete stop in time.
  • Cruise Control – a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver. Some vehicles are equipped with ASC – Adaptive Speed Control that has a sensor and will adapt to the speed of the vehicle in front of you.
  • ESC – Electronic Stability Control has been mandated by the government and will be in all 2012 model year vehicles. ESC is a vehicle control system comprised of sensors and a microcomputer that continuously monitors how well a vehicle responds to a driver’s steering input, selectively applies the vehicle brakes, and modulates engine power to keep the vehicle traveling along the path indicated by the steering wheel position. This technology helps prevent the sideways skidding and loss of control that can lead to rollovers.
  • LDWS – Lane Departure Warning System is a mechanism designed to warn a driver when the vehicle begins to move out of its lane (unless a turn signal is on in that direction) on freeways and arterial roads.

Many of these technologies and more are designed to make vehicles safer and/or easier, however, the negative side is over dependence on the technology to correct our errors. It is still important for people to learn to be safe and responsible drivers.   At the end of the day we are still the ones in control of that machine.  Technology is not foolproof, it can fail, and if it does, we need to be able to “do it” on our own.

It is also important to know what your vehicle is equipped with and how the technology works. I hear interesting stories from people who have some of the new technologies in their vehicle and are surprised when something happens that they didn’t expect.  Reading the owners manual is becoming more and more important as vehicles are equipped with more bells and whistles. Unfortunately, when we work with new drivers most of them do not even know what braking system their vehicle is equipped with; while most new vehicles are equipped with ABS brakes, there are some that are not. It is particularly important to know how things work, even entertainment or navigation equipment before you start driving, as it is NOT a good idea to be trying to figure things out while driving.

 

Posted in Driver Training | Leave a comment

Making a Difference, One New Driver at a Time

By maria | Published: October 21, 2011

As seen on cover of Arizona Parenting Magazine

Hmmmm, why would I want to spend money on driver training? My grandpa taught me how to drive, I can teach my kid myself. Why would I spend so much money on a “video game?” Why would we do simulation – they need to “feel” the car and get “real” experience. Yes, I have heard this and much more.

November of this year will mark DrivingMBA’s 8th year in business in Scottsdale and 4th year in Chandler. To be honest, it has been a struggle. My husband and I started this company in response to the senseless deaths we watched happening in our hometown of Scottsdale. 2002-2003 were particularly harsh years and 9 teenagers lost their lives in Scottsdale to driving collisions. We started out with the naïveté of entrepreneurs – “we will build it and they will come.” Well, we quickly learned that that wasn’t happening, so we listened and started down a path of change.

When we first started we saw ourselves as an important complement to traditional driver training and then quickly realized that customers really wanted a one-stop solution for their driver training needs. Our solution early in the process was to partner with existing driving schools and we learned a great deal from several years of offering packages utilizing a combination of our simulation services and the on-road services from another driving school. In 2007, when we opened Chandler, we were literally forced into providing everything under the DrivingMBA umbrella. It was the best thing that happened to us and we saw a real shift in our enrollments.

Through the years we have received countless testimonials from parents and students that have told us how much they appreciated what we did and the difference it made for them. When we would receive an e-mail from a mom about how their daughter or son averted a crash we were absolutely delighted and it would fuel us to keep moving forward.

As I said above, it has been a struggle. We continue to look for ways to educate parents and teenagers about the issues that surround teen drivers. Of course, we are extremely tuned into the local and national news on this subject and there has been a great deal of emphasis placed on the fact that car collisions are the #1 cause of death for teenagers. Those numbers supersede the #2 and #3 reasons, which are suicide and homicide by a large margin. We strongly believe that we are “part” of the solution. For those of you that know us personally, you understand that we have a sometimes-consuming passion for keeping teens safe on the road.

We have tough recommendations such as 100 hours of practice before they get a license, and no passengers for the first year of licensure. We have a tough road test and set a high bar for students in order to get a certificate for their license from DrivingMBA. While our pass rate is very good, we have a number of students that don’t pass the first time. Not because we’re mean or we like failing them, because we don’t – we actually hate it. We do it because we believe, at our core, that it is the absolute right thing to do. We can look ourselves in the mirror and we can sleep at night knowing we did what was in the best interest of that student.

So why would you choose DrivingMBA over a school that does classroom and on-road instruction or a program that does closed course defensive maneuvers? The reason, we believe, is simple. We have researched and continued to refine our instruction methodology and curriculum to meet the needs of individual students. We think of the “seat time” in simulators as a lab where students are not sitting listening to an adult drone on and on about what they should and should not do. Instead they are experiencing the scenario in a simulated environment where they can learn from their mistakes. Making a mistake on a simulator costs nothing. Press replay and ask questions: what could you have done differently? What did you do wrong? That is how a student experiences a potentially dangerous situation and discovers how to handle it in a safe environment. I always compare it to pilot training. Do you think you have ever been on a plane with a captain or co-captain that has not spent a significant amount of time in a simulator? Do you think they experienced an emergency landing for the first time in a real plane? I think not. So why is it so difficult to understand why the same principles apply to driving?

Several years ago we partnered with the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. Their 5 hour closed course teen program is part of our Elite package. When the Bondurant folks came to DrivingMBA they saw and experienced how simulation could teach students skills that even they could not teach in skid cars or in a closed course. Even on a closed course you cannot put students in situations such as head-on collision or a tire blow out at 65+ mph. The highest speed you can achieve in a skid car is 30 mph. Are closed course programs useful? Of course they are. AND, there is nothing like a simulated environment where you can face the unimaginable and live to learn from it. Driving on a freeway at 65 mph, having a student text the instructor and all of a sudden the vehicle in front of them comes to a screeching halt, is a teachable moment that does not present itself in any other medium.

How does DrivingMBA’s instruction methodology differ from other schools that might use simulators? Our ratio is 2:1 in our beginner program and 1:1 in our defensive driving program. We use the simulators as a tool to teach student skills, not as the teacher. Many other programs, particularly those found in high schools utilize lower level simulators and there is usually a large group of students on simulators. The teacher acts as a moderator of activity, not as a facilitator of learning. That is how our model differs. Our individualized approach provides an opportunity for the instructor to pay close attention to a student, make adjustments to meet the needs of that particular student and use the simulation as a tool to teach a skill or make a point.

Folks, if you have taken the time to read through this article, we would love to engage in dialogue with you. Respond to this blog and please like us on facebook click here and make comments. We post photos of our students, tips and educational videos – some that are fun and have a message as well. If you love what we do we would greatly appreciate a referral. Forward this to a family member or a friend that has someone that needs to learn to drive.

Thanks for taking the time to read our story. We will continue to do the work we do because we know in our hearts that we are making a difference, one new driver at a time.

 

Posted in Simulation | Leave a comment

7 Simple Steps to Teaching Your Teen To Drive — NOT

By maria | Published: September 25, 2011

There are no “easy steps” or “10 tips” about how to educate and train a novice driver. Why is it we have to reduce everything to the top 5 reasons, or the 7 tips or 12 steps to do ANYTHING? Whatever happened to recognizing that each of us is a unique individual and we learn and process information differently? Sure we can make generalizations, we have to in order to navigate the world, but in the end, each individual’s own needs and style have to be taken into account. That is certainly true when it comes to teaching someone to drive. There are students that are considered the “norm” and then there are others that are the “exceptions” to the norm. If you really think about it, the exceptions are much more prevalent than the norm. Do you have a student that:

  • Is bright, takes honors or advanced classes in school or just excels academically?
  • Struggles and just can’t keep up no matter how hard they try?
  • Is difficult to motivate and challenge to do and be their best?
  • Has a learning challenge – ADD, ADHD, on the Autism spectrum, OCD, Anxiety disorder, brain injury, Bi-polar?

Obviously, this list can go on, but to make my point, let me just say, that if you have a student that falls into any one of those categories there is a lot to be considered when teaching that particular student how to drive.

How does age play into the equation? I live in the State of Arizona, and in this state a teenager is “eligible” for their learner’s permit at 15 years and 6 months. In other states it may be 15 or 17. Are any of these the “right age?” My answer is – there is “no right age.” There are behaviors and abilities that need to be taken into account. Do they have a level of maturity to comprehend the magnitude of responsibility driving a vehicle entails? Do they have the ability to develop the “basic skills” of vehicle control, lane position, and making left or right turns? Do they have the ability to develop the judgment and decision making skills that will allow them to react properly in any given situation?

How long is long enough for them to “hold a learners permit? In the State of Arizona it is six months. In other states it may be longer. Is there a right number? Again, my answer is – no, it depends on the circumstances. Does your student fall into the “norm” or are they an “exception?” If they fall into the “exceptions” then they will most likely take longer, maybe even years before they are ready to solo. If they have really busy schedules, they may take longer because they can’t take the necessary time to practice. Does their coach (usually the parent) have the ability to dedicate the time to practice with them? Just because you send them to driving school doesn’t mean you can wash your hands of any responsibility. Think of it in these terms – can your student attend a math class and not do their homework or practice a mathematical concept and then pass the test with an acceptable grade? Why would driving be any different?

Teaching someone to drive is a complex process in the best of circumstances. Why do we have the need to trivialize and make it seem easy? My answer is because it is what fits into our hectic life styles. Lack of time and energy is the excuse. “I don’t have time to take a class, “ I don’t have time to practice, they’ll learn on their own.” If either of these are you, then what I would say to you is – keep your child off the roads until you can make the time – the time to learn, the time to practice and the time to develop the appropriate skills to keep you and the rest of us alive. Visit our “Stop the Roadway Carnage” blog. It consists of newsfeeds regarding driving, and unfortunately, there is never a shortage of stories of fatalities and injuries around the United States. The only way we will change this trend is to get people to think differently about driving. It isn’t as easy as it looks. There are many factors that need to be taken into consideration and I have only scratched the surface in this article. I will elaborate on them in subsequent articles.

 

Posted in Driver Training | Leave a comment