Generally, when we learn to drive, it is in a somewhat controlled environment. Either you have a professional instructor or your parents who wait for perfect driving conditions before taking you out on the road. But there are times when we must adapt to our surroundings. Whether you are traveling down a quaint country road or dodging cabs on a busy city street, you always need to be focused.

Each kind of road can come with its own set of dangers. Rural roads are infamous for luring drivers into a false sense of security, yet 56 percent of the nation’s 37,261 traffic deaths in 2008 occurred on rural roads. And, if you’re from a city, you know how ominous city cabs and buses can be as they try to navigate the streets.

Wherever you may find yourself, here are some helpful tips on how to stay focused and avoid letting the road in certain regions get the better of you!

Rural Roads

• Rural roads are not limited-access freeways, so watch out for cross traffic and oncoming traffic.
• Be alert for roadside hazards, soft shoulders, ditches, etc.
• Watch out for farm machinery and other slow-moving vehicles.
• Country roads are infamous for unmarked field and farm driveways and entrances. Always keep a lookout for potential hazards like hidden driveways or farm field entrances, as they can become “instant intersections.”
• Avoid highway hypnosis at all costs! This phenomenon occurs when you’ve been driving for a long time down the same long stretch of road. Keep the radio on, listen to an audio book, or have a friend in the car keep you alert. Just don’t do any of these things to the point where you’re too distracted to drive!
• Just because it seems like there is no one on the road but you, speeding on rural roadways is extremely dangerous. Sharp turns, rolling hills, and poor visibility at night makes it imperative that you keep to the speed limit.
• Woodland creatures are always nice to see on the side of the road peacefully grazing or hopping around, but keep your eye out for road signs indicating that they might jump out into the road. Keep focused and drive the speed limit and everyone will get home safe.
• This should go without saying but BUCKLE UP! Drivers and passengers on rural roads are infamous for not fastening their seatbelts. In 2008 77 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who were totally ejected from their cars - because they weren’t wearing their seatbelts - were killed. This small step can save your life.
• Do you own a pick-up truck? Do you let your friends ride in the back without seatbelts? Well, STOP DOING THAT. According to 2008 data from the US Department of Transportation, pick-up truck drivers in rural areas accounted for 69 percent of passenger deaths on rural roads. If you value you friends, make sure everyone is buckled up and secure.

City Streets

• Leave yourself more than enough time to reach your destination. Traffic and congestion are unavoidable during certain times of the day, so take some extra time to plan out your trip.
• It pays to check ahead of time to see if construction has turned your chosen path into a virtual parking lot. Triangulating to your destination might be faster than doubling back on the highway.
• Let people in when they're changing lanes or merging into traffic. Don't take something irritating the driver does next to you personally.
• Don’t let cab drivers and buses freak you out. Stay calm and alert at all times and be prepared for them to swerve in and out of lanes. One way to avoid cabs is to stay in the left lane. Cabs will usually travel on the right so they can easily pick up passengers.
• When an emergency vehicle is flashing its lights and/or sounding its siren, state law requires all vehicles to move to the right and stop. This is true regardless of whether the vehicle is coming toward you or approaching from behind.
• Pick a lane and stick to it. Believe it or not, changing lanes frequently will get you there only a few seconds earlier, while greatly increasing your chance of a collision.
• Street parking is abysmal in big cities and since parking lot owners know this, they charge an arm and a leg. If you have to travel into a city, take the smallest car possible. Unless you’re traveling with a large group, a big car or truck will only limit the parking choices and make navigating narrow alleys difficult.
• Drive with mileage in mind. Don't speed up just to slow down. If you're bumper-to-bumper, improve your fuel economy by slipping the car into neutral instead of constantly riding the brake.
• Make your car crime-resistant. Try to park in an area that's well lit and has a lot of pedestrians nearby. If possible, put any valuables in the trunk before you park, so that no one is watching you stow your stuff curbside.

 

 

 

Teens Ride Smart: Tips on How to be A Good Passenger

Whether it’s your driver’s ed instructor, your very protective mother or TeensDriveSmart.com, you’re constantly getting pointers on how to be a safe driver and how to avoid distractions. But no one ever explains how we can get an A+ in “riding shotgun.” Your behavior as a passenger is just as important as the driver’s behavior behind the wheel. It’s your job to make sure the driver keeps his or her focus on the road and not on any other distractions that might come up, like a text message, phone call or an annoying song on the radio.

• Stay Out of the Way. You’ve experienced it before. You’re trying to look out of your right window for other cars, but your passenger’s head is obstructing the view. Be aware. There are so many other distractions drivers have to worry about, make sure you aren’t one of them.

• Buckle Up. Never make the driver ask you to wear your seatbelt; buckling up should be a habit, and in many states it’s “Click it or Ticket.” Don’t be the reason you’re friend gets pulled over by the police. Also if the driver isn’t wearing their seatbelt, be a dear and politely remind them “Seatbelt for safety!”

• Call Them Back. If you’re being loud and obnoxious on the phone, your driver may become heavily distracted by your phone conversation. It’s hard to tune out others because you’re both in an enclosed space. If you must take a phone call, keep your voice at a moderate tone, cut the call short and don’t discuss any juicy topics that may distract the driver.

• Designated Phone Person. The urge to multitask when driving is very strong. As a passenger combat the driver’s urge by doing whatever they need, in other words, be the DPP (Designated Phone Person). If they need a text message sent, directions from a Smartphone, a navigation system configured, a phone call answered or someone to DJ, you’re there to help. Again, it’s your job to do anything to ensure the driver’s eyes remain on the road.

• Don't Be A Drama Queen. Even the most attentive and patient drivers have had near misses on the road. When this happens, as a passenger you must remain calm and quiet. If the driver has a scare, refrain from screaming at the top of your lungs or grabbing your chest. Loud sudden noises, gasping for breath or sudden movements can scare the driver and exacerbate a close call. In addition to not screaming in response to some scary maneuvering, criticizing can be very unnerving to drivers. If you note something the driver could do to improve his or her skills, save it until you’ve reached your destination.

• My Car, My Rules. You may want to blast that new Lady Gaga single because it totally rocks, but loud music makes it difficult for a driver to be aware of the cars around him. Just because you’re goo-goo for Gaga doesn’t mean the driver is. Getting into a music selection war while on the road is never a safe or smart thing to do. What the driver wants, the driver gets.

We know how it goes. Your grandmother in Florida watched a news segment on the state’s teen driving laws; she immediately calls your mom to tell her what you can and can’t do behind the wheel. Meanwhile, your aunt in Washington beeps in on the other line. She informs your mom about the state’s teen driving laws when your older cousin started driving three years ago.  And now your entire family is confused because you’ve heard two different stories and don’t live anywhere near Florida or Washington.  Awesome.

What’s the law in Missouri? Illinois? New Mexico? Indiana? New York? Well, Teens Drive Smart to the rescue. Our new interactive map allows you to click on your state and we’ll direct you to your state’s official site for teen driving laws.  There’s nothing like having the straight up facts.

A contract where you don’t need a lawyer?! Imagine that.

• Step one: Download the parent and teen contracts.
• Step two: find a parent/guardian, a teen, a pen and two open minds.
• Step three: Add, edit and agree to the terms of the contract.
• Step four: Commit yourself to being a safe driver.
• Step five: Follow through.

	Download Teen Contract
	Download Parent Contract

Program Objectives

• Inform students through various forms of communication about the dangers of distracted driving.
• Provide students with tips and suggestions on how they can avoid distractions behind the wheel and keep their attention on the road.
• Provide suggestions to school administrators on how to best teach students about distracted driving behaviors.

How To Use This Program

High school students are constantly being pulled in several different directions at once, and as an educator, you only have a limited amount of classroom time. That’s why this program has been designed for use mainly outside of the classroom — in hallways, cafeterias, on bulletin boards and during pep rallies. This program also hopes to inspire administrators and students to use the free resources available at Teens Drive Smart.com to create their own safe driving campaigns. While designed for use outside the classroom, we hope you recognize this program’s potential to be implemented in everyday lessons. It is for this reason that we have included a math section with high school-level word problems in hopes that while you are teaching our teens the art of numbers, you may also teach them the art of safe driving.

You are more than welcome to copy and distribute these activities as many times as you like, however, we expressly prohibit commercial resale of our materials.

Target Audience

This program has been specially designed to reach high school students, grades 9-12.

Program Objectives

• To acquaint students with the concept of distracted driving and what it looks like.
• To demonstrate how best to talk about distracted driving with parents and older siblings/family members.
• To inform students on the dangers of distracted driving through statistics gathered from top research institutes and studies.

How To Use This Program

Use this program any way that best suits your classroom needs. Math class? Combine this program with a lesson on statistics or percentages. Health class? The materials are applicable on lessons regarding injury prevention and risk behavior. Maybe you’re teaching social studies? Discuss the impacts of technology on our society and warn about the dangers of using a cell phone behind the wheel.

You are more than welcome to copy and distribute these activities as many times as you like, however, we expressly prohibit commercial resale of our materials.

Target Audience

This program has been designed for students in junior high school, grades 6-8.

Dear Educator,

With so many gadgets available for our vehicles, it is easy to see how one might become distracted while driving. Moreover, an increase in the number of gadgets increases the risk of injury or even death due to distracted driving.

Teens Drive Smart, a teen driving safety education program presented by Bridgestone, believes that safe driving behaviors are learned years before a driver sits behind the wheel. As an educator, you are in the best possible role to illustrate to students what distracted driving looks like and to start conversations about safe driving practices.

We know you have a limited amount of classroom time, but we believe it is important to make time to discuss the growing epidemic of distracted driving. Consider the alternative: not helping your students understand the perils of distracted driving during their most formative years is a missed opportunity to teach them to make smarter decisions once they have become licensed drivers and beyond.

And we’re hoping to make it even easier for you to introduce this discussion topic into your lesson plans by providing the classroom materials. By helping to educate students about the dangers of distracted driving now, you may help save lives later!

Dan MacDonald and Angela Patterson Sikes
Driver safety education directors
Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

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Driving is a privilege, not a right. State driving laws are clear representations of that mantra. These laws and restrictions are set up to make sure that our teens leave and return home safely while gaining the driving experience they need. Check out our map to see what the exact teen driving laws are in your state.

Below are just some of the consequences to consider if your teen violates their provisional license, learner’s permit, or graduated driver’s license (GDL). Take some time to go over the various offenses and possible outcomes with them.

• In some states, violating a provisional license or learners permit can come with a monetary fine of at least $100.
• Other states also require teens in violation of their license complete upwards of eight hours of community service.
• Depending on the kind of license your state has for new teens, violations can result in extensions to probationary periods or full license suspension.

You can’t teen-proof your neighborhood, and you can’t put extra thick foam padding on your sedan. Though just by talking to your teen about the dangers and consequences of unsafe driving habits you will help them think before they answer the phone on the freeway or decide to speed on a residential street. And that saves lives.

Start these conversations early, have them often, know the issues surrounding teen driver safety, and never stop educating your teen or yourself.

Sometimes, we all just have “one of those days.” You have been there – running late, spilled coffee on your work shirt, car keys somehow seem to have magically disappeared, left the iron on and have to run back in the house. So, you decide to speed in an effort to get to work on time. Or maybe you’re just in a bad mood and don’t realize how heavily your foot is pushing on the gas pedal. Maybe you decide to speed up and swerve in front of a particularly slow driver just to get to the red light first. Your teens see this behavior, and chances are your teens will emulate it, too.

Teenage boys have been infamously known to blow off some teenage male angst by grossly exceeding the speed limit, but don’t think your little princesses aren’t doing it, too. Oh yes, parents. A 2010 Allstate Foundation study shows that 47 percent of girls now admit to speeding more than 10 mph above the limit, versus 36 percent of boys. While your little girl may harbor an ambition to be the next Danica Patrick, speeding off the racetrack should never be allowed.

• Speeding tickets in most states range from $200-$500. Make it clear to your teen that if they are issued such a ticket, you will not be paying for it. Based on the circumstances of the incident, this may just be the first of the consequences.
• Most teens don’t know that speeding can be considered reckless driving, and that comes with a hefty fine and the possibility of imprisonment.
• Lead by example. Stick to the speed limit yourself and show your teens that racing up to the red light doesn’t get you anywhere, any faster.

As your teens travel through the murky marshes of adolescence, they will inevitably be faced with a beer bottle or mixed drink. The best way to prevail over peer pressure is to make sure your kids know that if they want certain privileges they must act responsibly. Under no circumstances should a teen drive drunk or engage in underage drinking. Ever. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk about it, though.

According to Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), 52 percent of teens say their parents are either “very” or “extremely” influential when it comes to their driving behaviors. SADD also found that teens whose parents talk to them about drinking are 12 percent less likely to drink "regularly" than teens who do not talk to their parents about drinking. Further, the data suggests teens drink and drive less - by 8 percent - if they have a conversation with their parents about underage drinking and its consequences.

• Make sure your teen knows that if he or she ever feels unable to drive, no matter what the situation, to always call you instead of getting behind the wheel or in another car.
• Set a curfew and stick to it.
• Set up a texting ritual. Make sure your kids understand that they don’t have to call you in front of their friends. A quick text message will let you know that they have arrived to their destination safely or are about to head home. Remind your teen that this text should never be sent while your teen is behind the wheel.
• If you notice your teen acting weird when they get home, wait until the morning to bring it up. Approach your teen when you have both calmed down and are able to rationally talk about his or her night. Let your teen know that you knew that he or she was around alcohol, and while you’re disappointed, you’re more worried about the behavior than mad (even if you’re the opposite). This level of understanding will make your teen feel safe to open up to you, and will allow you to have a deeper discussion about the consequences of drinking and driving.
• Take away car privileges if problems persist. If your teen breaks curfew or forgets to text you, take the keys away. Illustrate what it would be like if they had been pulled over by a police officer and their license had been suspended.