Driving MBA

Is the Speed Limit a Law, or a Suggestion?

2010-02-06T21:18:00.002-07:00

The controversy over photo radar to enforce speed limits on AZ roads is heating up. One of the comments recently posted to a Tribune article follows:

"....... I drive 85 MPH all the time in the left lane. When I see the cameras, I slow down to 74 MPH for fifty feet or so and then speed up again. I don't tailgate, drink or talk on the phone while I drive; did I really endanger anyone? I think not. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a moron."

Does this person understand that at 85mph (criminal speed by AZ statute) the ability to react to sudden unexpected events, like maybe a vehicle braking suddenly, or losing control, is almost nonexistent?

Excessive speed results in vastly diminished ability to react to any sudden unexpected occurrence. Don't believe it? We have a simulation that will change your mind.

Come see us for a personal demonstration that the driver going 20mph or more over the speed limit is the real moron.

At the end of the day, who has the last say?

2009-10-05T09:15:00.001-07:00

When did it happen? When did we say it was
"ok" for coaches or band or drama directors
to run our children's lives? Often when I go
to church on Sunday and I listen to our
Pastor he talks about priorities in families.
His message is about the need to make faith
a priority in our children's lives because
often times games, or productions or what
have you, take priority over going to church
or participating in youth programs. I see it
every day when we have parents that sign
their teens up for driver training and get
totally frustrated because they can't find
enough time in a week to get "everything"
done. They can't make a class because their
football practice runs for six hours on a
Saturday or the coach called a last minute
practice and if the student has other
priorities and doesn't come - they'll get
kicked off the team. Really? Is this what
we want for our kids? The question keeps
coming up for me - why? Why do we, as their
parents, continue to allow this to happen?
Is it that we think they have a shot at a
sport's scholarship for college, or they
might make it in the big leagues, so we think
it's necessary? Or are we living vicariously
through our children and watching them out on
the field makes us feel good. What is it
that drives this behavior?

What concerns me most is the short cuts
parents take in order to "allow" this to
continue to happen. While I recognize the
need for students to be involved in
extra-curricular activities - must it take
over their lives? We know for a fact that
motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause
of death for teenagers, but when push comes
to shove do we choose sports practice over
driving practice, band camp over driving
lessons? Are we putting our kids out on the
road with little to no training and even less
practice because other things got in the way?
I am writing this article as a thought
provoker. Is this really what we want for
our kids? Have the coaches and directors
gone too far? If so, how do we get back to
what really IS "in the best interest of our
children?" How do they stay involved, but
also gain balance and focus on what is really
important? Parents, this is our job. Do you
really think that football, baseball,
basketball, cheer, band, drama, golf - you
name it is so critically important that it
MUST take precedence over anything else in
their lives? If this is how prioritizing
happens at this young and impressionable age,
what chance do they have for achieving a real
balance in life when they become adults and
one-day parents? Is this frenzied life what
we really want for our kids? I would welcome
dialogue on this topic.

Driving While Distracted (Anyone, Not Just Teens)

2009-08-24T17:49:00.014-07:00

A pretty intense PSA was produced in the UK targeting texting while driving. I’ve seen comments by well-intentioned folks suggesting that it is too graphic for teen consumption. I have a hard time understanding their logic. If you haven’t already seen the video, you can see it here:

Utah has also produced a lengthy video about texting while driving that is worth the time it takes to view it.

I’m not a great believer in showing graphic videos to teens as a means of convincing them not to take risks, or drive irresponsibly. Preaching abstinence just doesn’t work very well. That’s why I believe we should be banning all cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle. I also understand that this will probably not happen in my lifetime.

Trinity Noble has developed technology that will only prevent the driver from using a hand-held cell phone while the vehicle is in motion above 15mph. It will still allow calls using blue tooth hands-free units. It requires FCC approval in order to be legally installed in a vehicle.

Until we all realize that driving while distracted is dangerous, and change our behavior, the gruesome collision statistics will continue to pile up. No text message or call is so important that we should be risking the lives of others so that we can handle it. Yet that’s precisely what so many drivers today do, every day. How did we collectively develop such an inflated sense of importance?

Questions for Parents of Teens Getting Ready to Drive

2009-08-24T09:40:00.006-07:00

Are you the parent of a teen that’s at that magic age when he/she is eligible to begin driving? Here are a few questions that you should consider.

1. Is he/she mature enough for the responsibility?
This is the most important question that a parent needs to consider. Does your child exhibit sufficient self-control and maturity to handle the responsibility of being in control of a 2,000+ pound missile loaded with 10 to 30 gallons of explosive liquid? If you aren’t comfortable with your answer, then serious discussion between you and your teen should occur before you begin the licensing process.

2. Who will do the training?
Today, there are usually many options available to the parent. I’ll bet that most of us were first exposed to driving in a parking lot or on a quiet residential street by a parent or older sibling. For most, this was just the beginning.

It used to be that most high schools offered driver education courses as an elective; now that is the exception, rather than the norm. These classes were designed around classroom instruction for 30 hours of seat-time. Why 30? Because that was the number of hours required to grant partial credit as an elective course. This has been picked up as the required standard by some states, and by some insurance companies for discount eligibility.

Unfortunately, I have yet to hear from anyone that participated in this type of class that didn’t say they were bored out of their minds while learning very little of practical value. That’s not to say the content was bad, it simply validates studies that rate classroom lectures as the most ineffective teaching method. Check out the DrivingMBA FAQ page for more information on the Learning Pyramid.

A popular option is for parents to take on the responsibility of teaching their teen to drive (~1/3 of teens are taught this way). After all, if my dad could teach me how to drive, why shouldn’t I be able to do the same for my kid? Part of the problem is that both vehicles and roadways, while safer, are far more complex and sophisticated than they were 20 years ago. An NHTSA study of Texas results determined that this was the least effective method of teen driver training, even though the Texas program is one of the most elaborate. Download the study here.

3. How much training will he/she get?
The industry standard is a varied amount of classroom training, ranging from 30+ hours for those schools still adhering to the 1/2 credit concept, to the minimum necessary to adequately understand and retain the rules of the road. This is usually followed by 6 hours of actual road time with an instructor. With the advent of Graduated Drivers License laws, many states require that the parent or guardian attest to a number of practice driving hours with the permit holder prior to licensing.

4. Who will provide the practice time?
Practice time is critical to the development of the new driver. This usually falls on the shoulders of one or both parents. Once the teen has gained some confidence behind the wheel, all driving while the teen is in the vehicle should be done by the teen, unless physical condition makes this unadvisable. The teen has to get exposure to varied conditions and routes in order to really gain meaningful experience. Driving every day to and from school as the only driving practice might serve to meet the minimum requirements, but only means that they are very experienced on that route, and under the same conditions.

5. What kind of vehicle will be available?
If the teen attends a commercial driving school, the likelihood is that the vehicle will be a smaller model. Schools choose these vehicles for economy reasons, but it serves a very different purpose as well. The student is introduced to driving in a vehicle that is easier to control. The transition to driving the family van or SUV or sports sedan is an area where parents need to exercise caution. Start slowly, and make certain that the teen is comfortable with where the corners of the vehicle are when he/she is behind the wheel and in control of maneuvering past that mailbox.

6. What kind of vehicle will he/she be driving after licensing?
Many parents believe that bigger is better/safer. While it might be somewhat safer for the occupant of the vehicle in a collision with another, smaller vehicle, the notion of safety is misplaced. A safer vehicle is one that is within the capabilities of the driver to control its operation. A larger vehicle has a much higher center of gravity, and reacts much differently when a sudden steering or braking maneuver is executed.

There was a school of thought that advocated a large older sedan as the first vehicle. The thinking was that it was inevitable that the teen would experience a collision, so buy something cheap. Older vehicles have less modern safety features, and may encounter mechanical problems, so this is no longer seen as a good idea. Besides, why on earth should it be a given that the teen will be in a collision? Proper preparation just might be a better answer.

7. How will you know he/she is ready to drive solo?
You are no longer on edge and tense in the passenger seat while the teen drives, and you can actually do something other than maintain constant vigil over what is happening. The teen has demonstrated a level of responsibility that allows you to entrust him/her with his own life and the lives of others on the road at the same time. You have discussed and signed a driving contract and have established clear expectations and consequences. The teen is ready.

Could Power-To-Weight Ratio Be The Next Addition To Graduated Driver License Restrictions? Probably Not.

2009-07-10T10:56:00.021-07:00

I often remind parents of the huge difference in vehicle and roadway sophistication that has taken place since they first learned to drive. Most any vehicle built before the 1990's had sufficient noise/vibration/harshness issues (remember wind noise at higher speeds?) that told the driver that they might want to be a little more careful as speed increased. Couple that with roads that were slightly less than smooth, and the driver received plenty of sensory feedback.

I've also commented on the continuing increase in power with new vehicles. This article from Autoweek talked about this topic in relation to insurance rates.

The net result is that new drivers today have a much greater ability to get into problem situations faster with less warning signs along the way. They can easily exceed the personal and vehicle limitations governing vehicle control. For this reason, a restriction on vehicle capabilities for inexperienced drivers makes sense.

I was reminded of this when I read this article about Australian Graduated Driver Licensing that is tied to Power-to-Weight vehicle ratios. Some countries in Europe have had this type of restriction for a while, limiting new drivers to slower vehicles until they gain experience.

Given the substantial differences in approach to teen driver training here in the United States, it would be very difficult to add such a restriction here, especially since the requirements are independently mandated by each state.

Ford Motor Company, with their MyKey program, is somewhat addressing the issue by allowing parents to physically impose speed restrictions and providing audio warnings as speed increases. It does not address the temptation of too much power available up to the programmed maximum that can get inexperienced drivers into trouble.

GPS monitoring devices are available that will report on events and speed, but that is after the fact.

The best answer is judicious parental choices in vehicle availability to the newly minted driver that reduce the temptation to "see what it can do".

Seven Steps/Phases In the Process of Becoming an "Experienced Driver"

2009-07-07T08:50:00.004-07:00

The insurance industry, based on the surcharge placed on new teen drivers for the first few years, believes that maturity is the key to safer driving behavior. If you wait until you are 25 to learn to drive, even though you have no experience, you will not be penalized with an increased premium. Implicitly, the insurance companies are totally discounting the value of proper training for a new driver.

In thinking about the process of gaining experience behind the wheel, I have identified the following 7 steps:

1. Learning Basic Vehicle Controls

2. Learning the Rules of the Road

3. Mastering Vehicle Controls

4. Executing Normal Vehicle Maneuvers

5. Developing Situational Awareness

6. Negotiating Hazardous Conditions

7. Learning Personal and Vehicle Limitations

The steps are not necessarily serially executed. The learning process takes place over time, and application of technology available today can significantly reduce the time needed to become an "Experienced Driver", especially in the latter steps.

The real goal should be to instill safe driving habits and behaviors as early as possible in the process, and to accelerate the process wherever practical to reduce the window where the new driver is a greater risk to all of us.

Lessons To Be Learned From a NM Tragedy

2009-07-06T17:47:00.012-07:00

On June 27, 2009, four teens lost their lives in a collision in New Mexico, caused by a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road. Rightfully so, the response has been a call for more efforts to prevent DUI occurrences.

This article gives some details about the crash:

http://tinyurl.com/lzt2wr

What caught my eye in the comments section following the article was the questioning of the role of the parents in potentially avoiding the situation in the first place. The teens were in the first car of a caravan of four vehicles carrying teens to a house party. The time of the collision was around midnight. The driver of the vehicle is listed as sixteen.

Even without the GDL restrictions, a relatively inexperienced driver should not have been on the road with 4 passengers at midnight, with the probability of a return home presumably sometime after 1 or 2 am.

The second thing that caught my eye was the damage to the vehicle:

Clearly, the driver, in a panic situation, swerved to the left to avoid the head-on collision. That is not surprising, but is exactly the wrong thing to do. She obviously also reacted too late, since the oncoming vehicle caught her in the right front quarter.

Had the driver been through our Level 2 simulation training, she would have known that she needed to go to the right, and would have been drilled on the need to get out of the way, rather than stay in lane until it was too late.

Most experts believe that the answer to teen fatalities is further restrictions on teen drivers until they gain sufficient experience and maturity. We train company fleet drivers in defensive driving techniques using this simulator, and about 75% of these experienced (>10 years) drivers either fail to avoid the head-on collision, or subsequently lose control during the avoidance maneuver. Time spent behind the wheel of a vehicle is not the solution.

The value of our simulation training lies in exposure to critical situations, evaluation of initial reaction, and practice of correct response. You simply cannot get that from an online course, in a classroom, or during supervised on-road driving with an instructor.

Avoiding Collisions (Even if it’s not your mistake)

2009-04-25T20:40:00.003-07:00

On the way to the office yesterday, I passed by an intersection collision that had just occurred. A compact car (driven by a young man) had been struck on the left side by an SUV coming up the road. It was pretty obvious that the car had cut across the path of the SUV, leading one to believe that the teen had started up from the stop sign without seeing the SUV coming up the road.

Was this just another case of an inexperienced teen causing a collision? Of course, the teen should have been more careful.

But what about the “experienced” driver of the SUV? The vehicle locations at rest after impact, lack of skid marks, together with the crash severity, told me that had the driver of the SUV simply performed the correct action, the collision could have been avoided entirely.

While there was considerable sheet metal damage done to the car, the vehicle positions told me that the SUV driver had hit his brakes and swerved to the left in an attempt to avoid the collision. The teen’s car had almost cleared the road when struck, and was not hit with enough impact to significantly move it sideways. Had the SUV driver simply braked hard and steered a little to the right, he most likely would have missed the car.

We teach our Level 2 students a police academy tactic to “Steer to the Rear” if a vehicle is unexpectedly moving across their path. There are 2 reasons for this move: First, if the intruding vehicle has momentum, that will be the spot that gets vacated; in other words, don’t go where they are heading, go where they’ve been. Second, if a collision is unavoidable, a glancing blow to the rear of most vehicles will result in far less damage to either vehicle. The majority of vehicle weight is in the front, where the engine and transmission reside, so that if you strike another vehicle with your front end (heaviest) you will encounter less resistance at its rear, where it’s lightest. Of course, there are always exceptions to any rule – for example, this doesn’t apply to a loaded tanker or concrete hauler, and it definitely does not mean that you should cross the center line into oncoming traffic lanes!

Creating a Safe Teen Driver

2009-04-07T13:12:00.005-07:00

Key To a Defensive Driving Attitude

How many times have you heard a teen say "It's not fair!"

My observation is that this can be a key contributor if the newly minted driver is involved in a collision with another vehicle. The new driver has just learned the Rules of the Road, and has been told over and over that obeying them is required. Subconsciously, the new driver has developed the attitude that everyone else will do the same. When this expectation is not met, the result can be a collision.

One of the key elements we stress in our defensive driving course is to always assume that the other driver will do the wrong thing - that way, you as the defensive driver may be pleasantly surprised when they do the right thing, but you'll be ready when they don't.

Getting a new driver to watch out for the mistakes of others will go a long way in making them a much safer driver, even if "it's not fair".

Making Our Roads Safer For All Of Us

2009-04-07T13:07:00.005-07:00

The latest statistics for road deaths were recently announced showing a reduction in roadway deaths to the lowest number since Kennedy was in office. Much of the credit was given to the economy, since driving miles were down.

Since the 60's, trillions of dollars have been spent on making our vehicles and roads safer. Little has been done to change the way in which new drivers are trained. Yet a study conducted by the government showed that over 70% of vehicle collisions are definitely caused by driver error.

If we really are serious about addressing this issue, the United States must catch up to Europe where driving a vehicle is a privilege, not a right, and driver training is serious business.

Cell Coach - Distracting or Lifesaving?

2008-01-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

In our January e-newsletter, we introduced readers to a new device on the market - the Cell Coach manufactured out of Tucson, Arizona. The Cell Coach was designed to put an end to driving while talking/texting on cell phones especially for teen drivers.

Installed under the vehicle's dashboard, the device emits a loud alert when it detects cell phone signals either from the driver making a call, answering a call or attempting to send a text message. The sound, a 90 decibel alert, is so loud and annoying that teens can't help but hang up, concentrate and drive.

Some teens that have tested out the product say that it has made them stop using their cell phones completely while driving.

If you've used this product or if you know of someone who has, we're interested in hearing if it's been helpful and whether or not the shrill sound of the alert distracts the teen driver. Also, how long does the alert sound after the teen has hung up the phone? We think this is a good idea. What do you think?

Sting Ops in High Schools?

2007-10-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article in Boston about a sting op at high schools in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Police set up checkpoints at 13 high schools in the area to catch teens in action.

Out of the 802 students stopped at checkpoints, 151 were not buckled up, 49 were driving their friends and four were driving while talking on cell phones.

The sting op was put into effect by the Registry of Motor Vehicles to again educate students on safe driving.

Do you think a sting op would be an effective tool to teach/discipline students while heading in/leaving campus? Or, do you feel that a sting op is taking it too far?

Not paying attention

2007-08-03T14:25:00.001-07:00

The other week I was driving down Baseline Rd. The light in front of me went from red to green so I kept at my same pace of 45mph without having to slow down or stop. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a young boy start to cross the street, but there was a truck to the right of me so couldn't tell if he stopped at the light or continued crossing. It wasn't his turn to walk, he just did, not paying attention to the oncoming cars. He was in his own world just talking on the phone and listening to his Ipod. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pass the truck and had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him as did the other cars to my right and behind me. He just stopped, looked at me and continued walking like nothing happened. His lack of regard to his surroundings could have caused a major wreck. Luckily it didn't.

Just goes to show that whether you're behind the wheel or walking in the crosswalk, to always be aware of what's around you. Had I just been looking straight ahead in front of me, something catastrophic most likely would have occurred.

If you've had experiences you'd like to share, post back.

Teen Gets Jail Time for Texting...and Driving

2007-08-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently the British are a bit harder on drivers who text than the US. Just recently, 19-year old Rachel Beggs was driving AND texting when she rear ended 64-year old Maureen Waites, almost killing her. The crash caused Waites' car to spin out of control and hit a barrier. The crash was caused by Rachel's repeated use of her mobile phone (9 times in the 15 minutes leading up to the accident) while driving 70mph in the dark.

It was her irresponsible behavior that sentenced her to four long years in prison. Looks like she learned the hard way...to keep your eyes on the road (not on your phone) at all times.

Do you think the US should enforce this on all drivers who are caught texting or talking on the phone and cause crashes?

Is a Camera in a Teen's Car Helpful or Distracting?

2007-07-18T16:19:00.001-07:00

It's a new pilot program that allows cameras to be
placed inside a teen's car just below the rear view
mirror. The extra eyes let teens actually "see their
mistakes" when driving and captures events
happening before and after a car crash occurs. Once
the camera captures the "event", it emails it to the
parents to review with their teen driver.

University of Iowa researcher Dan McGeehee states
the videos provide a reality check to over-confident
beginning drivers.

"This really shines a spotlight on their own driving and
they can see themselves that they made some
mistakes," McGeehee says.

McGeehee took 25 drivers who fell into two groups,
those who drove "well" and rarely triggered the
cameras (about three times for every thousand miles
driven) and those who triggered it a lot (nearly 19
times for every thousand miles they drove). After
seeing themselves, the riskier drivers improved by
90%.

Teens in Minnesota are the first to test the program,
although American Family Insurance is ready to get on
board. It hopes to take the program to a national
level.

DrivingMBA wants to know if you think having a
camera in your teen's car will help them become
better drivers or become a distraction to them. Some parents may feel that these cameras provide just enough driver training for their teens. What do you think?

Teen Was Texting at Time of Accident

2007-06-22T02:02:00.000-07:00

It happened in Lewiston, Idaho this week. A teen was texting while driving in a car full of passengers. A VERY dangerous combination. I see two things wrong with this picture - one - that she tried to text message while driving which we know takes our eyes off the road and two - that other teens were in the car with her. What was so important that whoever was on the other end of her text message needed to know right then and there? We will never know. She lost control of her vehicle on the highway. One passenger is in critical condition after experiencing a ruptured spleen and the other suffered a concussion.

Two states mentioned in the article have already implemented a ban on cell phone usage while driving...Washington and Utah. Idaho hasn't favored this restriction and come to think of it, neither has Arizona.

I'm not saying that teens are completely at fault for talking on cell phones or texting while driving. We are all guilty of doing it at one point or another and we need to stop. After all, what's more important? Putting you and others on the road in danger to have a conversation or getting to your destination alive? You be the judge.

Yield to Bicyclists

2007-06-22T01:40:00.000-07:00

Time and time again stories appear in the news of bicyclists enjoying a leisurely, scenic ride only to have to swerve far right for cars to avoid hitting them. Some make it home safely while others are not so lucky.

In a recent newsletter, I told the story of Bob. Bob was part of a team of bicyclists out on a Sunday morning ride in Phoenix when a young man struck him and continued driving. Bob was transported to the hospital, put on life support and died shortly after. He left behind his wife and children. In a split second, life had changed for both Bob and this young man. It could have easily been avoided had this young driver known that bicyclists do in fact have the right of way.

The driver failed to stop, drove home immediately and his parents advised him to "cover up" his truck. With the help of witnesses who were able to identify the truck's license plate, this is now deemed a criminal case.

If you don't know the rules when it comes to sharing the road with bicyclists, please remember that they have just as much right to be there as you do. DrivingMBA has a wealth of information on bicycle safety as do the AZ Coalition of Bicyclists. In fact, it'd be wise for all of us to revisit bicycle safety both as a driver or a bicyclist enjoying a scenic ride...

Governor Napolitano Approves GDL for Arizona

2007-06-22T01:21:00.000-07:00

Last month, we learned that Governor Napolitano approved the bill to strengthen the graduated drivers' licenses(GDLs) in Arizona. This piece of legislation is referred to as the Teenage Driver Safety Act. Since its inception, DrivingMBA has supported efforts to change legislation and adopt a stronger GDL in Arizona. It has finally come to fruition. Stats show a significant decrease in teen deaths among states that have adopted GDLs. When Arizona signed the bill, there were already 44 states that had beat us to it.

Some argue that it's not the legislator's or law enforcement's responsibility to track teens' driving...it's the parents. While I don't disagree, parents are ABSOLUTELY the first line of defense. Parents need to set rules for teens to follow, however, this issue requires effort from many different angles. Parents, strong legislation, and better education and training are all necessary components. Parents, legislation, law enforcement, educators working together enforcing the passenger and night time restrictions will stop the devastating trend happening in this country. It is my strong belief that together we can truly make a difference.

I'm anxiously waiting to hear what other parents such as myself have to say. Feel free to comment back.

Where Have All the Parents Gone?

2007-04-19T21:08:00.001-07:00

Lee Iacocca recently wrote a book entitled "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" I would ask the same question about parents. We have swung the pendulum where we went from a generation of parents that may have been "too harsh" in their parenting style to little or no parenting at all. We are so wrapped up in our own lives, our own pursuit of the "American Dream" of "success" however we define success. In the midst of ALL that "pursuit of happiness" we choose to have children, yet we REALLY don't have time for them. We leave them on their own at a time when they are in DESPERATE NEED of boundaries and RULES. We, however, are too busy to notice - so we become their friends. We give them what they want, they make bad choices and we make the consequences go away because it's easier than discipling them and following through - We don't have the time.

How to make your teen a better driver

2007-02-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

I came across an interesting article on MSNBC titled "Study: Extra training helps teens avoid crashes" that says that teaching teens how to avoid crashes will make them safer drivers. Imagine that. By teaching teens how to react in emergency situations, we're making them better drivers. The article goes on to say that trained students have a powerful advantage over untrained drivers when it comes to out-of-the ordinary situations such as adverse weather conditions or erratic drivers.

When we send our teens out on the road, we hope and pray that they've learned enough to know how to react in situations. The problem is, they don't. They lack experience and most have only been trained on the basics of driving - how to start, stop, move the vehicle and park - not what to do if someone or something swerves in their lane or their tire blows out.

Simulation-based driver training shows teens how to react in these situations over and over again in a safe, controlled and supervised environment so that when they do encounter a situation, they know firsthand how to handle it. Will this type of training help decrease our teen driver fatalities each year? The study says "YES".

To read the study, click here.

Parents Draft Contracts on Teen Drivers

2007-02-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Some parents are taking matters into their own hands and imposing driving restrictions on their teen - with or without a Graduated Driver's License in place.

According to a new policy titled The Teen Driver written by the American Academy of Pediatrics, experts say that parents who serve as driving role models while ensuring their teen gets adequate supervised driver education training are the key to saving teens' lives. This has encouraged some parents to start drawing up driving contracts with their teen. The driving contracts impose restrictions on the teen such as what car they can drive, when they can drive and who is in the car. If violated, parents are in control and can revoke driving privileges.

Your teen may rebel, but will soon realize this is what it's going to take to ensure they're safe on the road.

Drivers on cell phones are as bad as drunk drivers

2007-02-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Cell Phone Usage While Driving

Is It As Dangerous As Drunk Driving? Psychologists Agree.

It has been a debate that has gone on for some time now - whether to ban cell phones while driving. DrivingMBA asks the question, “Is cell phone usage as dangerous as drunk driving on the road?” Utah psychologists, the National Safety Council and others around the nation say yes.

A study that garnered the media's wide attention showed that drivers who talk on hand-held or hands-free cellular devices, or worse yet, text messaging, are as impaired as drunken drivers. Results stated that talking on the phone leads to a 30% reduction in reaction time. Text messaging, according to the National Safety Council, takes a driver’s eyes off the road 40% more often than if the driver was not texting.

“We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on the cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit,” said Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Utah. “If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving.”This study didn’t just analyze teens, it stated that all drivers, novice or experienced, become easily distracted while driving and talking on a cell phone. It is not the actual cell phone in hand that’s the distracting part, but the conversation itself.In order for legislators to ban cell phone use while driving completely, certain steps need to occur.

If you're interested in making a change, team up with others in your community and contact your local congressmen.

To read the complete study on cell phone usage while driving, click here. To read more articles about teen driving, click here.

Teens Too Distracted to Drive

2007-02-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

An intriguing article made national news this week on MSNBC about teen drivers. It stated that teens are too distracted to drive, not through alcohol or drug abuse, but by passengers, cell phone usage and fatigue. While alcohol and drug-related crashes are down, our teen death toll still continues to rise each year.

And if the article weren't enough, it also has an eye-opening video of a family whose life has forever changed because of one night that cost them their 17-year old son. So I ask, "Why would any parent want to endure this pain? Why not prevent crashes from happening instead of believing your teen is invincible on the road?" When we realize that it starts with us, the parents of these teens, only then will we be able to truly start making a difference.

To view the article, click here. To view other teen driver-related articles, visit www.drivingmba.com/recentnews.html

It's Crazy Out There - What Chance Does a Novice Driver Have?

2006-11-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

I have a short comute to and from work everyday, so when I do get out on the "big" streets I am shocked and appalled at the driving I see going on out there. Just last week I was driving in downtown Phoenix and watched a pedestrian, crossing the street, in a crosswalk, when the light changed on him. The poor man was scurrying across the street and SUV's were coming across the intersection honking their horns at this poor man. His life was literally in danger. That same day I was entering the 101 Loop when I watched a white bus cross over the gore area and nearly push a sedan off the road. The driver must have decided they DID want to get onto the freeway and those in my way "be damned." These are only two stories of many I hear day in and day out from colleagues, friends, students, you name it!!

Now think about putting a young novice driver out there with these agressive drivers, fast roadways and even faster vehicles - what chance do the REALLY have? Do parents or even driving instructors take their teens out on streets and put them in all of those precarious situations and teach them how to handle them? I think not, it's far too nerve racking, not to mention dangerous. So, how do these young people learn? The Driver Education system in the United States is failing our teenagers. Some states are better than others, but on the whole and on the average we are still teaching teens to drive the way we did 50 years ago. Things have CHANGED!! The roadways we drive on are more complex and move much faster, the vehicles we drive are much more sophisticated than the vehicles we drove 30, 40 or 50 years ago. When boomers were learning how to drive we had sensory feedback - wind noise, shaking, rattling and rolling was going on. The vehicles we drive now are made to eliminate all of that unpleasantness. So now we can be going 30 MPH or we can be going 80 MPH - we really don't feel the difference. Now, put a teenager behind the wheel - do you really think they will be able to react in time if something out of the ordinary happens? The answer is NO. The data is CLEAR. We have a problem in this country. Teenagers are dying every day in vehicle collisions.

Think of it this way - when we hand our teenagers the keys to a vehicle today, we are handing them a 2,000 to 4,000 lb. projectile with 35 to 40 lbs. of explosives and we're sending them out there with a hope and prayer that WHEN they do get in their first collision, and they will, it will only be a fender bender. We need to do better than that!

So, what is the answer to this problem? We at DrivingMBA, think we are PART of the solution! We have 3 years of experience utilizing state of the art simulators to teach teenagers the fundamentals of driving and advanced defensive driving skills. Our preliminary results (interviewing our students after 1 year) are indicating that we are improving their odds significantly. While the national average of novice drivers getting into a collision their first year on the road is >50% our graduate students are averaging < 12% getting into some kind of collision their first year. While we know we can't guarantee they won't have a collision, we know we can improve their odds.

Teen Stats

2006-11-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

Teen Driving Facts and Figures:

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-20 year olds

Teens have the highest involvement rates in all types of crashes

10 teens lose their lives every day in car crashes

Many fatal teen crashes involve excessive speed or driving too fast for existing road conditions

77% of teen crashes involved avoidable driver errors

31,000 people were killed in crashes involving teens between 1995 and 2004

Since March 2003, 2,600 American troops were killed in war-related accidents. In the same 41-month period, over 22,000 teens 15-19 died in car crashes throughout the U.S.