Teen Driving Tips
I’ve taught 3 of my kids how to drive and I was amazed at myself on what an expert drivers ed teacher I am so I thought I would share some of my expertise with others. You see after 2 short driving trips with my teenagers they all informed me that they were excellent, experienced drivers and therefore did not need any more lessons and they should be allowed to go wherever they want in the car, with out the dad. (at my house I call that 15 seconds of laughter) So let’s start with the good stuff, a few basic rules and then the not so good stuff.
Cars are fun, they give you freedom to go where ever you want and you don’t even have to pave the roads or keep them clean and repaired. You can race them, go on vacations, hang out with friends and ask your parents about the old drive in movies of the past, or not.
Basic Rules
1. Put your seat belt on, this is not a problem at my house, the way I drive that’s the first thing my family does is throw on the seat belt.
2. Make sure your car is in good condition. Wipers, clean windows in and out, check the tires for flats before you get in the car each time. When’s the last time you had the belts and breaks checked? How about your tires. One person I know loads her 3 babies into her mini van, straps them in the car seats-in the back seat and then drives away –ON BALD WORN OUT TIRES. Do you know what happens to a person that is talking on the phone and has a blow out at 70mph?
3. Look behind your car if you backing out before you get in to make sure know one has put someone or something behind it. When walking to your car take the long way around it.
4. Cell phones-I think cell phones and cars are good for the economy. They keep hospitals, car repair shops and tow trucks busy. And they are great for making people angry, like when you’re running stop signs or driving 50 mph in the fast lane in a 65 zone.
5. Distractions = Crashes. 25% of all crashes are from distractions. (Go ahead and disagree with me on this one, however, I’ve been there done that). Some common distractions are friends, adjusting car stereos, phones and radios too loud. It only takes a second or 2 of not paying attention and your little car crashes. (see the effects of crashes below) Look up the song Terminus Eldorado by Ted Nugent.
6. Drinking and driving. This is a tough one to teach young people since so many adults do it. I guess the best way to learn to not drink and drive is to go look at one of your close friends or family members who have just been killed by a drunk driver. Get a good look at the wrecked car too especially the inside.
7. Get more education. You take math and English for a long time shouldn’t you take more than a day or 2 to learn how to drive? Take a defensive driving course also, 1 banged up fender would more than pay for it.
8. Street racing– Street racing is fun and it’s better than drinking. But if you want to be safe take it to a track. KCIR is a cheap and much safer way to go and places like Heartland Park have off road courses you can race and have instructors ride with you to help you go faster and safer. This wasn’t my fault but one time in California I got pulled over for racing, I guess the police thought I looked dangerous since they had 4 CHP cars and 2 Sheriff Blazers pulled up around my Camaro with lights flashing. All the sudden I knew I wasn’t alone. It’s better not to be a wise guy with 6 big dudes with guns.
9. Watch out for us old guys driving our 450 horsepower 200 mph cars. Just pull to the right and let us pass. Have you ever been in a convoy of 30 or so Vipers going on a cruise? They all get in a line and drive the speed limit or below. (15 seconds of laughter)
10. Watch out for the moms. They are either fixing makeup, yelling at the kids in the back or talking on the cell phone – all distractions. Next time your out driving count the number of moms doing that. Better yet watch how many are holding the phone with one hand and doing hand gestures with the other. The big problem is they are driving 6,000 pound SUVs and when one of those hits your 2000 pound Honda guess who loses.
11. Look both ways– at least 2 or 3 times in both directions, just because you have the right away doesn’t mean someone who is distracted in another car isn’t going to crash you.
12. Don’t drive beside big trucks. They can’t see you. Drive in front or behind them.
Some Not so good stuff.
If I recall right cars are the number one killers of teenagers.
I’ve been a race car photographer for the past 25 years and when I’m shooting I’m usually one of the closest guys to the actual race cars on the track so I get to see all the close up stuff of what happens during and after a crash. (For pictures and details on check out my ebook) I’ve also been a newspaper photographer with a Special CHP pass which allows photographers to go pretty much wherever they want to cover the nasty stuff. So if you break some of the rules above this is what could happen.
1. I’ve been hit by cars 3 times and sent to the hospital 2 of those. Trust me, when skin hits the asphalt under a car guess who gets the worst of it, the skin or the asphalt?
2. I’ve taken senior pictures of a girl that had to have her nose put back on her face after going through the windshield from not wearing a seat belt.
3. Just had my cousin killed and left her 3 kids aged 1 month to 7 years without a mom by a drunk driver.
4. Did 1 one seniors portraits and went to visit her a month later in the ICU after she hit a tree after having a few drinks.
5. From my race pictures I see what happens to a persons body while they are crashing, it’s pretty amazing.
6. I also photograph after the crash during car races. Working for a newspaper and at 1 time a 1 hour photo where the police brought their photos you get to see first hand the results of car crashes.
Cars can be fun but without proper training and respect they can ruin your life and your loved ones in an instant.
Cars are fun, they give you freedom to go where ever you want and you don’t even have to pave the roads or keep them clean and repaired. You can race them, go on vacations, hang out with friends and ask your parents about the old drive in movies of the past, or not.
Basic Rules
1. Put your seat belt on, this is not a problem at my house, the way I drive that’s the first thing my family does is throw on the seat belt.
2. Make sure your car is in good condition. Wipers, clean windows in and out, check the tires for flats before you get in the car each time. When’s the last time you had the belts and breaks checked? How about your tires. One person I know loads her 3 babies into her mini van, straps them in the car seats-in the back seat and then drives away –ON BALD WORN OUT TIRES. Do you know what happens to a person that is talking on the phone and has a blow out at 70mph?
3. Look behind your car if you backing out before you get in to make sure know one has put someone or something behind it. When walking to your car take the long way around it.
4. Cell phones-I think cell phones and cars are good for the economy. They keep hospitals, car repair shops and tow trucks busy. And they are great for making people angry, like when you’re running stop signs or driving 50 mph in the fast lane in a 65 zone.
5. Distractions = Crashes. 25% of all crashes are from distractions. (Go ahead and disagree with me on this one, however, I’ve been there done that). Some common distractions are friends, adjusting car stereos, phones and radios too loud. It only takes a second or 2 of not paying attention and your little car crashes. (see the effects of crashes below) Look up the song Terminus Eldorado by Ted Nugent.
6. Drinking and driving. This is a tough one to teach young people since so many adults do it. I guess the best way to learn to not drink and drive is to go look at one of your close friends or family members who have just been killed by a drunk driver. Get a good look at the wrecked car too especially the inside.
7. Get more education. You take math and English for a long time shouldn’t you take more than a day or 2 to learn how to drive? Take a defensive driving course also, 1 banged up fender would more than pay for it.
8. Street racing– Street racing is fun and it’s better than drinking. But if you want to be safe take it to a track. KCIR is a cheap and much safer way to go and places like Heartland Park have off road courses you can race and have instructors ride with you to help you go faster and safer. This wasn’t my fault but one time in California I got pulled over for racing, I guess the police thought I looked dangerous since they had 4 CHP cars and 2 Sheriff Blazers pulled up around my Camaro with lights flashing. All the sudden I knew I wasn’t alone. It’s better not to be a wise guy with 6 big dudes with guns.
9. Watch out for us old guys driving our 450 horsepower 200 mph cars. Just pull to the right and let us pass. Have you ever been in a convoy of 30 or so Vipers going on a cruise? They all get in a line and drive the speed limit or below. (15 seconds of laughter)
10. Watch out for the moms. They are either fixing makeup, yelling at the kids in the back or talking on the cell phone – all distractions. Next time your out driving count the number of moms doing that. Better yet watch how many are holding the phone with one hand and doing hand gestures with the other. The big problem is they are driving 6,000 pound SUVs and when one of those hits your 2000 pound Honda guess who loses.
11. Look both ways– at least 2 or 3 times in both directions, just because you have the right away doesn’t mean someone who is distracted in another car isn’t going to crash you.
12. Don’t drive beside big trucks. They can’t see you. Drive in front or behind them.
Some Not so good stuff.
If I recall right cars are the number one killers of teenagers.
I’ve been a race car photographer for the past 25 years and when I’m shooting I’m usually one of the closest guys to the actual race cars on the track so I get to see all the close up stuff of what happens during and after a crash. (For pictures and details on check out my ebook) I’ve also been a newspaper photographer with a Special CHP pass which allows photographers to go pretty much wherever they want to cover the nasty stuff. So if you break some of the rules above this is what could happen.
1. I’ve been hit by cars 3 times and sent to the hospital 2 of those. Trust me, when skin hits the asphalt under a car guess who gets the worst of it, the skin or the asphalt?
2. I’ve taken senior pictures of a girl that had to have her nose put back on her face after going through the windshield from not wearing a seat belt.
3. Just had my cousin killed and left her 3 kids aged 1 month to 7 years without a mom by a drunk driver.
4. Did 1 one seniors portraits and went to visit her a month later in the ICU after she hit a tree after having a few drinks.
5. From my race pictures I see what happens to a persons body while they are crashing, it’s pretty amazing.
6. I also photograph after the crash during car races. Working for a newspaper and at 1 time a 1 hour photo where the police brought their photos you get to see first hand the results of car crashes.
Cars can be fun but without proper training and respect they can ruin your life and your loved ones in an instant.
