Driver Safety Education Blog

A student who is learning to drive must become aware of many things over time. And it takes time.

Today we talk about motor skills and mental skills.

A new young driver must know and experience and learn motor skills, how to steer, break, accelerate, signal, turn and if the vehicle is a standard shift, then they need to know how to use the clutch and shifter. This is not so easy for many students because some of these skills must be done together. For mental skills, they also have to check up to two blocks ahead, rear view mirror check, shoulder check and mirror check if turning, watch for kids, stop signs and stop lights, learn how to navigate a traffic circle and much more. A couple of "much more" items are learning how to deal with distractions and learning how to park. They must learn stopping distance based on road conditions, speed, tires, vehicle weight, balance, center of gravity, wide or narrow track, and whether a hard stop is in a straight line or in a turn.

Wow, that's a lot to learn and know - but it comes with time and practice and a good instructor, whether a parent, driving school, a relative or family friend. And so, the GDL program - the Graduated Driver Licensing Program. It works!

Cheers - Mike