Driver Safety Education Blog

Today we look at YouTube for help in driving techniques for new drivers.

We start with this one How to Parallel Park. It is short and to the point. Good tips too!

how to park parallel perfectly

How to perform a 2-point turn

Here is How to perform a 3-point turn

How to steer a car

Hand-to-Hand Steering Method

I didn't include the videos on my page. They are linked to the applicable YouTube pages.

There is quite a bit more there as well. Some funny ones too.

Drive safe...

Cheers - Mike

Let's start an Annual High School Student Driver Rodeo in Edmonton.

Here is one good reason to do it. From the Stafford County Sun in Stafford, VA comes this report: Driving rodeo teaches safety skills. An excerpt from the article states, "Driving educators and Stafford law enforcement officers looked on as students maneuvered their way through the challenging range tests, which included lane-changing and parallel parking."

I would really to see this in Edmonton. It could be done. Sponsors like the Edmonton Journal, Alberta Transportation and Alberta Education would be a good start.

We'll let this idea float for a short while and see where it goes.

Cheers - Mike

Here is a link to a KidsHealth.org article which is quite good. It is called Helping Teens Learn to Drive.
Here is an excerpt from the article, "It's your son's first time behind the wheel and you're riding shotgun — who knows which one of you is more nervous?".
And another quote here, "Teen drivers should learn to anticipate and watch for potential problems from other drivers. For instance, when approaching a stop sign, they should watch for other cars coming from different directions that may not stop. In traffic, encourage your teen to watch for cars that suddenly switch lanes without signaling or pull out in front. New drivers often have trouble anticipating other cars or accurately sensing how much speed and space certain situations require."
So have a look - it may help you both, parent and teen.

For parents, here is a good site from California which has a number of articles about Learning Safe Driving.
Some titles are (there are many more):
Driving Too Fast is Deadly
It Wasn't My Fault
The Most Common Causes of Collisions: Unsafe Speed. Driving on the wrong side of the road. Improper turns. Violations of the right-of-way. Violation of stop signals and signs.
Teenagers
Research on ways to reduce teen driver fatalities.
Cellphones and Driving
The results of a number of studies on the use of cell phones for talking or texting while driving. Some will surprise you! Some conflict with others.
Lots or good reading at the site if you spend some time there.

Back to Alberta Transportation at their Saferoads.com site, where the monthly theme is "Young Drivers are the traffic safety focus for May". Please check it out. On the site there is a great workbook/check sheet for parents of new drivers called, "Geared to Go: Workbook for Coaching New Drivers". It is a PDF file and although there is a link to it from the home page on the right side, here is a direct link as well. This is an excellent publication! It will help parents for days and months to come.

Cheers - Mike

Tips for New Drivers found on the GDL page at Saferoads.com site operated by Alberta Transportation, offers some very good tips from a teen perspective. Scroll about halfway down the page to find it.

Here is a PDF report on distracted driving from Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research.

Here is an interesting PDF submission from the Alberta Medical Association regarding Bill 204 - Traffic Safety (Hand-Held Communication Devices) Amendment Act, 2008. The executive summary addresses driver distraction.
An excerpt from the pdf, "The Alberta Medical Association has called for the Provincial Government to address the issue of driver distraction, specifically the use of cell phones while driving. We are in favor of a total ban on cell phone use while driving. We welcome, however, Bill 204 and a ban on hand-held devices as an important first step toward a possible future, more comprehensive ban.".

Cheers - Mike

I came across a good website which has an excellent article called Learning to Drive: a guide for parents. The article is available as a PDF handbook there as well. Here is an excerpt from the intro to the article/handbook, "Since it was first published in 1986, this invaluable booklet has been distributed by school boards, driving schools, auto associations and even, in part, by CNN on its web site. The content of the booklet was drawn from the wisdom of dozens of professional driving instructors and is an excellent guide to the pitfalls of driver instruction and the techniques that can make the parent co-driver's difficult role safe, satisfying and successful.".

Cheers - Mike