Traffic School Teacher

Speed kills
The single biggest road safety issue in the US and other parts of the world today is speed – drivers speeding too fast for the conditions.
In 2007, speed was a factor in:

• 32 percent of all road deaths ( about 40,000 deaths)
• 18 percent of all reported injuries from road crashes (about 300,000).

Driving safely with speed limits

Many drivers might not be aware of the fact that they can be driving at the speed limit and still be driving unsafely.
The speed limit is the maximum legal speed at which one can travel on in perfect conditions. But that doesn’t mean you are supposed to driver at that speed even if you are in bumper to bumper traffic. You’ll agree that road conditions are seldom ideal particularly in cities. As a safe driver, you'll have to look out for changes in traffic, road and weather conditions, and vary your speed accordingly.

Traffic conditions to watch out for include:

• high volumes of traffic on the road
• pedestrians, joggers and cyclists
• parked cars.

Road conditions to watch out for include:

• bumpy or narrow areas on the road
• wet, icy or unsealed road surfaces
• signs warning of hazards such as sharp curves or a slippery surface.

Weather conditions to watch out for include:

• rain, wind or fog.

Ideal speed depends on conditions

While driving, you need to be careful judging the safe speed for the stretch of road at any point of time. This is called driving to the conditions. If you don't adjust your speed to suit the conditions, you may be driving too fast, even if you're within the speed limit.

According to California Highway Patrol, on road accidents are the leading cause of death for majority of teenage drivers. California has been ranked on top in terms of fatality rates of drivers between the ages 15 and 20.

The report is highly upsetting for parents, especially when their teenager has just received a license and started dreaming to beat Michael Schumacher or Fernando Alonso. Parents are expected to spend some minutes before and after their teenager goes for driving.
Here are a couple of points you should discuss with your teenage drivers:

1.Warn them of using cell phone while driving since it increases the risk of crash by 300%. In unavoidable circumstances, they should stop the car aside or use hands free but never on highways.

2.Advise them to refrain listening to the radio in high volume. It helps them stay alert about surroundings.

3.Tell your teenage driver to avoid eating while driving

4.Don’t let your son or daughter to drive in a group of friends as gossiping inside the car increases the chances of accident by 158%. It’s always better to supervise them prior to allowing friends inside while driving.

5. Warn them of speeding as it’s another major cause of road accidents. Besides, they will be stopped by traffic police and receive points on their license.

6.Initially, at least for 9 months to a year, don’t let them drive at night. Teenagers are three times more likely to die in a crash at night than during the day.

7.Advise them to join a traffic school to learn road safety rules as well as defensive driving. In case of busy schedules, they can join online traffic schools and take training lessons at home.