Mention the word "Spring Break" and images of vacations and getaways come to mind. The reality is: not everyone gets to go on spring break. While this may dishearten some teens, the good news is: it's a great time to learn how to drive!

Don't exactly know where to start? Here are some suggestions on getting started on some spring break learning:

• Consider a visit to the DMV office. Different states have different requirements, so knowing these is a good start. Also, dropping by the DMV will allow you to get materials such as driver's manuals to help aide your study. This can also be done online, with most states having their own official DMV site.


• Practice for your DMV written test online with a drivers license practice test. When completing the online course you're guaranteed to pass your written test.


• If you're already have your learners permit, get practice. Most states require a minimum of 50 hours, so running errands at home can sometimes be a way for new drivers to get experience driving, or completing required hours for driving. It's the perfect time to familiarize one's self with the vehicle, and properly operating it.


• Learn basic vehicle troubleshooting. Learn how to check the oil. Learn how to change a tire. Basically, learn the basics of being prepared for anything.


• Have fun. Imagine the surprise your friends will get when they find out you got started on learning how to drive. Driving is a lifelong skill that is both a convenience and a privilege, and there's no better time to begin learning than when you have a break from your other responsibilities.

Labels: dmv, drivers license, drivers license manual, driving permit, learners permit

North Dakota is the only state in the nation without a GDL system. As confirmed by the figures in the last few years, vehicular crashes are the leading cause for teen fatalities not only in North Dakota, but all over the country.

Currently, North Dakota is the only state that has not yet implemented a graduated licensing program. North Dakota only has two stages to its licensing, with a learner's permit being available at age 14, and a full license granted at the minimum of age 16. They lack the intermediate stage, which is the time new drivers should have passenger and nighttime driving restrictions.

This has prompted the North Dakota Coalition for Graduated Drivers Licensing which includes the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the North Dakota Department of Transportation, the North Dakota Department of Health and AAA North Dakota to support a bill to amend that.

The graduated driver's license bill, which is to be presented to the 62nd Legislative Assembly this year recommends a change: three stages to the licensing for new drivers. The additional intermediate phase will include the necessary passenger and nighttime driving restrictions during the first few months of unsupervised driving to better train new drivers into acquiring the skills necessary to be better-equipped safe drivers on the road.

Labels: GDL, gdl laws, Graduated Driver Licensing, graduated licensing, learners permit, north dakota, safe teen drivers

Whew, your teen has received their Learner's Permit and has been driving for a few months. The hard part of the jerky brakes, sudden starts and grabbing the steering wheel or grasping to the door handle for support is over. No major catastrophes, property damage or traffic tickets. You have entered the easy phase of having your own personal chauffeur. It is a great time to catch up on your to do lists and return phone calls, right?

Not so fast, you still have quite a bit of work to do. The "Designated Passenger" has the responsibility of making sure that the teen you are supervising is getting the most out of their learning experience. You want them to have the right driving habits and practice them consistently. Trying to correct or change a bad habit becomes harder to do as time goes by.

Besides teaching driving skills, what are some things that the “Designated Passenger” should be doing? Start by asking them questions as they are driving. Questions to pose include:

• What do you see ahead?


• Who has the right of way in this situation? What if the other vehicle was there first?


• What can you anticipate happening with those kids playing in the yard? How would you react? What should you start doing now just in case?


• What does the law say about sharing the road with bicyclists? What extra precautions should you take for them?


• If the dog up came running out into the street, what would you do?


• Walk me through what you would do right now if you had a tire blow out? What if the blow out was in the car ahead of you?


• That motorcycle behind you is coming up quickly, why is that important to know?


• What driving behaviors tell you that someone may be a distracted driver? How should you handle sharing the road with a distracted driver? What if they are impaired?


• What can you do to overcome the glare of the sun, while you are driving? What if the fog rolled in?


• Your traffic light just turned green, what should you do before accelerating?
  
• If the vehicle went off the road right now, what is the right way to get back on the road?


• If another car was headed straight towards us head-on, what is the first thing you would do? Then what next? And so on.

Once they exercise strong control of the vehicle, have experience and understand the different types of driving environments and have the necessary driving skills down, the “Designated Passenger” has to change their focus to teaching defensive driving skills. You may also want them to take a defensive driving course and an advanced car control course to help them gain knowledge and experience on handling driving emergencies that you won’t be able to simulate for them.

Even after they are fully licensed, continue to monitor their driving from a “Designated Passenger” role. Driver education is continuing education and there is ongoing work to do to help keep new drivers safe.

Labels: commercial drivers license, designated passenger, driver education, driving skills, learners permit, traffic ticket

According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group. Statistics show that teen drivers aged 16-19 are four times more likely to get into a car accident. These statistics are the basis of a new push by lawmakers to establish national graduated drivers license (GDL) program.

Graduated Drivers license laws are nothing new. In the 1990’s states began to enact GDL laws. The goal of a GDL program is to let a young driver safely gain driving experience before being granted full driving privileges.

One of the reasons for a national GDL program is that fact that GDL laws differ from state to state.

A national GDL law has three main points.

• Adopting a three-stage process to acquire an unrestricted drivers license.


• Prohibiting unsupervised nighttime driving during the first two stages before an unrestricted drivers license.


• Prohibit non-emergency use of cell phones and other electronic devices during the first two license phases.

Presently there are great differences in GDL laws from state to state. In comparing the states of Georgia and Florida gdl laws there are many similarities on minimum learners permit age, holding period and supervised training. However, while Georgia’s GDL Laws include passenger restrictions until the new driver turns 18 years old, Florida has not implemented those requirements.

For Florida a teen can get their learner’s permit at age 15 as opposed to New Jersey where the learners permit age is 16 years old. Another great difference between Florida and New Jersey is the amount of supervised driving practice.

• In Florida a learning driver is required to have 50 hours of supervised driving with ten of those hours to be at night.


• In New Jersey there is no minimum amount of practice time required.

Even though there is a proposal to introduce a national GDL law for minimum age requirements, length of time between each phase or passenger restrictions, one of the most important aspects to a GDL program is the supervised driving experience or driver training to gain experience. Many states are proposing additional driver education through a basic driver improvement or defensive driving course as many states no longer have the budget for driver education resources.

When considering Graduated Driver Licensing programs there is much more than the 3 points to consider for new drivers. With the laws so different for each state, most will agree the goal of a national program is driver safety and education first.

Learn more about your states GDL Laws at the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Labels: driver education, driver training, florida gdl laws, GDL, gdl law, learners permit, teen drivers