# Advice to New Driver?



## Mathfuzzy (Feb 19, 2014)

Further thinking of the newly minted driver in our household, I was thinking of the few tidbits of sage advice I should pass along to her. So far I've really only come up with two things that that fall under the axiom or golden rules heading. They are:

1) Assume every other driver is not paying attention and is out to kill you

2) When you're driving, there is NOTHING more important or deserving of your attention than the act of driving

Anything else that you'd add to this list? I think she's actually listening, so I'd hate to waste this opportunity.


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## d geek (Nov 26, 2008)

Always consider the conditions when maintaining a safe following distance.
Your lights are valuable for being seen as well as allowing you to see.
Driving on the road is a cooperative (not competitive) endeavor.


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## Mathfuzzy (Feb 19, 2014)

d geek said:


> Always consider the conditions when maintaining a safe following distance.
> Your lights are valuable for being seen as well as allowing you to see.
> Driving on the road is a cooperative (not competitive) endeavor.


Nice additions. I know I've learned the first two by experience, but am certain I didn't just know them when I was 16. I'm particularly fond of the third.


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## JREinATL (Jan 13, 2014)

Never try to pass on a two-lane road until you've been driving at least 3-5 years. I nearly learned this the hard way as a teenager that new drivers rarely appreciate how quickly an on-coming car is approaching.


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## Mathfuzzy (Feb 19, 2014)

Good advice and, thankfully, something that I can't imagine will be an issue with this particular new driver. Still, if you haven't said it...

There's definitely a corollary about never passing on a two-lane road in a car that you don't know really (really) well.


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## Mercedes Benz (Apr 7, 2014)

Look far, far ahead. Not the car in front of you or the car in front of that, but try to look half a mile ahead (which is usually not possible).

Rotate your eyes by looking at the side mirrors, ahead, rear mirror. Always know what cars are beside you and if you could suddenly change lanes in an emergency.

Keep some distance in front when at a stop light. Be prepared to ram a car or go around it if ambushed by gangs.


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## sixpot_simon (Sep 13, 2013)

Some great tips here. Here's my own golden rules:
- drive as predictably as possible, so other drivers can anticipate what you're doing
- assume other drivers will do something completely unexpected at any moment


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

Mercedes Benz said:


> Look far, far ahead. Not the car in front of you or the car in front of that, but try to look half a mile ahead (which is usually not possible).
> 
> Rotate your eyes by looking at the side mirrors, ahead, rear mirror. Always know what cars are beside you and if you could suddenly change lanes in an emergency.
> 
> *Keep some distance in front when at a stop light. Be prepared to ram a car or go around it if ambushed by gang*s.


Washington has changed...


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## Mathfuzzy (Feb 19, 2014)

brkf said:


> Washington has changed...


That's really funny...I was thinking the same thing. I guess better safe than sorry!


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## Hangman4358 (Nov 26, 2013)

Mercedes Benz said:


> *Look far, far ahead. Not the car in front of you or the car in front of that, but try to look half a mile ahead (which is usually not possible).*
> 
> Rotate your eyes by looking at the side mirrors, ahead, rear mirror. Always know what cars are beside you and if you could suddenly change lanes in an emergency.
> 
> Keep some distance in front when at a stop light. Be prepared to ram a car or go around it if ambushed by gangs.


That right there. I think after a long time of driving we, or at least I, have learned that the car in front of you is the worst indicator of problems ahead. If they are braking it is usually already too late to avoid whatever is happening.

If the car six cars in front of you brakes you know it is time to pay attention because it will ripple back.

Also: you need to be just as aware of what is going on behind you as what is going on in front of you.

my kids learned driving just before the whole smartphone craze but I would say the number one thing to have them do is put their backpacks, purses, phones on the back seat/in the foot well behind the driver. This way they are out of reach and being out of sight they won't create that temptation to reach for the phone or makeup.


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

Sign her up for the BMW CCA Street Survival school. They've run it in the Candlestick parking lot before, not sure when or where the next one will be with the demise of Candlestick.


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## Mathfuzzy (Feb 19, 2014)

Asteroid said:


> Sign her up for the BMW CCA Street Survival school. They've run it in the Candlestick parking lot before, not sure when or where the next one will be with the demise of Candlestick.


That's a really good call. I was looking for a PCA sponsored event, but the closest is in Camarillo. I hadn't thought about BMW CCA.

I wish my first spin had been both on purpose and in a controlled environment!


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## Dwight_Schrute (Feb 20, 2009)

Always, always, always look both ways TWICE before pulling out onto or across a street - especially as a new driver. It's amazing how much you can overlook by just glancing quickly and going. This advice was given to me over 20 years ago and has saved me many times.


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Think one step ahead of what you are doing and everyone else is doing. Obviously you will be better prepared when you want - for example - to exit the highway, change lanes, make a turn or need to stop... etc. But by thinking ahead you can also predict what other will do. When driving with my 15 yo permitted daughter, soon to be an Independent driver herself, we make it a game of knowing what the people in the traffic ahead will do.

Don't be pressured by other drivers or traffic behind you - only proceed when you feel safe.

Other points to be stressed are to constantly scan your surroundings and mirrors; Look well ahead of you, not just the vehicles right before you; Leave enough space in front of you to maneuver out of the way when stopped at a traffic light or intersection; Use your blinkers, let others know what you want to do; Know how and not be afraid to use your brakes! And the accelerator to get out of the way if needed. Be aware of road condition, rises and dips and how that affects stability and control. I would emphasize that especially to boys who will have a greater affinity to push the envelope perhaps, but even seasoned drivers will spin out because they didn't read the road properly. And finally... Speed. Things happen a lot faster at speed, lessening reaction time. And with velocity there is effectively an increases in mass, making the vehicle harder to stop and lessening the protection of the cabin on impact.

You can teach your new driver all sorts of things and provide them with the sagest advice. The problem is that everyone else is on the road as well and there are some real idiots out there. See them every day in beautiful South Florida


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## Squiddie (Dec 19, 2010)

The actual accidents I see new drivers do very often involve some form of 180 degrees turn.

3-point turn done in a way that confused oncoming drivers. Ding. U-turn messups of various descriptions. One of the more common one is coming from the not leftmost lane (to have enough space) and then get hit by a passing car. Too many directions to look into, that doesn't work for new drivers. Beginners need to keep all the relevant enemies on the same side of the car. Those turns where you have to do 360 degree visual sweeps are not for them.

Remind the new driver that people here in MA ignore your turn indicators even if you use them. They will pass you on the side you are blinking at, regardless of what they have been taught in driving school (if any).

I would hammer in the message that driving in the wrong direction after missing a waypoint is a perfectly fine thing to. Then you use the next proper traffic light or drive-through restaurant to turn.


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## TRWham (Aug 21, 2004)

The Smith System:

1. Aim High in Steering 
Look 15 seconds into your future. (Don’t just look at the vehicle in front of you) 

2. Get the Big Picture 
Look for Hazards. (Other Motorists, Pedestrians, Vehicle doors opening) 

3. Keep Your Eyes Moving 
Don’t stare. Move eyes every 2 seconds. (Use your peripheral vision)(Stop the fixed habit stare) 

4. Leave Yourself an Out 
Monitor the space cushion around you and your vehicle. Also applies to parking. 

5. Make sure They See You 
Use your signals- (Directionals, 4-Way Flashers, Head Lights, Brake Lights, Horn, Hand Signals) Make Eye Contact.


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## Squiddie (Dec 19, 2010)

TRWham said:


> The Smith System:
> 
> 3. Keep Your Eyes Moving
> Don't stare. Move eyes every 2 seconds. (Use your peripheral vision)(Stop the fixed habit stare)


My favorite, in addition to not trying to have the steering wheel in a fixed grip with both hands at all times for hours in a row. That is just tiring and when something interesting happens you are down, slamming into something with both hands at the wheel not having reacted at all


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## mdsbuc (Mar 17, 2005)

Jumping in a bit late here, but one of the things that I emphasized with my daughter, a new driver, was that if for whatever reason her wheels go off the road and onto a soft shoulder, slow the car way down and gradually ease the car back onto the road. Over correcting at speed is the cause of many rollovers and fatalities.


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## sno_duc (Sep 3, 2008)

TRWham said:


> The Smith System:
> 
> 1. Aim High in Steering
> Look 15 seconds into your future. (Don't just look at the vehicle in front of you)
> ...


Been thru the "Smith School" work related, good stuff.:thumbup:
Very similar to what the MSF (motorcycle safety foundation) teaches.

Actually, start her out on a 250 cc single-seat motorcycle, after the MSF course, and always in full gear (helmet, armored jacket, riding pants (or Kevlar reinforced jeans), boots and gloves. Somehow not having a 2,000 steel cage around you, makes you a whole lot more attentive to the task at hand, driving.


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## John Davis (Sep 5, 2012)

Here's another one: Never try to win an argument on the road. (E.g., don't let your ego drive you to do something stupid just because someone else is being a jerk.)


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