Teen Drivers

Safe Driving Solution:

Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) was established in 2003 by Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and a panel of safety experts to teach newly licensed teens the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs.

DSFL helps young drivers improve their skills in four key areas that are critical factors in more than 60% of vehicle crashes including:

1. Hazard Recognition
      · Approaching and turning left at intersections
      · The point of no return
      · How to scan for trouble
      · Minimizing distractions
      · Safety zones
      · Minimum vision lead time

2. Vehicle Handling
      · How acceleration, deceleration, braking and turns affect vehicle balance
      · Shifting loads gradually
      · Adjusting to a vehicle’s size and weight
      · Conventional braking systems versus anti-lock braking systems
      · Emergency braking techniques
      · Contact road patches

3. Speed Management
      · How to stay in contact with the road
      · Driving at a speed that doesn’t endanger or impede others
      · How to recover from skids in front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles
      · Using proper signals and covering the brake

4. Space Management
      · Maintaining space around, ahead of and behind your vehicle
      · Learning how to adjust speed
      · Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles
      · How to avoid being rear-ended and avoiding a head-on crash

TIPS FOR TEENS:

Insist on safety belt use
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 31,693 passenger vehicle occupants died in traffic crashes during 2004 – and 55% of those killed were NOT wearing their safety belts at the time of the crash.

Make sure you know the importance of safety belts. Remember, it's the law in every state (except New Hampshire), and you and your parents could be held liable legally and financially if someone is injured while riding with you. Belt use can significantly reduce the chance of a serious injury or fatality.

Drinking and driving don't mix.
More than a third of all teen traffic fatalities involve alcohol. It is illegal and highly dangerous for anyone to drive after drinking or using any other drug. No excuses. No second chances. No alcohol, period. It is illegal in all 50 states for anyone under age 21 to drink alcohol, much less drink and drive.

Alcohol, even in quite small amounts, adversely affects driver performance, hazard perception, coordination and our ability to anticipate and respond to emergencies, while at the same time increasing confidence and reducing inhibitions – a dangerous combination. Raising the minimum drinking age to 21 has saved over 21,000 lives since 1975. Still, alcohol use remains a huge problem among teens.

Also, drivers are less likely to use safety belts when they have been drinking. In 2002, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that of the young drivers who had been drinking and were killed in crashes, 77% were unrestrained.

Avoid distractions
Driving demands full attention. Your responsibility is to operate the vehicle safely. Distractions like the radio, cell phones and passengers take your attention away from the road. Remember, increasing distractions increases the risk of a crash.

Recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research showed that teen drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a distraction-related collision than any other age group. Because of this, many states are including restrictions that limit the number of passengers allowed in a vehicle with a new driver. Researchers feel that this is one way to reduce the amount of distractions that a teen has to deal with while driving.

Pay attention to tire safety
Safe operation of your vehicle requires that your tires be properly inflated. Remember that a tire can lose up to half of its air pressure without appearing flat. Every day before you drive, check your tires. If one looks lower than the others, use a tire gauge to check the pressure of all tires and adjust if required.

When checking the air pressure in your tires, make sure that you carefully attach the air pressure gauge/air hose to the tire’s valve stem directly on top of the valve stem. If you bend the valve stem, it may become damaged and cause an air leak.

Use a tire gauge to check the tire inflation pressure, including the spare (if equipped), at least monthly and before long trips. We strongly urge you to buy a reliable tire pressure gauge, as automatic service station gauges may be inaccurate.

Underinflation is the most common cause of tire failures and may result in severe tire cracking, tread separation or "blowout", with unexpected loss of vehicle control and increased risk of injury. Underinflation increases sidewall flexing and rolling resistance, resulting in heat buildup and internal damage to the tire. It also may result in unnecessary tire stress, irregular wear, loss of vehicle control and accidents.

FREE Program Elements

DSFL is a FREE comprehensive program that includes learning tools such as:

Web site, www.drivingskillsforlife.com, includes four study modules and a quiz, car care videos, several interactive games, and enhanced curriculum noting the importance of eco-driving to personal safety and the environment.
Educator packet that can be used by students and parents at home, as well as educators in the classroom and community settings. This FREE packet includes an in-depth DVD concentrating on each of our four driving skills, a letter for parents, a letter for educators, a leader’s guide, brochures, and cards. Materials are available in English and Spanish. To order materials, click here.
Ride-and-drives where teens get behind the wheel and go through exercises on the four DSFL skills. These are great opportunities for teens to gain experience, with a professional instructor at their side, in the four primary skills - hazard recognition, vehicle handling, speed management, and space management.