I Need Driving Advice

Hey Y'all,
I just got my learners permit, and I was hoping I could get some tips and advice from my friends at ETS. Anything would be appreciated.
BTW- Everyone said the Permit test (written) was hard, Whatever but I aced it after taking a few hours of drivers ED.

Thanks,
Adventureboy

P.S.Has anyone heard of "Fatal Vision Glasses" sometimes called "Beer Goggles"? looking through them makes your vision the same as if you had a Blood alcohol level of .15. I was totally unable to walk a streight line heel to toe. in fact I could barely stand up.
PPS. Here is their product link. Fatal Vision

A few things that I find important for new drivers:

When you pull up behind someone at an intersection or other position where you are stopped behind another vehicle. Leave enough distance so you can see their rear tires touch the ground. For most vehicles this allows you to maneuver around them should you need to.

When driving in traffic dont focus solely on the vehicles immediately around you. Focus well down the road so you have more reaction time to things coming up on you. Too many people simply watch the vehicle immediately in front of them and wonder why they run into the rear end of said vehicle when traffic suddenly slows because of some junk in the road or whatever.

Focus on driving, your brain can only handle so much stimuli. If it is raining and traffic is bad turn down the radio so your mind has less to process. This applies to anytime you are multitasking, limit what your mind has to process for safety.

Your vehicle is like an equation if you add or subtract too much acceleration with too much steering you will lose traction, simple as that. You should apply them in inverse ratios or less to each other i.e. 25% acceleration to 75% steering to make a turn or 75% acceleration and 25% steering to change lanes. If you try to do 100% steer to 100% acceleration you get a burnout/doughnut which is a loss of traction.

Keep your head on a swivel. You should constantly be scanning the area around your vehicle and maintaining a mental image of the space around you. Always check your blindspots and set your mirrors up for success so you minimize those blindspots.

Position your seat so that you can comfortably push the gas/brake pedal too the floor with the ball of your foot if not flat footed. Your seat and seat back should be where you can sit all the way back and extend one arm forward and have your wrist at the steering wheel. This allows for good control of the vehicle even in complex defensive maneuvers.

Wear your seatbelt.

Tips and advice, eh? (Evil grin, rubbing hands together)

* Slow down! If your vehicle is going faster than your brain, you're in big trouble.
* Signal your moves -- we can't read your mind!
* Slow down.
* Signal BEFORE you make your move, not during or after.
* Slow down.
* Pay attention to what is going on around you, not just the cute little bimbo with the cute butt and big boobs.
* Slow down.
* Turn off the cell phone and put it in the trunk.
* Slow down.
* Showing off for your friends is the ultimate stupidity... and sometimes the last.
* Slow down.
* Leave the radio/CD/TV off.
* Slow down.
* Don't make fast jackrabbit starts and then slam on the brakes ten feet from the stop sign/signal.
* Don't park on RR tracks and bait the locomotive approaching. The crews really hate searching for chunks of human flesh and the shoes with feet still in them.
* The speed limit and the laws of physics apply to you just like they apply to everyone else. Ignore those facts and you'll die.
* The leading cause of death in young men is testosterone poisoning, not responsible driving.
* Just because other people drive like they've got a spike in their brain doesn't mean you have to do the same.
* I don't know about Arizona, but here in Washington State, probably half the people who drive carry a loaded weapon in their vehicle. It isn't really hard for the police to determine if the bullets went through the stupid driver's brain before or after his car hit the pet pickup truck with the $10,000 paint job. It's usually labeled 'suicide' just because someone will yell at them if they put 'idiot' on the report.
* Like it or not, most people don't really care if you live or die. Even if your friends cry the first day, they probably won't remember what you looked like a month later. And that's probably twice as long as they'll visit you if get yourself paralyzed from the neck down.

Driving a car is a responsibility, not a right.

AND SLOW DOWN!

Sue

Assume every other driver around you are stupid and can't drive and prepare to react as such, because quite a few of them really can't. I've had quite a few near misses when the other driver decide it's a good idea to turn right from left turning lane, or stay in their own lane is boring.



Geez, a hundred and fifty bucks plus shipping just so you can experience what's it like to be drunk? How many cases of beer and hard booze could you buy and experience it for real?

By the way Beer Goggle usually means something entirely different.

Combine the "head on a swivel" tip with the "what if" mind game. You can play this game when you're not the driver, too.

What if car X suddenly changes his mind?
What if that man wants to cross the streets?

Combined with a healthy sense of paranoia, this mind game will increase your ability to read traffic and spot potential dangerous situations BEFORE they materialize.

The rest of the advices concerning YOUR behavior - slow down, use due signaling etc - comes naturally as a result when you've been playing this mind game for a while. The healthy dose of paranoia comes naturally, too..

That´s a really good advice! A friend of mine managed to hit a lantern pole while riding his bike and keeping his sight on a nicely shaped female behind. It took only 6 stitches to repair the damage. I admit that we did not act like good friends when we laughed at him for the mishap later.

Keep in mind that distance to the vehicle in front of you means time to react and safety. It might make the difference between a car crash and an easy stop. 1 second of driving at your current speed should be minimum. Less might work IF you had the reflexes of a fighter pilot. But why take a chance on that?
Situational awareness is important. So keep your mind on the driving and both hands on the wheel. Keep your actions predictable for other drivers. That might help you to stay unharmed.
Laws of physics are not legal stuff. They are applied without mercy and there is no appeal. Lack of experience does not earn you extra points.
Driving differs sharply from driving simulations. "Game over" means "Game over". There will be no "Start from last saved". The damage model is not pretty real it is real.
Too much speed is a cause for accidents. Too much speed does not always mean exceeding the speed limit. Low vision, low traction and children near the road might demand a substantial decrease in driving speed.
Always have the guts to be a coward. You will not win a medal for bravery in daily traffic.
Save driving and lots of fun with it.

I'd make that 3 seconds. Longer at high speeds, if the roads are slippery or if you drive a heavy vehicle. You can shave that figure down a notch if you're in a long column of slow moving vehicles ("bumper-to-bumper"), but be aware of the risks involved.

1 second would make a serious violation of our local traffic laws and the ticket if caught is quite stiff. Less than 1 seconds and you're borderline to serious legal trouble (you go to court, not just a ticket) and loss of driver's license. Your local laws may differ.


Remember that you shall be at a mental state of very high alert AND have the foot ready on the brake pedal to have reaction times less than 1 second. If you don't suspect anything in particular to happen, expect 1.5 seconds or more. At least 1.5 seconds is the realistic reaction time in your every day scenario, not the "I train myself to show how quick I can react in this test"-figure.

Then why don't you crash more often if you need this long to react? It is because traffic usually follows a predictable pattern: You put your foot on the brake when you expect you'll need to slow down. I am talking about the time you need to react when something unexpected happens.


It is not just a question of YOU being able to stop. There is also a vehicle behind you. If you have a gap of 3 seconds you can stop much more smoothly. This reduces the risk of being rear ended because the guy on the phone behind you does not have your superior awareness and reaction time.

The next time you're driving, count start counting thousand-and-one, thousand-and-two, thousand-and-three when the rear end of the car in front of you passes a sign post or other reference point. Stop counting when you reach that reference point. If you can't make it to two you probably won't be able to stop if that guy unexpectedly slams on his brakes - you'd hit him for sure. Make it to three and it gives you a much better margin for the unexpected.

Adjust your mirrors for good vision. Even so, you still have blind spots to your rear.

Expect the unexpected - the car changing lanes unexpectedly, the wrong way bicyclist, etc. Being a bit paranoid makes sense when driving.

Always buckle up.

IMO that advice covers a lot of bases. The way I explained it to my daughter is that when you are looking at the leading edge of your headlights you can easily see what's happening two car lengths in front of you. If you're looking two car lengths ahead you have little to no idea of what's happening 500 ft in front of you.

If you only observe problems a couple of car lengths in advance, the message from your eyes to your brain may as well be "You're going to be in a wreck". lol

Congrats! I remember like it was yesterday the thrill of getting my learner's permit and driver's license. I lived in a small town. Car equaled freedom. I've had many close calls, made many mistakes and am prone to backseat drive so here's input, in addition to what's already been offered, that I would give my nieces:

1) Equip to Survive. In other words: buckle up..... Each and every time, before you put the key in the ignition.

2) Equip your mind to survive. In other words: drive defensively. Anticipate..... Prepare by leaving room to stop or evade. Assume all of the other drivers on the road are distracted, because many of them are. Use your turn signals, always, because it's safer and polite. But don't assume other cars see your signal. Assume they don't.

3) Situational awareness: Check your mirrors, rear and both sides - often - especially before changing lanes. Don't assume that because you saw your light turn green, that the drivers going the other direction saw their light turn red. Double-check that the other cars are stopping before you go into the intersection. Know that it will take your car a lot longer to stop when the roads are wet (especially if they've been dry for a long while, giving slippery oil and grease time to accumulate on the pavement). Keep the stereo volume low enough that you can still hear a fire truck siren or honking.
Situational awareness = no phone calls, e-mails or texting.

4) Maintain your vehicle: Keep your windows -- especially your windshield -- clean. Keep the wiper fluid topped off. A dirty windshield can blind you when the sun hits it at the right angle. Have good windshield wipers -- worn wiper blades will impair your vision when it rains. Should probably get new ones a couple times a year. Proper tire inflation -- check often and look at your tires, all of them, every time you get into the car. Brake lights, turn signal lights, headlignts - check them often. Know your car.

3) One second. Know -- really know -- that one second, just one second, can change your life, forever. If you must take the phone call or text -- pull over to do so. No call or text is worth risking your life, or anyone else's.

Six months after my sister's 16th birthday she took her eyes off the road for a moment, just a moment, to reach behind the seat to keep a box from falling on her new hat. In that moment her hand on the steering wheel moved, ever so slightly, as she reached for the hat. Her car drifted, just a couple of feet. Just enough to catch her passenger-side wheels in a shallow gully and steer her car directly into a tree. She was going a mere 35 mph. That was Monday, April 4, 1983. A beautiful spring day. She was in route to a softball game where she was to be the starting varsity pitcher. She never played another game. Twenty-seven years later she's still dealing with the aftermath of a broken neck and brain injury (which requires anti-seizure medication for the rest of her life).

Just be careful. Kudos to you for soliciting the opinions of others and having the patience to read through them. If everyone were so thoughtful as you before getting into a car, we'd all be a lot safer on the road.

You are very wise for someone so young. Heck, you're wise for any age. You're going to do great.

:-)

PM sent.

I'm still refining my driving even though I've been driving almost 40 years now. (And the creative chaos on the roads continues to add stupid people tricks to watch out for)

There is a BIG hint here about who else is sharing the road with you. And this should only be the beginning of a lifetime of dismay :-)

Our local laws require the mentioned 1 second and assume that drivers are attentive enough to react. You made a couple of very good points why going beyond this limit is a good idea.
This is not intended to be political in any way: I think your local laws on this topic are better than ours. More distance to the vehicle in front of you does not only mean more safety. It also has the tendency to improve the flow of the traffic considerably - think of the rubber band effect.

Lot's of good advice. I particularly liked your list Dagny. Maybe I'm just a sucker for fancy formatting of your post!

Back to the OP, I encourage to take the tips here to heart and keep practicing them because the habits you ingrain now will likely shape your driving for the rest of your life. Well, risk taking generally goes down with advancing age, but other aspects of your driving will likely stay the same so it's best to start off right.

I would minimize how many other friends you have in the car. I remember many a car ride in high school with the stereo bumping and lot's of friends in the car joking and screaming. That's a recipe for inattentive driving or worse, egging you on to do something stupid or reckless.

Night driving can be deceptive, too, until you're a more experienced driver. Additional skills like knowing how to use that little lever on your center rearview mirror, using turn signals properly, driving at the appropriate speed, are all a bit different from daytime driving. And remember, the speed limit is designed for daytime driving under ideal conditions. Just because the sign says 50mph doesn't mean it's always safe to drive at that speed at all hours of the day or night, rain or shine. It isn't.

Experience is more important than raw natural talent in driving (as in virtually any skill). Accordingly, your job is to stay alive long enough to acquire thousands of hours of driving experience.

My first suggestion is similar to Sue's main point, but slightly different. Leave early. If you leave early, you will be lessly likely to be in a hurry and can therefore drive slowly. If you miss a turn or go the wrong way, you will have spare time to safely get back on track and you will not have to pull a u-turn in the middle of a highway.

My second suggestion is tied to the first. When you get flustered, you are much more likely to make bad decisions. Accordingly, try to avoid getting flustered. Leave early so that you aren't in a hurry. Familiarize yourself with a map of the area so that even if you take a wrong turn, you will know where you are and how to get where you are going. Despite all your efforts, you will on occasion get flustered. Train yourself to recognize when you are getting anxious, and when you recognize that you are getting anxious, slow everything down.

My third suggestion, try to avoid having another young male in the vehicle with you. You are displaying excellent judgment by seeking advice. Nevertheless, my experience is that the judgment of young males is the inverse square of the number of males. If you get two males, your judgment is a quarter of what it is by yourself. When you get three males, you are down to a ninth.

My fourth suggestion, bring some kind of snack to eat if you get sleepy. I remember that as a new driver, I was much more prone to getting sleepy/hypnotized than I am now. I eventually learned that eating something (pretzels are my favorite) eliminated the problem. If you don't experience this danger, then don't bring the snack.

Another suggestion: Read Deep Survival, particularly the first few chapters and think conceptually about positive feedback loops in the midst of unsafe behavior. Some people dont speed or do reckless maneuvers because they are in a rush, they do it for a rush. Understanding that sometimes you will be compelled to do stupid stuff because of an low order desire will help you to avoid such behavior.

True, but you need the proper kind of experience to become a skilled, safe driver. There are plenty of drivers on the road with many years of driving under their belts who are still poor drivers in many aspects of driving. Some skills they may never have learned or not learned properly. Other aspects are just bad habits that got ingrained because they always got away with it, like rolling stops, or from doing what others do.

It's very easy to watch how other people drive and to copy them and think that's the proper way to drive. The biggest pet peeve I have watching people drive in Southern California is how close people follow each other, particularly on the freeway. One second rule? What's that? You routinely see a train of cars driving 80+mph with just a few feet separating them. That is so crazy, but "everyone" drives that way! I took a trip to Florida recently and I couldn't believe how slowly everyone drove on the freeway there. I thought that they were just all retired folks, but nope, they're young folks.

There are so many good tips here already, and so many I could give, but I'll just give you one, for now:


Use elephants to drive more safely. Here's how:


You should follow at least three seconds behind the vehicle ahead of you. Note something the vehicle ahead of you is just passing (a mark on the road, a lane marker, a shadow, etc.) and start counting "1 Elephant, 2 Elephant, 3 Elephant". Each elephant takes one second to count, and that will tell you if you are far enough back.

Three seconds gives you time to react and get on your own brakes if the driver ahead of you slams on theirs unexpectedly, or something falls off the truck ahead of you, etc. Closer than that and you will hit the other vehicle/object/whatever before you can stop, no matter how quick your reactions are. The gap is hard to maintain in heavy traffic, of course, because people will constantly jump into it, trying to get that little bit ahead. But it's worth the effort. It just may save you from a collision.


Learn to keep an eye on the traffic just in front of you, a little further down the road, and 12 seconds down the road on both your side and the other side. To learn how far that is, pick a landmark down the road and count elephants again. You'll develop a feel for how far ahead twelve seconds is, and be surprised by traffic a LOT less often.


Check your mirrors regularly, too, at least once every ten elephants, er, seconds. That way you have some idea of what's happening behind you, too.


Develop a routine of keeping a gap ahead of you and of looking at the cars both near you and down the road. And let the elephants keep you safe!

On my fishing trip this evening two more things came to my mind and as I didn´t find it posted here I´ll do now.
Long shadows in your driving direction indicate a serious thread. Act as if you were invisible to other drivers as you may well be just that. It´s an unsymmetric low vision scenario. The sun in your back conceals your approach to drivers in front of you while you can see them clearly. That makes sunset or sunrise more dangerous than rain or fog. That fact is not always taught properly.
When started riding motorcycle I attached a hand counter to my handle bars. Every time I made a mistake I hit the counter. That has two effects. For one thing you admit to yourself that you did something you should not do. And to a lesser degree you get a count of your mistakes. The count can go up even when the driving gets better. I got more critical and started counting things I did not even notice when I started counting. The counter is also a constant reminder that I make mistakes too. It helps putting the "inconvenience" of safety margins in the proper perspective.

I hope that Driver's Ed classes are still not teaching techniques from the 60's. With the widespread adoption of technology like airbags in the steering wheel and anti-lock brakes, what we learned in our youths aren't the best ways to drive anymore.

I was taught the hand-over-hand method of turning. My first car had no power steering and hand-over-hand does generate the necessary torque, but nowadays, cars all have power steering. I later switched to the push-pull (or pull-push) method in my early 20's for a number of reasons. One reason being that it keeps your forearms clear of the airbag in case you crash while executing a turn. I also find it smoother to execute. Supposedly, you're less likely to get your steering confused by your crossed arms if you suddenly have to make an emergency maneuver in the middle of executing a turn but I've never had the opportunity to test that theory yet.

"Feathering" your brakes or "threshold braking" are not really necessary if you have ABS and could actually lengthen your shortest possible stopping distance compared to simply braking hard and not freaking out when the ABS kicks in and makes noises or you feel that pulsing in the pedal.

Taller drivers or those with longer arms may disagree, but I think holding the wheel at 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock should be standard, not 10-and-2 or 9-and-3 like we were taught in Driver's Ed. I have read that research shows no reduction in control, it's less fatiguing for long drives, and again, it helps keep your forearms away from the airbag in case of a crash. Most new cars these days conveniently have those grips at the 8-and-4 position, too, so even auto engineers expect you to hold the wheel that way. You often have the horn buttons within reach of your thumbs if you're holding the wheel at 8-and-4.

I have short arms and it also lets me sit further back from the air bag. I see too many smaller folks sitting really close to the steering wheel all the time. Well, the first priority is to sit close enough to be able to maintain proper control of the car, but after that, you should position yourself further away from the air bag, if possible.

And did anyone ever learn how to use their mirrors properly in Driver's Ed? The "normal" method is to simply point your center and side mirrors straight back. You end up with that big blind spot to the left and right rear quarter. It's such a waste to have all three mirrors covering essentially the same real estate behind your car.

A rough guide to the way I later learned to position my mirrors is to point the center straight back. For the left side mirror, rest your head against the side window and then position the mirror to just see the edge of your car body. For the right mirror, lean your head to the centerline of the car and adjust the mirror to just see the right edge of your car body.

As a car comes up from behind you, when they're a safe distance away, they will appear in your center mirror. As they come closer, the car will disappear from your center mirror but then simultaenously appear in your side mirror. Your blind spot is much smaller when you position your mirrors this way and you generally only need a quick look directly to the side to check your blind spot for a lane change, not a three-quarters turn like we were taught in Driver's Ed. Set up this way, a quick glance in your mirrors should normally show all vehicles in your vicinity without you having to worry about what's in your blind spot.

Try it, if this technique is new to you. It's really neat the first time you follow a car from your center mirror into your side mirror and then into your peripheral vision as it pulls up alongside you. Made me wonder why they didn't teach us this neat technique in Driver's Ed??? Unfortunately, I find that many cars don't allow their mirrors to turn outward far enough so I don't think this is the standard way to position your mirrors but it seems like such a no-brainer to me.

Heres a safety tip....DONT GET A TOYOTA!!! that'll cut down your worry ALOT!!

The biggest things I can think of are these.
1: Slow Down.
If the weather is bad, if it is an area with people, if it is on back roads with deer or if there is anything odd going on, slow down. It is much easier to stop and you have more time to react. (Trust me about deer because they can jump 20 feet out of the woods and land right in front of you, and there is nothing to wake you up quite like hitting a moose at night either).

2: Leave lots of space between you and the other cars. Even when you pull up behind a stopped car you should leave enough space that you can steer around it. When in traffic you want much more space than that in case the car in front decides to stop in a sudden fashion.

3: Keep your windows clean.
People argue over windex, ammonia or vinegar, but whatever you use is not as important as having clean windows is. Grimy windows are hard to see out of, especially when driving into the sun or when facing headlights at night. You should include making sure you have good windshield wipers and that the washer fluid is full.

4: Learn to use your mirrors and learn how to adjust them properly. You want to eliminate as many blind spots as possible.
Also you should adjust them so a set of headlights behind you don't reflect directly into your eyes. After a while the head motion to check your mirrors should be so automatic you forget that you are doing it but notice immediately if the mirrors are out of place.

5: Do your vehicle maintenance like a religious act of devotion.
Before starting the car all fluids should be checked along with a tire inspection. You should be checking that all your lights work at the same time. Most drivers don't check that often and some only check after the idiot lights come on. If you are not going to check every time you start a trip then at least do it each time you fill the gas tank.

6: Drive or don't drive, nothing in between
When you get behind the wheel you should have a clear idea of where you are going. Read the maps before you get in the car. If you need to check a map or make a call pull over some place and stop to do it.
You need no extra distractions when driving.

7: Don't drive tired. I have seen 8 accidents caused by people falling asleep behind the wheel, 3 of them resulted in deaths. If you are tired pull over and have a rest, even take a nap if you must.

Finally: Did I mention slowing down?

I just remembered this website that I bookmarked quite a while ago. My bookmark says "93 rules to live by" but the author seems to have pruned his list because the current list is down to 70 rules.

I was just re-reading through some of these tips. Really great stuff. I wish I had been made aware of these different topics when I was a new driver.

70 Rules of Defensive Driving

"Drive Safe with Uncle Bob!"

And he's from Arizona, too, just like the OP.

I always adjust my mirrors so I can just barely see the side of my car from my driving position. I feel that gives me more confidence to determining the position of what I see in the mirror relative to my car. And yes, that gives me a significant blind zone which I need to check before changing lanes. (BTW, do you know where your blind zone is? It may not be where you think it is... hint: It is NOT the 5 o'clock direction - your mirror has that one covered.)

Not really safety related, but I also use my mirrors extensively when I go backwards. (Summer vacations spent as a lorry driver, without a rear view window you learn that pretty fast and that lesson sticks). The mirrors would be close to useless for this purpose if I did not have the edge of my car as reference.

I might try out Arney's method just to see if there's something in it to me. But old habits die hard, and I would be very surprised if I switch.

Ah, that's a good point. I back tail-in in my garage so I face this situation all the time. For me, I lean my head over either left or right (depending on which side of the garage I'm backing into) and then I see the "normal" view in the side mirror--with the mirror pointing straight back and the side of the car visible. Parallel parking is another situation where it's a little tougher to use the side mirrors, but just a little head re-positioning should allow you to use the side of the vehicle as a reference.

One other advantage to this mirror position is that it reduces getting blinded by bright headlights from behind. When your side mirrors are pointed straight back and some relatively tall truck/SUV or European sedan with really bright HID headlights is behind you, the reflection is aimed at your face. If your mirrors are pointed more outboard, light from behind reflects away from your face. And bright lights from a car in the next lane generally won't blind you unless their headlights were actually pointed at an angle towards your side mirror, which generally only happens with misaligned headlights.

I was looking for a picture that hopefully makes the geometry of the mirrors more understandable. I found one page just now. If you look at the picture and wait a bit, it will change from showing the side mirrors pointing in different angles.

One commenter on that page makes the astute observation that the mirrors could be swung even wider out. The method I describe involves just barely overlapping the center and side mirror fields of view. But this guy's point is that the side mirrors do not necessarily have to overlap the field of vision with the center mirror at all. You simply need the fields to be close enough that you don't create a blind spot big enough for a vehicle to hide inside. If you did it that way, then you could cover even more area around your vehicle. But I find that many cars don't allow their side mirrors to swing out as far as the "too wide" picture shows anyway so it may not be practical.

The picture and another description of this mirror positioning can be read here:

MostlyHarmless--changing the mirrors certainly does take getting used to. I wouldn't be surprised if you feel disoriented and really hate it right off the bat. It felt really strange in the beginning for me, but now I'll never go back.

Two points in particular stand out.

1. Laws of physics change based on what you are driving. A short, tall 4x4 like a jeep will not make it around a curve at the same speed a car will.

2. Wear your seat belt. Most places have passed laws requiring this but this is one I agree with. Hanging upside down by your seat belt will make you a believer in a hurry. BTDT I wore it before because I was supposed to. The car doesn't move out of the driveway without it now.

Same experience with me. I believed intellectually in the value of a seat belt, but became a true believer after the driver of a car I was riding in failed to make a curve, leaving me hanging...Pretty interesting experience.

There is a great deal of good advice in this thread. The only thing that i can add is drive like one of your parents are in the car with you. Quite a few things in life work better if you think that mom or dad will find out about it.

Sorry about your car Izzy. Hope you get a cool car that is in keeping with your status of the most eligible bachelor in Deland.

Concentrating on speed alone is not helpful. Speed is just one factor; weather, traffic, your personal readiness, condition of the car etc all come into play as well and are just as important.

I've felt comfortable and safe sometimes driving 2x the speed limit and there are times I've not felt comfortable at 2/3rd the speed limit. I'm very comfortable driving in heavy, heavy rain but avoid driving in snow at all costs.

You make a good point here, and I agree that you have to consider local conditions in determining your speed, but I can't think that driving, say, 80 MPH in a 40 MPH zone is ever a good idea.

In our region there are some speed limits on "teenager race tracks" or "applause turns" for motorcyclists. Those spots are easily mastered by average drivers at the general speed limit but cars and motorcycles keep running off the road despite decreasing speed limits. I know a specific turn where the limit went from 100km/h to 30km/h over the past few years. Fatal crashes still happen in that spot. I still think that exceeding the speed limit is not a good idea.

Put a Res-Q-Me on your keychain.

As I was falling asleep it occurred to me that if the OP is still in school, he should see if it would be permitted on the grounds.

If not, then hang it somewhere easy to reach from the driver's seat without any leaning (a jammed belt may be holding you in place), and that you can be sure will still be there after a major collision (a rearview mirror mounted on a windshield does not meet this requirement).

On your keychain is best, though, because then it's with you even in someone else's car.


A final tip from me: don't be intimidated by how much people are offering. Driving is a very complex activity, with many different inputs to process in a continually changing environment. You have your license, but you are only just beginning to learn to drive.

Printout/file all this info somewhere, and review it periodically. Bits of it will "stick" each time.

Drive safely, and enjoy the road!

I've been trying to think of where to place these near my kids seats (Brytex) where they could be reached if needed but not with reach of my kids who might decide to test them out

I have some advice that is a little different than what others are saying. Everything they are saying, espcially with regards to slowing down and focusing on ONLY driving is spot on.

That said, I highly recommend taking a high performance driving course, the kind that teaches you threshold breaking, puts you on a skid pad, and maybe even puts you on a race course. I've done this a few times (lucky enough to have a family mamber who races Porches, so cost was somewhat managable) and it has made me a much better driver for a number of reasons:

1) You will learn what the car feels like at its limits, in a safe environment. This helps you never go near the limits on the street.

2) You will learn how to recover if you exceed the car's limits. Hopefully you will never need to do this on the street, but it's good to know how.

3) You will get the need for speed out of your system. Driving close to the limits can be fun. Do it in a controlled environment, and it can be relatively safe. DON"T DO IT ON THE STREET!!!

After every track day I have driven, I find myself driving much slower and more carefully on the street, and I think the experience has made me a much better driver.

You seem like a reasonable and careful kind of guy, which is why I am suggesting this. If you are the type who will take this kind of class and think it makes him a better street racer, well then ignore everything I have said, as it may only get you killed.

I agree with this statement for experienced drivers, but for situations like the OP, who just got their learner's permit, I think it's appropriate to keep the speeds down, even in spite of other factors.

New drivers will always be confronting new situations and they often hesitate in deciding how to react. If traffic is flying along at 50mph in a 35mph zone, the new driver may be comfortable going with the flow of traffic and could do it all day. Some may argue that it's safer for this driver to be going 50 than 35. However, if something novel suddenly develops, the new driver may need every millisecond to either make up their mind on how to react, or else to ask the person they are driving with (the OP only has a learner's permit, after all) what to do.

After we've been driving for a while, we almost instinctually know what to expect in various situations and adjust our driving accordingly. But a new driver doesn't have the advantage of experience and may be paralyzed trying to guess what might happen or how to react properly, in addition to the sensory overload that afflicts new drivers at first.

When the new driver takes their driving test, speed really does matter, too. Go over the limit and we may flunk, regardless of whether it's safe to drive that fast. We all adjust to whatever speed we're accustomed to driving. If we have a habit of driving faster than the posted limit, then the driver has one more thing to consciously worry about on the driving test. I moved from a city with relatively fast top speed limits to one with limits much slower. I had a hard time keeping my speed down at first and had to constantly check my speed, but now, I drive without even looking at my speedo and I'm naturally driving at the slower speeds expected in my new city.

New drivers also tend to get into more car accidents. Regardless of why it happens, since the energy of a crash goes up by the square of the speed, any extra speed is magnified in impact energies. Keeping your speed down increases the survivability of any accident, which would be prudent for those at higher risk of getting into an accident.

I agree with the rest, expect the unexpected. And for gods sake, don't try to text and drive.