Rachaelle Lynn has been employed in the field of driver safety for 10 years in the areas of classroom training, curriculum development, and instructor training and compliance. In her current position as Curriculum Development Manager for the National Safety Commission, she writes driver prep courses for applicants for CDL Licenses and motorcycle licenses, as well as passenger vehicles. She writes a monthly Safe Driving Teen newsletter and is a frequent contributor to our blogs.
Spring break is an exciting annual event for many young people. They look forward to taking time off from the rigors of schoolwork to spend time with friends having fun in an exotic setting.
But this can also be a dangerous time for young people, especially when they drive to their destination, often accompanied by distractions such as passengers and loud music. Driving requires attention and awareness, along with the ability to make complex decisions and act on them quickly. For someone driving in an unfamiliar setting, this awareness is particularly important. Drivers in an unfamiliar setting can get distracted by:
In this article, we will address the issue of how to handle roadside distractions when driving in an unfamiliar setting.
"Roadside distractions" refers to any aspect of the environment that draws a motorist's attention away from the task of driving. For example, a driver who is spending spring break in a beach town may face roadside distractions such as:
1. Heavy pedestrian traffic with pedestrians who may:
- Dart in and out of traffic
- Be over-excited or intoxicated
- Be skimpily dressed
- Include large groups of children
- Be carrying several items, such as beach towels and toys
2. Other drivers who:
- exceed the low speed limit
- run red lights and stop signs
- weave in and out of traffic
- play loud music
- call out from their vehicles
3. Other road users who are riding motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and skateboards
4. Narrow roadways, closed roads, and detours
5. Noise and bright lights from nearby hotels, restaurants, bars and amusement parks
Drivers who are faced with this bewildering array of lights, sound and movement must continually refocus their attention on their driving. This is particularly important for inexperienced drivers whose control of the vehicle may be somewhat tenuous; a crash could occur very quickly. The following tips will help:
Minimize distractions inside the vehicle:
- Turn the stereo off
- Ask passengers to quiet down
- Don't eat, drink or smoke
- Turn your cell phone off
- Ask a passenger to act as a navigator instead of looking at the map or directions yourself
Avoid stopping or turning suddenly:
- Drive at or below the posted speed limit
- Maintain an adequate following distance
- Use your turn signal
- Keep driving normally and turn around in a safe place if you miss your turn
Scan the road ahead and your mirrors for trouble:
- Watch the road ahead while taking quick glances further ahead and in your mirrors
- Don't let yourself be distracted from scanning - while you're staring at one thing, another hazard could develop outside of your range of vision
Ask yourself "What if...?"
- What if that bicyclist falls?
- What if that traffic light changes suddenly?
- What if that weaving driver is drunk?
- What if that pedestrian steps into the street?
Avoid careless, reckless, aggressive drivers and drivers who may be intoxicated:
- Keep a safe distance from these vehicles
- Avoid challenging these drivers with your vehicle, eye contact, or gestures
Remember, driving safely helps ensure a safe, relaxing spring break! Be prepared for your spring break with our weekly teen safe driving tips.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
Kids Making Money at Part Time Jobs for 16 Year olds
By: jobsfor14 | 31/12/2009Many parents desire to educate their children the worth of money. It is not sufficient to notify them about money. Kids discover by demonstration and parents should recall that how they spend and save their cash is a message they educate their young children every day. Every parent would like to instill standards in their children that will help them, as they augment older.
Getting On With Teenagers
By: Adam Singleton | 30/12/2009The teenage years can be troublesome ones but with a little understanding you can all make it through them successfully.
CSA Complaints
By: Mike Kelley | 28/12/2009Child Support Agency (CSA) works to provide excellent services while handling child poverty. But the reason that evaluations based on the same financial criteria can give rise to different results...
Fresher Look With Bargain Mineral Makeup
By: Chin Forcht | 28/12/2009Cosmetics have been there for ages. These have been utilized by both men and women for various purposes.
Why Learning How to Market a Home Staging Business is Important
By: Karen Schaefer | 26/12/2009Home staging is the process of making a house appealing to potential buyers. Also known as real estate enhancement, home staging is considered as a hot business. But like any other business, there is always the good news and the bad news.
Need for after school activities
By: Ed Dearmin | 25/12/2009When children are literally up to their gills with the learning and sport activities in school, it may seem superfluous to enroll them for after school activities. In spite of this, after school programs are sprouting up in large numbers and most of these are booked full. This shows that there is a real need for after school activities.
Keep Your Kids From Drinking And Driving DUI
By: Alex Weidmann | 23/12/2009Very often we read that it is children and young people overestimate themselves in their alcohol consumption and drink more alcohol than is good for them, although this group of people should drink no more alcohol.
Confessions of an Erratic Female Teenager
By: Kasan Groupe | 22/12/2009Do you remember how rebellious you were when you were a teen? Perhaps you were the kind to get wasted and dance on bar stools around older, perverted men. Maybe you were the girl who broke all the guys’ hearts. Were you a druggie who used people for dope? Or were you literally the neighborhood bicycle? No matter how bad you think you were, it was probably just a teenage phase.
How to Handle a Florida Traffic Ticket
By: Rachaelle Lynn | 14/07/2009 | AutomotiveReceiving a ticket for a traffic violation can be a stressful, embarrassing and expensive experience, but the process of satisfying the ticket can have several benefits. A Florida traffic ticket often does not have to result in points on the driving record or an insurance increase, and it can provide an incentive for changing unsafe driving behaviors to avoid future tickets and decrease the risk of a motor vehicle crash that could result in property damage, injury, and death.
Traffic School: How Mature Drivers Can Get Auto Insurance Discounts
By: Rachaelle Lynn | 02/07/2009 | AutomotiveThe ability to drive safely is affected by changes in our physical and mental conditions, and many of these changes take place as we get older. Though research shows that age is not the sole predictor of driving ability and safety, there is ample evidence to show that most of us experience age-related declines in our perceptual abilities – declines that can signal a greater crash risk. One way to minimize crash risk for mature drivers is through driver education.
Spring Break Safety - How to Identify an Impaired Driver when Driving Your Vehicle
By: Rachaelle Lynn | 26/03/2009 | AutomotiveMany spring breakers drive to and from their vacation destinations. Spring break drivers are often relatively inexperienced due to their youth and may have difficulty navigating hazardous driving situations. One way to manage the risk is to spot impaired drivers early so you can increase your space cushion. This way, if the impaired driver causes a crash, you are much less likely to be part of it.
Reinstatement Requirements For A Suspended Driver'S License
By: Rachaelle Lynn | 25/02/2009 | AutomotiveIf you find yourself in the difficult position of having your driver's license suspended for too many points or traffic violations, it's important to follow the proper steps to regain it. Most drivers who lose their licenses for any length of time hope never to repeat the experience, but drivers who have recently had their license suspended are often at high risk of having it suspended again.
Teaching Your Teen To Drive - Tips And Tools For Parents
By: Rachaelle Lynn | 18/02/2009 | TeenagersTeaching your teen to drive is an exciting and highly anticipated rite of passage that means greater independence lies ahead. It may also be a time of mixed emotions. Many parents look forward to the day when they won't be their teen's main source of transportation, but they may also feel anxious about how safe their teen will be behind the wheel.
Environmental Effects On Driving A Car
By: Rachaelle Lynn | 17/02/2009 | CarsWe cannot avoid environmental conditions when we drive. Sometimes, conditions are favorable: a clear day with good visibility. Other times, challenging environmental conditions such as rain, fog and wind exist. Even a day filled with sunshine can present problems when driving or the lack of light reduces detail and conceals hazards such as pedestrians, bicycles, stalled cars, and curves. Also, glare from roadway lights, signs, and the headlights of oncoming vehicles may impair your vision.
Ten Tips for New Drivers Before and After Getting a Drivers License
By: Rachaelle Lynn | 12/02/2009 | TeenagersThe following is an outline of the top ten tips for new drivers before and after they receive their drivers license. These tips range from talking to your parents about driving expectations to useful tools like the driver handbook or a teen driving contract.