Driving Tricks or Tips

Ellen and I are the proud Graduates of the Honda Teen Defensive Driving program which we attended at the Mid-Ohio Racetrack on Saturday. 

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It was a full day of both classroom instruction and three driving practice courses of braking, spinning, and collision avoidance. The return trip was great highway practice for Ellen with torrential rain on a crowded highway at night.

Recommended (if not mandated) by A.M. several times, I can see now why this should be something every parent should consider for their new teen driver.  What a great service Honda has done (with other sponsors also) as the primary sponsor and contributor of the practice cars for the students.

So what did a driver like me (of 40+ years) with only one car accident learn?  Actually quite a few new things:

(1) Never hold the steering wheel in a reverse handhold at the top - if you don't want at least two breaks in your wrist when the airbag drives your wrist into your stomach.
(2) In a spin - look to where you want to end up and not at the obstacle you think you are going to hit.
(3) Adjust your sideview mirrors away from any view of the side of the car.  You should see the middle line and white edge of the side road.
(4) Don't use the one car length per 10 miles per hour safe distance rule.  Instead use the 3-5 second rule.  Count 3 seconds from the time the car in front of you passes a landmark to the time you pass from it.
(5) Cell Phones in car?  NEVER USE THEM (even with hands free).  This takes too long to explain - but I'm convinced of the danger. 

So you can teach on old car dog new driving tricks.