1 of 99

It’s about more than driving. It’s about living!

Hosted by:

2 of 99

Who We Are, and �Why We Are Here

History
My Testimonial
Your Instructors
(the yellow shirt people!)

WHO WE ARE AND WHY WE ARE HERE

The Tire Rack Street Survival Program

Use Highlights only-

HISTORY of TRSS: Street Survival started in 2002 (most students in the class weren’t born then). It was started by members of the BMW Car Club of America who wanted to start a non-profit charity to teach today’s teens better, safer driving skills. The BMW CCA Foundation a 501c3 charity was born and the 1^st schools for Street Survival were held in 2003. The Tire Rack committed to being the title sponsor in 2006, the Sports Car Club of America came on board in 2007 and the Porsche Club of America joined in 2011. We held our 1,250^th school in 2022. We have taught over 30,000 students all over the nation and Canada..

My Testimonial

Insert your Testimonial here. BRIEFLY (2-3 minutes) say how/why you started doing this. What your training was like as a teenager and how you got into high performance driving or auto crossing or racing or whatever exposed you to become involved.

Your Instructors

Mention the coaches / yellow shirt people and that this (car control) is what really interests them. They are racers, high performance driving instructors, autoccrossers etc.. This is their ‘sport’. Maybe they have golf clubs, tennis racquets, fishing poles and shotguns but don’t use them much. They are given up their day to be here. They are not being paid, all they get is the shirt, the same lunch and watch you improve and your smile. We are here for you, to make you a better, safer driver.

Check the schedule to see if another school is being held on the same day or weekend. We’ve help up to 8 schools in one weekend. Misery loves company.

3 of 99

Who We Are, and �Why We Are Here

Why are you here?

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

Ask:

“A show of hands, “Who saw this online and said, What a great way to spend my weekend?”. See if any of the students made the choice to come to the school on their own. Typically, no one has so you mention that their parents believed that this was a good idea.

“Was it yours?” -ORRRRRR- (exaggerate for emphasis)

“Your Parents?”

“A Traffic Court Judge?” (joking)

Of course most will hold their hand up on their parent’s and tell them that’s OK that they don’t want to be here.. But tell them:

“You will soon be doing things in the car that normally would get you yelled at. Tires will be squealing, cars will be sliding, you’ll be using the brakes very hard and you’ll be smiling much bigger at the end of the day than you are now…. I promise”

I actually have $95 in cash that I hold up and tell them that if they can come up at the end of the day and tell me they didn't learn anything or have fun, I’d give them their money back. In 15+ years of doing this and a doing couple100 schools, I’ve never had to do it.

4 of 99

Our Goals

Help you better:

Anticipate,

Sense,

Manage

1. Help you build good vehicle control skills.

2. Help you build good driving habits.

3. Make you more aware of your driving.

4. Challenge and motivate you to want to be better drivers, ongoing.

5 of 99

Do you think this class will make you a safer driver?
If so, for how long?
Why?

Multiple Text - use 2 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To engage the participants and get them involved right away through discussion; help them realize that it’s the AWARENESS that comes from a training program like this that matters most… and if that awareness fades over time, they’re not as safe.

NOTES/TIPS:

Ask the questions, and get engagement from the participants as soon as possible. Make everyone feel welcome and comfortable sharing thoughts, and asking and answering questions.
Will the class make them safer drivers? Absolutely… for some period of time. Any class like this raises awareness of the task of driving, and that’s a big part of making them safer drivers. But help participants see this for themselves – that it’s up to them and their awareness of driving that will make the biggest difference in how safe they are.
You can also ask if they’ve seen, or know, any bad drivers?

6 of 99

In the past decade, we’ve averaged over 36,000 deaths on our U.S. roadways every year.
Most of the vehicles were driven by people with a driver’s license.
A driver’s license is no guarantee… in fact, it doesn’t even mean the holder is a �good driver.

Multiple Text - use 2 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: A wake-up call! Help students realize how dangerous driving can be, and that just because they have a Drivers License, that’s no guarantee that they will not be involved in a crash – and be one of the tens of thousands of people killed each year.

NOTES/TIPS:

Use the points presented to get a reaction.
36,000 people… that’s like a stadium full of people – all killed within one year. Ask students to imagine a stadium full of people… and that all of those people are killed.
Make sure students “get it” – that a drivers license does not guarantee they are either safe or a good driver.

EXTRA TIP:

Reference the local collage/pro football stadium or basketball arena’s capacity that the students might recognize.

Additional stats (these are optional – use sparingly):

Motor vehicle crashes are the 2^nd leading cause of death for teenagers.
62% of teenage passenger deaths occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager (This is more than illness, drugs or crime combined)

According to the National Safety Council:

The chance of one crash in the first three years of driving is 89%
The chance of two crashes in the first three years of driving is 52%
58% of teen drivers do crash within the first 12 months driving solo
A 16-year-old is 20 times more likely to be killed in a crash than an adult
Teens are 400% more likely to die in a car crash than 25-34 year-old drivers
113 teenage drivers each week in the U.S. are involved in fatal crashes
Nearly 1000 teens each day are treated in an emergency room for injuries suffered in a motor vehicle crash - some are life changing injuries

7 of 99

What Makes a Good Driver?

Knowledge
Vehicle Control Skills
Attitude

Multiple Text - use 3 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To get students thinking about what a good driver really is. In doing so they may realize that they are… or are not.

NOTES/TIPS:

Ask, “How many of you are good drivers?” Have fun with this slide – if more than half the room puts their hand up, tell them that the “majority are above average” then.

“What makes a good driver?” begin a discussion about it. Listen to and recognize the input. Then say all of the input can be put into 3 categories:

Knowledge of the traffic laws and driving technique
Good driving skills, including an understanding of what a vehicle can and cannot do
Good attitude… “and we’ll talk more about this later…”

“We’re going to look at all 3, but with a focus on vehicle control skills and attitude. We can teach you the skills… it’s up to you to develop and/or maintain the right attitude. But more about that later…”

“Is being a Good Driver something to be proud of? Or is driving just something you have to do?”

“Let’s start with some basic knowledge…”

8 of 99

KNOWLEDGE

9 of 99

Rules & Regulations

Written rules (laws, regulations)
Unwritten rules
What are some of the Rules & Laws you know & use to survive?

10 of 99

We Have a Few Rules of Our Own

Follow your coach’s directions
Ask questions
Have fun (that’s a rule!)

11 of 99

The Best Classroom in the World…

12 of 99

Threshold Brake

Skid Pad

Animation Used- use 2 clicks

Note: This slide, and the following slide, can be adapted to how you set up your own driving exercises

SLIDE PURPOSE: To give the students a basic understanding of the driving exercises they will experience today. You don’t need to go into detail here – just give the students an overview of what they’ll be doing while driving the exercises.

NOTES/TIPS:

“But wait… a quick overview of the driving exercises.”

Threshold Brake:

This is designed to let the teens experience the anti-lock braking system (ABS) on their vehicle, or NOT!. This is done by making an acceleration lane with a braking box at the end. The student accelerates in a straight line and then gets hard onto the brakes, engaging the ABS. This exercise is best at approximately 35 to 40 mph. (Tough to get them that fast 1st thing in the morning). Tell them the coach will tell them when to stop, when they do you want them to STOMP on the brake pedal as hard as they can.

Skid Pad: Using (soap & water or cracked corn or…) you have created a circle. It is for the student to lose control of their vehicle on a slippery surface at a slow speed and in a controlled manner. This simulates driving in the rain or in snow. It also describes oversteer and understeer, words they will learn today. The act of losing control and being able to recover teaches the student to understand the vehicle dynamics of driving on a slippery surface. With a skid pad, the student can experience this at a slower speed and in a safer area than on the street.

13 of 99

Slalom

Lane Change / Accident Avoidance

Animation Used- use 2 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To give the students a basic understanding of the driving exercises they will experience today. You don’t need to go into detail here – just give the students an overview of what they’ll be doing while driving the exercises.

NOTES/TIPS:

Slalom:

This shows the aspect of weight transfer in their vehicle when they move the steering wheel to make a turn or avoid an object in front of them. As the student moves along and around the line of cones at a smooth, controlled speed, they feel the weight of the car move it back and forth. If the speed is too great, the car pushes out of the intended line of travel showing the student that controlled steering is important. The object of this drill is smooth input and looking up.

Lane Change / Accident Avoidance:

This used to simulate a rapid directional change to avoid a stopping car, an object in the road or pedestrian, while driving in traffic. The student accelerates to a moderate speed down a lane of cones that lead into two additional lanes on either side of the current direction. At the point where the three lanes begin, the coach directs the student to switch into one of the other lanes by saying “right” or “left” at the last possible second. The student learns to switch lanes smoothly and comes to a stop in the new lane thus avoiding the obstacle.

14 of 99

Questions?

15 of 99

Time to Wake UP!

End of Opening Session – Divide the class into their groups, send one group outside to begin their driving exercises while the other group stays in class for Session #1

SLIDE PURPOSE: Get the students ready to move to the Wake-Up Exercise.

NOTES/TIPS:

Divide students into two groups (if that hasn’t been done) so that after this wake up they will go to either to the 1^st Classroom Session or the stay out for the driving. At this point, have all students get in their car, line up and run through the braking area 2 or 3 times engaging the ABS to ‘wake them up’ and give them a taste of the activities of the day.

Each student will have a coach in the car with them to encourage hard braking for this exercise. If you have fewer coaches than students; as with a two to one ratio, at the end of a run, coaches will need to move up the line and hop into any available car for the exercise. Try to minimize the time/distance that the coaches need to get out of one car and into the other. If possible, set up 2 lanes for this. (this exercise only).

Tell them for the wake up drill that you’ll have a line (or 2) and to look for the head of the line (Yellow shirt guy waving arms in the air). A coach will get in the car for this exercise but not stay in the car. They might not get the same person each time just for this drill. They will complete this drill X number of times (2 or 3). Then split up after all are done.

Ensure that all questions have been answered before sending students to the driving exercises – or suggest that the student ask the question of the driving instructor.

16 of 99

VEHICLE CONTROL SKILLS

17 of 99

Behind The Wheel

Always use safety belts
Get the proper distance between you & the airbag
Hands at “9 & 3” position

Why?

Passenger seat as far back as possible

Multiple Text - use 6 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help students understand the best position to sit in and use the steering wheel.

NOTES/TIPS:

Ask “How many of you wear your seat belt EVERYTIME you drive/ride in a car?” most will hold their hands up. Tell them that their seat belt use is better than our generation, but we are still killing too teens simply because of not using seat belts. Over 50% of the teenagers killed last year weren’t wearing seat belts.
Explain how drivers and passengers should sit in the vehicle. Bend in the arms, bend in the legs. Use a chair to explain the proper position. Show them sitting in the chair extending your arm and tell them the steering wheel should hit right at the wrist for the proper distance away from the wheel and the air bag. Knees stay slightly bent even if the brake is fully engaged. Do not use you toes to push on the brake pedal.
Discuss why they should use the “9&3 o’clock” hand position (this maximizes control of the vehicle while keeping hands/arms out of the way of an airbag). You can discuss how some steering wheels are designed for a driver’s thumbs to rest on a spoke, therefore dictating what position (as close to 9&3 as possible) they should use. Pull down on the steering wheel rather than push up to make the car turn. Pulling down uses smaller muscles in arm which have more control. That means using 2 hands all the time.
Remind students the danger of driving in ‘slides’, flip flop sandals and other open back shoes (foot slipping out of the shoe and off brake pedal…).
Explain the importance of seatbelts and airbags and that all persons in the vehicle need to wear the seatbelt at all times.
Passenger seat pushed back for a clear view out passenger side window and use of mirror.

18 of 99

Occupant Restraints

Triple Crash…

The vehicle crash
The human crash
The internal organ crash

You - the driver - minimize the vehicle crash
Safety belts/airbags minimize the human crash & the organ crash

Multiple Text - use 6 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help participants understand how seat belts and air bags are designed to work.

NOTES/TIPS:

Explain the 3 crashes that occur when a vehicle hits something.

There is a triple crash -

The vehicle crash – A vehicle hitting a tree or another vehicle.
The human crash – People in the vehicle hitting their seat belts and air bags.
The internal organ crash – The brain and internal organs still moving until they hit skull or chest

You, the driver, hopefully with the skills you learn today help minimize the vehicle crash.

The Safety Belts/Airbags minimize the human crash & the organ crash. If used correctly.

Seat belts should be worn so that the belt section is not sitting on top of coats/sweaters/hoodies. Don’t make it fight through many layers to get tight.

You can also pull the belt tighter by pulling up on the diagonal strap once it’s fastened.

Ask for input and discussion.

19 of 99

20 of 99

Vision

There are 4 key elements of good vision skills

Look where you want to go – not where you don’t want to go
Look ahead – use High Aim Vision
Scan to see the big picture
Always have a 360-degree view

21 of 99

Look �where you want to go…

not where you �don’t want to go.

22 of 99

High Aim �vs. �Low Aim

Low Aim

High Aim

Multiple Text - use 2 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To explain to participants the difference between High Aim and Low Aim vision and give them a graphic example of them.

NOTES/TIPS:

Show the difference between High and Low Aim vision and allow for discussion – ask for input.

You can also talk about sports here. Ask students what sports they play, and then relate the vision skills used in them to driving. Explain how to use “soft vision”. Look at the person sitting in the front row center, While staring at them say “While looking at you, I can’t really see what’s going on behind you in the back of the room”. Now lift you eyes to the back to the room or look thru a window or door (the longer away the better) and say “Now I’m looking at the red stop sign on that pole over there” (behind them) and when people move in the class say “I’m staring at the sign but I see this person turned around, this guy tapping his foot, she moved her arm,…..” explaining that you can see more than just what you are focusing on so if your eyes are down the road farther you’ll see things earlier and be able to react better.
Using the slide say most people look at about where the back to the bumper is in the car on the left but they should be looking up past the green lights.

Extra Tip: Teach the 10 second rule. Talk about driving down the road and thinking about how far down the road you are looking. Looking down the road, pick out a tree or pole or sign, something not moving and start counting, “1000, one; 1000 two; 1000 three….” If you get to “1000 ten” before you get to that pole you are not looking far enough down the road. It’s almost impossible to look too far down the road!

23 of 99

Stopping Distances

Stopping distance is a combination of:

Thinking distance (perception & reaction time)
Braking distance

24 of 99

Stopping Distances

3,000 lb. car, 35 MPH

6,000 lb. car, 35 MPH

80,000 lb. truck, 35 MPH

But weight matters, too!

25 of 99

Braking

There are 2 kinds of stopping:

Controlled braking
Emergency braking

26 of 99

Braking

ABS vs. non-ABS vehicles
How can you tell whether your vehicle is equipped with ABS?
How do you use ABS for emergency stopping?
How do you brake in an emergency without ABS?

Multiple Text - use 3 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help participants understand the differences between ABS and non-ABS equipped vehicles, and how to use them.

NOTES/TIPS:

Explain the difference between ABS and non-ABS vehicles – the advantages of ABS (without ABS on the car the wheel can lock up and then you lose the ability to steer).

Ask “Who has felt their ABS kick in today?” It’s important that they feel that here because the natural reaction the 1^st time you do is to take your foot off the pedal thinking something is wrong.

Ask how many have ABS? Who knows what it means? Explain how ABS works: Sensors on each wheel read if the wheel is turning when the brakes are applied. It if isn’t it send a signal to the computer which tells that brake to let go and then grab it again but it happens as fast as 20 times a second.

…and how to use it in an emergency - brake as hard as you can – let the system do the work for you; hold pedal down, despite pulsing feeling; continue to look where you want to go and steer there.

… and ask why should I care? – ABS allows you to continue to steer because the wheel is turn. If your brakes lock up your front wheel you can turn all you want but the car will not change direction because it’s already sliding.

ABS also stand for Ability to Brake and Steer

Ask how you should brake in an emergency without ABS. Explain “Threshold braking” (braking with the tires at their threshold just before locking up; squeeze pedal down, modulate by curling toes back if necessary – but do not pump).

General braking tips:

Use the ball of your right foot to apply brakes while keeping the heel on the floorboard.
Look ahead when braking (“as the car nose-dives, keep your nose up”):

Look forward to give yourself an escape route if needed.
Look in mirrors to see how close the cars are behind you and if they are paying attention and see you braking and if they are in the next lane or can you use that as an escape route of needed.
Let you eyes scan around when braking to give yourself an escape route but do it quickly, don’t loose sight of the object in front of you or you’ll hit it!

Avoid Left Foot Braking because

Increased wear / heat build up
Brake fade
Brake lights on unnecessarily

27 of 99

Question: What connects your car to the road?

(Hint: you have 4 of them)

Tires: A driver’s best friend.

Let’s meet Sarah

28 of 99

Video

Understanding your Tires

29 of 99

Tires – Segment 1

Why should we care about tires?

Did you have the right tire pressure this morning?

How often did Sarah say to check your tire pressure?

30 of 99

Tires – ��Now, let’s check out the ‘Traction Bank’

31 of 99

Using the Traction Bank

32 of 99

Tires – Segment 2

Has anyone over drawn at the “Traction Bank”?

33 of 99

Tires – �Now let’s check out the ‘Weight Transfer’

34 of 99

Managing Load Transfer

35 of 99

Tires – Segment 3

Did you see the water bottle?

36 of 99

Tires – �Now let’s learn about ‘Oversteer’ �& �‘Understeer’

37 of 99

Oversteer and Understeer

38 of 99

How To Control…

How do you control Oversteer or Understeer?

Look where you want to go – steer there
Gently ease off the gas pedal (but no braking)
Keep looking & steering where you want to go

39 of 99

Skids & Slides

In what road conditions can a skid or slide occur?

Ice
Snow
Rain
Gravel
Dry

40 of 99

Skids & Slides

What causes a skid or slide?

Too much speed for the conditions
Wrong driver input:

Braking
Steering
Accelerating

Which of these can you control?

41 of 99

Tires – ��Now let’s check out� ‘Wet Traction’ �vs �‘Dry Traction’

42 of 99

Wet Traction vs Dry Traction

43 of 99

Tires

What do you think happens if they’re under-inflated? Over-inflated?

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help students understand the importance of proper tire pressures.

NOTES/TIPS:

Tires are grooved to dissipate water. Look at the photos and point out the difference 10 psi makes on moving water out from under the tire. These photos are from the Michelins testing facility in South Carolina. Same tire at same speed with different pressures driven over a flooded glass plate in the road with high-speed cameras under it. Note: that the area that is the darkest is the only part touching the road.
Talk about tire pressure and what the effects are with too little air pressure – contact patch is bigger but the stiffness of the side wall of the tire is decreased and the car will roll more creating more weight transfer…
Too much and the contact patch is too small.
Miss-balanced pressures – if one tire is too low and one is too high, then the car will handle poorly.
You lose one pound of air every month no matter what…
Must be checked, ask how many where surprised at the pressures this morning when you checked them? Tell them to use the tire pressure gauge that we just gave them - don’t wait for you parents to do it (Tell them they might not know how, but you do!)

44 of 99

Rain?

Have you ever experienced hydroplaning?
What was it like?

45 of 99

Hydroplaning

What causes hydroplaning?

Depth of water build-up
Speed
Effectiveness of tire:

Tread depth
Tread design
Tire pressures

Which factors can you control when driving?

46 of 99

Hydroplaning

What to do when hydroplaning?

Look where you want to go
Gently ease off gas pedal
Keep steering pointed straight

Do NOT:

Brake
Steer abruptly

47 of 99

Tires – ��Now let’s wrap this up

48 of 99

Wrap Up

49 of 99

Did You Know?

Your hands follow your �eyes, so look where you �want to go and you’ll steer �the correct way.

50 of 99

Questions?

51 of 99

Let’s go DRIVE!

52 of 99

53 of 99

How did the morning go?

What did you learn?

Any questions?

54 of 99

ATTITUDE

55 of 99

What Makes a Good Attitude?

Responsibility
Awareness
Risk management
Decision making
Open to becoming better
Staying S.M.A.R.T. (more about that later!)

Multiple Text - use 6 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To get participants thinking about what a “good driving attitude” means. This is an intro slide. DO NOT expand much on the bullet points here.

NOTES/TIPS:

Rhetorical question, “What factors lead to a good attitude when driving?” Start discussion and get input.

Recap/review all of the input with these points:

A sense of responsibility for what goes on in and around your vehicle.

You are sharing the road with many others, including someone’s 85 year old grandmother

Awareness of what’s going on – now and in the future.

Driving is not a passive activity, focus on what you are doing in the 2 ton container of people and gasoline.

Managing the varying levels of risk and how to see it

we’ll discuss this more in a minute

Good decision making
An open mind to always wanting to improve – forever

Allow time for – and encourage - self-reflection.

56 of 99

Are today’s vehicles safer than in �the past?
Are roadways designed safer than in �the past?
So why are there so many people dying on our roads every year?

Traffic volume?
Distractions?
Drivers?

Multiple Text - use 5 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To get participants to realize that ultimately it’s the driver that counts the most – not the safer roadways and vehicles.

NOTES/TIPS:

Today’s vehicles are much safer than ever before, with all of their active (ABS, stability control, brake assist – things that help drivers avoid crashes) and passive (air bags, crush zones, etc. – things that help protect the occupants in a crash) safety systems/devices.
Roadways are better designed and built. Yes, there are more vehicles on the road, but the road’s themselves are safer. Explain that many roads in rural area where not designed as roads they are horse/cart trails that evolved into road use. If you see a tree 5’ off the road edge, that wasn’t designed.
Why are so many people dying on our roads?

Traffic volume
Distractions
Drivers

Allow discussion. You want the class to come to the conclusion that drivers are at the center of the reason for so many people dying in crashes.

57 of 99

“Drivers”

58 of 99

“Accident”

“an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally…”
“such a happening resulting in injury that is in no way the fault of the injured person…”
“chance; fortune; luck”

According to www.dictionary.com

Multiple Text - use 2 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To get participants to understand that crashes/collisions/incidents are NOT accidents, and they need to take responsibility for them.

NOTES/TIPS:

Use this slide to lead to the next one, and the realization that crashes/collisions/incidents are not “fate” or “bad luck.” By changing our language, our behaviors change – this has been proven over and over again in all sorts of research. You know this for yourself: If you say to yourself that you’re going to do something, you’re more likely to do it. Our language impacts our behavior, so we want drivers (and us!) to stop using the word “accident” when describing a crash/collision/incident.

Note: It’s critical that YOU, the presenter, no longer use the word accident any more – set an example.

59 of 99

Are vehicle crashes “accidents”?
Are they matters of “chance, fortune or luck”?
Let’s call them what they are: crashes, collisions, incidents…
They’re not caused by “chance, fortune or luck”
They’re caused by drivers… and we are them

60 of 99

How many of you have had a crash?

What was it like?

How much reaction time did you have before it happened?

61 of 99

Crashes happen…

“in a snap.”

62 of 99

Crashes happen…

“in a snap.”

63 of 99

Reaction Time

What factors can reduce your reaction time?

Traffic
Weather
Vision
Inattention/distractions

64 of 99

Speed

Why do we speed?

Late - in a hurry
Too busy a schedule
“I was told to hurry”
“Me first” syndrome
Sense of power
“Posted limits are only a suggestion”

65 of 99

Speed

What are some of the impacts of increased speed?

Reduces amount of time to react
Creates need for greater following distance
Intimidates others
Increases likelihood of losing control
Increases force of crash

66 of 99

Did You Know?

Excessive speed is the �leading cause in fatal �crashes (approximately 31%).

- According to NHTSA

67 of 99

What Are You Thinking About?

68 of 99

Awareness leads to changes in behavior

69 of 99

Protect Your Bubble

Imagine that a “bubble” of empty space surrounds �your car
Drive so as to always protect that bubble

70 of 99

Protect Your Bubble

How do you protect the bubble in front of your car?
If you’re in motion, create more space between you and the vehicle in front

71 of 99

Following Distance

Use the 3-to-4 second rule…

1

2

3

4

I’m there

Animation used - 2 clicks & wait for logo

SLIDE PURPOSE: To get participants to understand what the 3-4 second following rule is, how to use it, and most importantly, why. This is part of protecting the bubble.

NOTES/TIPS:

Discuss WHY they should use the 3-4 second rule.

Following too close to a vehicle in front of you is all too common. Many think with ABS, traction control and other driver aids they can take greater risks.

Lack of paying attention and the reaction time needed to stop are also major factors in rear end collisions.

Explain how to use the 3-4 second following rule. Look for a pole or a line on the pavement and start counting 1000 one, 1000 two, 1000 three. If you get to that same line on the pavement before you get to 1000 three you are following too close.

Explain how varying conditions require more space, if it’s dark or raining/snowing (use 4 seconds) of following distance.

72 of 99

360-Degree View

Is this what you see in your left side mirror – the side of your own car?

73 of 99

Blind Spots… No More!

How do you adjust your mirrors to eliminate blind spots?

Adjust rear-view mirror straight out back
Lean head to the left… adjust left side mirror
Lean head to the right… adjust right side mirror

74 of 99

360-degree view:�Mirror adjustment

❌

✅

Multiple Images/Text - use 3 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help participants learn how to adjust their mirror to eliminate or reduce the likelihood of blind spots.

NOTES/TIPS:

The 1^st set of mirrors shown is how many drivers have their mirrors set, creating a blind spot that they can’t see the red car.

The 2^nd set of mirrors (after the click) shows how the mirrors can be set to eliminate the blind spot. (Note for them the position of the green car in the passenger mirror)

Explain that to adjust your mirrors correctly, set the inside center mirror to view straight out the back of the car equal on both sides.

Then, lean your head onto the driver’s window and move the left outside mirror so that you can just barely see your left rear fender.

Move your head to the center of the car and set your right outside mirror so that you can just see your right rear fender.

With this set up, you see what is shown by the upper set of mirror images; the red and green cars. As they pass forward, your peripheral vision will pick them up.

75 of 99

Semi Truck Blind Spots

If you can’t see their mirror, they can’t see you!

SLIDE PURPOSE: To explain the danger and no view areas around a semi. This is a set up if you have a semi for demo. If you don’t, elaborate on this slide.

NOTES/TIPS:

Discuss following distance.

Everybody has seen the stickers on the back of the truck that say "If you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you”, well it's true. Talk about how it is up to you, when you are coming up on a truck to make a choice. Either stay back far enough to see their mirrors or pass the truck. If they are going to pass the truck, do it! don't get stuck driving along beside it at the side of the trailer because of the opportunity of the tire blowing or the trailer taking them out under an evasive maneuver. Don’t linger along the side of the truck/trailer, a blown tire (creating a piece of tire called a gator) can be very dangerous. You should either pass the truck or remain behind it.

Don’t cut in to quickly in front of the semi, he may not be able to see you over the large hood.

Note the graphic is a bit misleading, the space behind the truck is MUCH greater than it shows. It averages between 90 and 100’ before the front of that drivers vehicle can be seen by the truck driver. Point out that the trailer is typically 53’ long so that means 2 trailer lengths back.

76 of 99

Did You Know?

Driver inattention is the �leading factor in most �crashes and near-crashes.

Nearly 80% of crashes and 65% of �near-crashes involved some form of �driver inattention within 3 seconds �before the event.

- According to NHTSA

77 of 99

Distractions

What are some common distractions when driving?

Technology
Passengers
Scenery, incidents
Weather conditions
Signage
Eating/drinking
Personal grooming!

78 of 99

And Our “Favorite”

79 of 99

Texting & Driving

“… police say the 22-year-old drifted into oncoming traffic, jerked the steering wheel and went off the road, rolling his car… died shortly after the April 3 crash, but his parents and police are hoping the photo of the mundane text on his iPhone will serve as a stark reminder to drivers.” - MSNBC

80 of 99

Hang up and Drive

VIDEO – 3:49 in length Click to start

SLIDE PURPOSE: This gives the students a different point of view by listening to someone different, some of their peers rather than you explain why the use of phone in the car is a bad idea.

NOTES/TIPS:

Start out noting that this is a judgement free ‘zone’.

Ask if anybody doesn’t have a cell phone?

Ask the group when they got their 1^st cell phone. When the 1^st answer comes, ask if there is anybody any younger than that. You are trying to have them hear how young it is. You will probably get down to 10 to 12 years old. (My youngest has been 9). It makes sense when you are living in a split house, or play sports, work or have many after school activities that you would need to be able to call (have you seen a phone booth lately?). So if they are 16 or 17 years old they have had a phone with them the majority of their school age (developmental) life. They have it with them all the time (right or wrong) so they might ask ‘why can’t I use it in a car’?

The phone creates a cognitive distraction. This means it changes how the brain works and studies have shown using brain pattern measuring and very advanced driving simulators that in a matter of 2 minutes can cause the brain to not see what the driver is looking at. Much less the act of looking away from the function of driving the car and taking at least one hand off the steering wheel. That’s just about talking on the phone.

The use of the phone for other things, texting, social media is very harmful. There is no text, no social media post so important that it’s worth killing yourself or someone else over.

Driving the car is the most important thing you are doing when behind the wheel. You are putting yourself and anyone else on the road in imminent danger when using your phone.

You make more decisions driving across the city than you do if you are piloting a airplane across country.

Please put the phone down. IT CAN WAIT.

81 of 99

Used with permission from:

For more information:

914-512-5194

jacyandsteve@hangupanddrive.com

www.hangupanddrive.com

82 of 99

Cell Phones

You’ve heard about cell phone hazards.

But what about???

Total hands free
Earphone hands free
Let passenger dial / call / talk
Pull over in safe place

❌

✅

Multiple Text - use 6 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help participants understand the common alternatives

NOTES/TIPS:

Talk through each point – stressing “if you think you have to” and asking for input.

Total hands free - DOES NOT improve safety. It is still a cognitive distraction.

Earphone hands free - DOES NOT improve safety. It is still a cognitive distraction.

Let passenger dial / call / talk - This isn’t them dialing and handing to the driver to use.

Pull over in safe place – This is the only one that works!

Try and get buy in from students that they will do this.

“Extra” tip – Normally this gets the attention of the parents in the room so tell them if they don’t want their teen using the phone in the car then they can’t either. Their brain doesn’t work any better than their teens do in this respect (actually it’s worse). Sending email for work is the same as texting btw….

83 of 99

Did You Know?

An average driver trying to �read and send text messages �takes his or her eyes off the �road 28 times a minute to look �at the screen or peck out a response on a keypad.

- According to NHTSA

84 of 99

Aggressive Driving

What are some examples of aggressive driving or road rage?

Cutting off others
Cursing & gesturing
Recklessness & speed
Tailgating
Forcing way into lane
Violent behavior

85 of 99

How Should You Deal With Aggressive Drivers?

Pull to the right & slow down (DO NOT STOP)… Let them pass
If pursued…

Do not engage
Do not go home
Go to a well lighted, populated place
Call police

86 of 99

What to do if stopped by Police?

Slow down and pull over safely – get out of the lane of traffic.
Stay in your car. Do not open any doors unless the officer asks you to exit the car.
Place both of your hands on top of the steering wheel.
They will ask to see your valid driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance. Tell the officer where they are located; unnecessary movement may cause concern for officer safety.
If you are carrying a firearm, inform the officer immediately.
Be respectful, patient and relax. Do not argue your case with the officer. They’ve heard it all.

SLIDE PURPOSE: To help participants understand how best to deal with aggressive drivers.

87 of 99

What cyclists expect from you

Use your turn signals just as you would around other motorists.
They expect you may pass on a yellow line – as is legal and encouraged.
Common Courtesy. Don’t lay on your horn, pass within 3 feet of a cyclist, or blow smoke in their face.

SLIDE PURPOSE: To get participants thinking about sharing the road with bicyclists.

NOTES/TIPS:

What cyclists expect from you

Use your turn signals just as you would around other motorists.
They expect you may pass on a yellow line – as is legal and encouraged.
Common Courtesy. Don’t lay on your horn, pass within 3 feet of a cyclist, or blow smoke in their face.

Extra Tips:

Why are those bikers riding side by side in my lane?

The answer is simple…safety. There is safety in numbers. A group of cyclists is more visible to motorists. It takes less time for the motorist to pass than one long, single line. It makes it more difficult for a motorist to try to squeeze between a cyclist and an oncoming vehicle. This is how people get injured or killed.

What to expect from cyclists

They’re allowed to have access to the roads the same as motorists.
They’re required to follow the same rules and regulations.
They’re required to have front and rear lights during low light conditions.
They have their own set of hand signals.

88 of 99

Did You Know?

Reaching for a moving object �increases the risk of a crash or �near-crash by 9 times…

Staring at an external object �by 3.7 times
Reading by 3 times
Applying makeup by 3 times
Dialing a cell phone by almost 3 times
Talking or listening on a cell phone by �1.3 times

- According to NHTSA

89 of 99

Risk

Does the level of risk change as we drive, as conditions change?
Should we change our driving to adapt to the changing levels of risk?

RISK!!!

90 of 99

Real Risk

Skill

Perceived Risk

Multiple Images - use 9 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: For students to fully understand how varying conditions change the amount of risk they face; how most drivers’ perception of risk don’t match reality; and how drivers’ skill levels fit this model. And most important, it emphasizes how they must adapt their driving to suit varying risk level.

NOTES/TIPS:

This slide is all about Risk Management, and is a critical theme of the program. It’s important for students to understand the difference between real and perceived risk levels. However, this is a conceptual discussion – the graph bars are not calibrated to some real measurements, but are simply used to demonstrate the concept of varying levels of risk versus a driver’s skill level.
Use the Script below as a guideline for teaching this all-important message.
Below the Script, there is additional information about this message.

SCRIPT:

"Let's look at 3 scenarios - an open road on a sunny day, driving in traffic during the day, and at night in heavy traffic. Would you agree that the amount of risk - how risky the driving conditions are - in each of these scenarios are different? Would you agree that the scenario on the right is riskier than the one on the left?

"Let's call that the Real Risk levels. [click to have each bar graph representing the differing levels of risk appear – talk about each for a few seconds as you click on each]

"Does this make sense? That the Real Risk levels vary depending on traffic, road conditions, weather, and even your own level of attention or your emotional state? Okay.

"But here's the problem. If we put most drivers in these situations, they don’t perceive the amount of risk to be as high as it really is. That's human nature, to some extent. And of course, some people are more risk averse than others - they don't perceive something as risky as someone else. [click to have the bar graphs for Perceived Risk come up above the sunny open highway image on the left] Even though there is a possibility of a deer running onto the highway, a drowsy driver being on the road, or a number of other things that could happen, many drivers would only perceive the risk to be here [indicating the difference between the Real and Perceived levels].

"In our middle scenario, driving in traffic, sure, most drivers would see that as being a little more risky, but not as much as it really is. [click to have the Perceived Risk bar graph appear above the middle image] What are some risks of driving in this scenario? [draw out a few examples from students of the things that could make this scenario risky]

"Then there's driving at night with traffic. [click to have Perceived Risk bar graph appear above the image on the right] Again, most drivers will see this as being a little more risky, but not as much as what it really is.

"Can you see how being able to perceive risk accurately is important? And that we typically don't perceive it to be as high as it is?

"Now, let's add another factor: skill. [click to have the Skill bar graph appear above the image on the left] In this example, our driver is very skilled at driving on an open highway on a sunny day with little to no traffic around.

"In traffic though... [click to have the Skill bar graph appear over the middle image] our driver is a little less skilled, perhaps due to lack of experience.

"But look at this... [click to have the Skill bar graph appear over the image on the right] Due to a lack of experience, our driver has little skill in driving in these conditions.

"When you combine a lack of skill with an inaccurate perception of the amount of risk there is, well... the only thing between you and a crash is being lucky. And relying on luck is not a very good strategy!

"The point we’re making here is that we, as drivers, need to constantly be assessing how much risk there is, what our skill level is like in this situation, and then - and this is the most important part - we need to adapt our driving to suit. That might mean changing our speed, our following distance, where we are in relation to other vehicles, and most important, how much attention we put into our driving. Hey, we might have to stop thinking about the datewe have coming up and focus on driving - otherwise we might not make it to the date!”

RISK VS. SKILL (More background info for instructors):

Many drivers on the road today consider themselves to be "good" drivers. After all, they've earned a licence that says so, right? Well, perhaps they are. But why, then, are so many involved in so many crashes.

I believe most people, when they first learn to drive, are taught less than 50% of the necessary skills to become an "adequate" driver (less than what I would consider "good"). Generally, they are left to acquire good driving skills through years of trial and error. This helps to explain the declining crash rate with increased driver age. The more experience a driver gains, the more skill he or she acquires, the safer they become. But that's not the whole story.

Every time you drive, there is a certain amount of risk involved. Call this the Risk Level. This will vary with changing traffic volume, road, vehicle and weather conditions, and driver distraction/awareness levels. For example, driving through an intersection in rush hour in the rain has a higher Risk Level than driving on a wide open country road on a sunny day. Or, driving while your mind is still thinking about work, or while eating, or tuning the stereo all cause a higher Risk Level than when you're concentrating on driving.

How a driver assesses this Risk Level is the most important factor. For many, the Perceived Risk Level is lower than the Real Risk Level. In other words, the driver does not accurately assess how risky the driving conditions are.

Another example: driving 60 MPH in a 50 zone in the pouring rain at night. Many people would think nothing of it. On a scale of 1 to 10, the driver perceives the Risk Level to be at 5, when in reality - accounting for the condition of the car’s tires, the amount of water on the road, the lack of visibility, the driver's awareness level, traffic volume, etc. - the Real Risk Level may be an 8.

Now, when you factor in the driver's Skill Level, you may just have a formula for disaster. If, on that same scale of 1 to 10, the driver's Skill Level is a 4 in this situation (understand that a driver may be very skilled - an 8 - at driving in good conditions; but through lack of training and experience, is unskilled - a 4 - at dealing with the rain and darkness), the only thing that's going to stop him or her from crashing is good 'ol luck. If the driver doesn't crash, would you say they were a "good" driver?

What's the result when a driver's Perceived Risk Level encourages them to motor down the street or highway faster, or with less attention than the Real Risk Level suggests, and that which the driver's Skill Level can handle (especially if he or she “meets” someone in the same situation)? All too often, a crash!

The ultimate goal of all drivers, then, is to have a Skill Level above a matching Perceived and Real Risk Level. With this, a driver will always have a margin for error, and should therefore never be involved in a collision.

Becoming a "good" driver is not just a matter of increasing our Skill Level through experience. We also need to improve our ability to accurately assess Risk Levels. Of course, this also happens, to a certain extent, with experience - as long as you have an open mind.

And that’s the key: keeping an open mind to learning, developing our skills, being aware of how the varying conditions change the risk levels, and adapting our driving to suit.

91 of 99

What factors increase risk?

Weather
Traffic
Vehicle

Condition

Driver :

Influence (alcohol, drugs, mental, sick…)
Fatigue - Distractions
Emotions - What else?

Multiple Text - use 9 clicks

SLIDE PURPOSE: To get participants to understand and be aware of the factors that increase risk when driving.

NOTES/TIPS:

Ask the questions, and discuss. Then, click through the factors that we suggest.

What factors increase risk?

Weather
Traffic
Vehicle

Condition – Bad tires, bad brakes, bad windshield wipers

Driver :

Influence (alcohol, drugs, mental, sick…) Not just illegal drugs, allergy / cold medicine or anything that makes your drowsy.
Fatigue – Teens should still be getting 8-9 hours of sleep. How you doing?
Distractions
Emotions – Break up with your significate other, don’t make the team, get kicked off the team, do bad on a big test,
What else? It’s possible that students will identify factors not listed on the slide, and that’s great.

92 of 99

What can you do to adapt your driving to the varying risk levels?

Be S.M.A.R.T.:

Stay focused on driving
Make preparations before you begin
Avoid all other activities
Rely on Passengers
Text, Talk, or post later

93 of 99

Questions?

94 of 99

Surveys

Parents Students

95 of 99

ARE YOU A BETTER DRIVER?

WHATS NEXT?

96 of 99

While You Were Here Today, Nationally:

A major crash happened every 9 seconds

A traffic fatality happened every 13 minutes

More than 36 people died

10 of them were your age

97 of 99

Manage the risk – stay S.M.A.R.T.
Keep an open mind to learning more – become an even better driver

98 of 99

Thank you Volunteers!

99 of 99

It’s about more than driving. It’s about living!

Thank you!