Rules for Teenage Drivers

Every parent's worst nightmare is having something terrible happen to their child. As they grow you, nurture, teach, offer guidance, love unconditionally, and most often look out for their safety. Children at any age are hazards to themselves, discovering the world through trial & error is life, but no one ever said it was perfectly safe either. One of the scariest things parents face is eventually relinquishing car keys to a teenager. Yes, we send them to Driver's Ed and tell them everything about operating a vehicle safely, but that doesn't mean it will always go as planned out on the road. Make sure that before you allow your bouncing baby to take those keys, you set clear boundaries and rules about being responsible behind the wheel. Check, double-check, and then check again that they are well aware of the seriousness of driving and that it is not a right but a privilege. The leading cause of childhood deaths is car accidents and many of which had a young inexperienced driver behind the wheel. Here are ten rules to lay down, and many of them are also laws to ensure everyone's safety on the roadways. 

1. WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT- It is common knowledge that seat belts save lives. Wearing one should be a no brainer and required for many states by law. Your teen driver should never ride without one.
2. NO ELECTRONIC DISTRACTIONS- Make it clear that no cell phones are to be used while they are behind the wheel. Tell your teen to situate the music and their cell phones before they even put the car in gear. Phones can be turned to silent or do not disturb mode to ensure they aren't a temptation to a teenage driver.
3. OBEY SPEED LIMITS- Speed limits are made and enforced for the safety of all those using the roadways. Following the posted limits will reduce their chances of causing an accident.
4. NEVER DRINK & DRIVE- Although teenagers aren't legally allowed to drink, that doesn't mean they don't. Make a plan with your child for situations they could encounter with drinking and educate them on making responsible choices. Above all, make sure they know they can call you for help.
5. DON'T DRIVE DROWSY- Sleepy driving is extremely hazardous and should be avoided at all costs. Make sure inexperienced drivers know to get proper rest and pull over if they need to when driving long distances. 
6. LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS- More people equals more distractions. Please, limit the number of passengers a young driver is allowed to have in the vehicle without direct supervision of an adult.
7. CHECK YOUR BLIND SPOTS EVERY TIME- Make sure your teenager knows to check blind spots before making any changes in direction or pulling away from an area.
8. AVOID BEING IN OTHER PEOPLE'S BLIND SPOTS- We all have spots we can't see perfectly around us as we drive, one way to avoid accidents is to make sure they know about and aren't in another person's blind spot. 
9. USE HEADLIGHTS- This is a "no-duh" statement for driving at night, but using them in the day time could be the difference of whether or not another driver saw your teen driver.
10. ALWAYS USE YOUR BLINKERS- ALWAYS use blinkers; doing so will allow others to know where they plan to go and adjust accordingly.
    

Driver safety is crucial for everyone's well-being, and these tips are great for all to follow. The best way to get your teen to drive safely is to be an example and not just tell them what to do, but to be doing it, too! Take a large part in your child's safety behind the wheel!

Valentine's Day, Heavier Traffic, & The Holiday Weekend

Love is in the air! Today, we celebrate the beautiful passions we share with all the people we love, especially our significant others. With the rush to have flowers and gifts delivered or bought, there is a ton of traffic and people out and about. To add to all the commotion going on in town, it is also a long weekend for most, making for more traffic on the highways as well. Please be cautious and courteous as you are behind the wheel today and this weekend as well! Keep in mind the tips listed below to keep you and your Valentine safe this holiday while dealing with the traffic increase.

1. Slow down a bit- Overcrowding on the road can lead to jittery and nervous drivers, take a breath, and also take your time.
2. Maintain safe following distance- Giving yourself a larger buffer zone between you and other drivers gives you a larger window of time to react.
3. Pay attention to the situation at hand- in heavier traffic; make sure to check your mirrors and blind spots often.
4. Use your blinker properly- Signaling to other drivers what your intentions are in advance will help reduce stress and accidents on the roadways.
5. Keep calm- Remember to keep an even keel when dealing with dense traffic, panicking will lead to errors. If needed, pull over for an actual break from the stress.
6. Brake smoothly- Avoid slamming on your brakes, keeping a more significant following distance will reduce the need to mash the brakes to avoid a collision.

Drive safe, and your Valentine will thank you!

Foggy Driving Tips

Washington state is home to some of the cloudiest weather in the country, and with clouds comes fog. Dense fog is hazardous to drive in for the apparent fact that it inhibits road and traffic visibility. Before driving in foggy conditions, please take a moment to determine if your travels are necessary. If you can afford to stay home when dense fog is out, do so. If not, remember these few tips:

1) Get rid of distractions
Before you leave, turn your phone and stereo off or on silent, and place your cell phone somewhere you won't be trying to reach for it.

2) Slow down
In bad weather, it is always a good idea to reduce your speed and increase the following distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. Lower visibility means less time to respond to situations around you. At slower speeds, we have more time to gain control and react appropriately.

3) Crack the window
Rolling the window down will enable you to hear traffic and emergency vehicles before you see them.

4) Use righthand reflectors and lines as a guide
Following the marking on the roadsides will ensure you know where your lane is.

5) Do NOT use cruise control
Cruise control will not give you the maximum amount of control over the vehicle, using it in low visibility is not recommended.

6) Turn on defroster and wipers
Using the windshield wipers and defroster will help reduce moisture in the vehicle and glare from the fog.

7) Drive with low beams & fog lights
High beams will only reflect off the fog and make visibility even less. Driving with low beams or fog lights will help oncoming traffic see you!

8) Increase following distance to 4 seconds
When situations arise, you will need the proper time to respond, giving yourself more space between vehicles will help.

9) Watch for animals and pedestrians
Many animals feel a bit more confident in being out in the cover of fog, making it extremely for you to see them and vice versa! As well, it will be hard to see people walking. Go slower and keep an eye out.

10) Properly use turning signals
        Use of turn signals is important in everyday driving, making sure others know what you plan to do before you do it. Using your tun signals properly in fog helps those around you see and prepare for what you are about to do.

If the fog is too thick, please pull over and wait for it to clear. Always make sure you are off the road and in a safe spot to park, so you don't get hit. Always be aware of your surroundings when driving and never risk it, your life is worth being here to experience, and so is everyone else's.

Palouse Winter Driving Workshop

Palouse Winter Driving Workshop... A Success!

Lately, there has been a significant concern coming from parents of WSU students about their child starting school, in an area where it snows, with little to no experience in winter driving. The Palouse Safe Driver's Campaign in conjunction with WSU Transportation Services offered a small workshop for students & community members needing a little more information on how to handle inclement weather and the roads. On February 4th, 2020, a little over 20 people met in room 150 of the Chinook Student Center; they were presented to by Hubert Hogaboam, the local driver's education instructor for the past 43 years, on how to be better winter drivers! We were happy with the outcome of the event and hope to offer more small workshops like this in the future! We want to thank Hubert for speaking, as well as Perfection Tire in Pullman, for providing display tires to use!  If you missed this one and want to catch the next one, please follow our social media to stay up to date!