Sponsored Newspapers In Education Content
| SUNDAY,
SEPTEMBER 11, 2016
7
Putting it all together
Experience counts when it comes to safe driving. Passing a driving test alone does not
mean that a young driver is “experienced.” There is no magic number of miles or hours
that signals experience.
A teen’s greatest lifetime chance of crashing occurs in the first six to 12 months after
receiving a license. After that time the risk diminishes, but remains twice the rate of
adults until they reach their 20s. Every teen is unique in how long it takes them to
become experienced. Skills and decision-making abilities come only after many
hours behind the wheel.
Have you ever taken piano lessons or played organized team sports? Do you remember
the hours you spent in lessons, then in practice refining those skills over and over again?
Research has shown that to be merely competent at complex skills requires at least a
thousand hours of structured practice.
And to be an expert requires at least ten times that much. How successful do you think
you would be playing the piano in front of friends and family after only a few hours of
practice and instruction?
Practice, practice and more practice
Providing practice to develop the skill of driving
is even more important. What were to happen if
you made a mistake at the piano? What are the
consequences of a mistake behind the wheel?
The consequences of a driving error could be
fatal — that’s what we all hope to avoid.
Being proficient at driving requires practice,
practice and more practice. In many states, like
Washington, the young driver is required to have
at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice.
For beginning drivers, practice the following
skills in varying routes:
Turns: speed and use of signals
Braking smoothly: gradually slowing to a stop
Accelerating smoothly: steadily increasing to a safe speed within
the posted limit
Approaching intersections controlled by stop signs or lights
Determining right of way
Single-lane and multi-lane roadways (low speeds)
Changing lanes
Maintaining appropriate speed
Scanning for and identifying hazards
Keeping a safe following distance
Sharing the road with cyclists, pedestrians, school buses
Driving in a school zone
Reacting to an approaching emergency vehicle
Using turning lanes
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