Tag: new driver

You’ve been honked at…

I was driving with Stuart doing exactly the speed limit in our drivers ed car with the big yellow sign on the roof, when someone behind us felt the need to honk at us. We were driving completely correctly, and honestly the speed limit is there for everyone, not just us. So, we have officially decided it is kind of a badge of honor to be honked at in the drivers ed car, as crazy as that sounds. We refuse to be made to feel like we are doing something wrong by driving correctly. So, Autumn, my class doodler took up the task of making me some amazing angry goose drawings that I had made into stickers. So now, if we get honked at for no apparent reason, my student gets a goose sticker on their folder. Gabe got the first one today for not pulling up to block an intersection even though the light was green. He stayed behind the barrier line, which was the correct thing to do, much to the dismay of the driver behind us. He got the first sticker!

Super Cool Bicycle People

Continuing our bicycle theme. Another fun moment from Main St. Texting while driving is illegal. Bicycles on the road are supposed to follow all the same rules as cars. They are supposed to stop at stop signs, signal their intention to turn, and I assume NOT text. Also, giant prolonged wheelies while swerving all over a busy road might not be my first choice, but to each their own.

Super Cool Bicycle People https://spark.adobe.com/video/vUc3RJlPvO4ro

DMV advice – lane changes

The DMV has let us know in the driver’s ed community about a few things we, as new drivers, could be doing better. One of the biggest issues they are seeing when new drivers are coming in for their tests, is lane changes. They wanted us to let you know that head checks are critical. They really want to see students with their heads on a swivel, looking all the way over that shoulder before they move. Please feel free to check out my earlier post on head checks to see how to do them properly. Just checking mirrors is not enough.

I recently had a student who went for her test, and in all her nerves, had a hard time with a lane change. She went through all her steps perfectly, checking her mirror, signally correctly, and doing a good head check all while maintaining her lane position and speed control. The problem was that she was so focused on the steps, she wasn’t processing what she was seeing during those steps. There was a car quite close in the lane she wanted to move into, and while thinking about the mechanics of those steps, she didn’t realize he was right there. When she started to move over, there was a loud honk from off her left shoulder. Make sure you are not just going through the motions, but really seeing what you need to .

We talked about how to fix this problem, and one of things we decided, was that if she was checking her rear view mirror regularly, then when it came time to go through her lane change steps, she wouldn’t have to be so nervous about someone being in her blind spot, She would already have a sense of whether or not there was a gap there. So, not waiting until the last minute to start checking her surroundings made her feel much more prepared when a lane change came up. We both felt that this was a good take-away both for her test and real-life driving. She passed the second time with flying colors and a lot more confidence.

Dog Cart

Look how cute this amazing dog is! The cart is empty, but I’m picturing it full of bright flowers, or lots of puppies. They got to the crosswalk and the owner stopped the dog, took out the leash and helped across the road, but this lovely dog was just calmly walking down the sidewalk next to the owner, looking happy as can be. Love Main St.