Teach your Teen to drive : Part 3

HOW TO FOLLOW IN TRAFFIC

HOW TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY
Your driver will find that the two-second rule assists them to maintain a safe following distance.

Thus, when driving behind a vehicle, they should maintain, at least, a two-second distance between their vehicle and the vehicle ahead of them. The best conditions are daytime and on dry roads.

The following distance should be increased to at least four seconds, when driving in adverse weather or road conditions or at night.

How to measure the following distance:
Have your driver start counting “one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand-and-two” when the back bumper of the vehicle ahead of the driver passes a fixed object, for e.g. a lamppost.

If your vehicle’s front bumper reaches that lamppost before the count of “two” your driver should drop back and increase their following distance. It is important to note that the closer they drive to traffic, the harder they’ll find it is to observe what is ahead of them.

Encourage your driver to observe several vehicles ahead of them. Remind them that if any vehicle ahead slows down or stops abruptly, it is likely that all the vehicles behind that vehicle will have to follow suit. By maintaining a good following distance, your driver will have more time to respond to the actions of other drivers.

Remind your driver that there could be other vehicles following them. If your new driver observes and communicates with the driver traveling behind them, they can avoid the possibility of being hit from the behind. You may suggest “pumping” the brake-pedal by pushing your foot on it to turn it on and off quickly to flash the brake lights and using indicators in advance to indicate your driver’s intention to slow down, stop, or turn.

THE ROLE YOU PLAY.
Assist your driver by counting out the two-second distance for them. As the driver become more experienced with the two-second distance, inquire, “How many seconds are you behind the vehicle in front of you?” After a period of time, the new driver may be able to follow at a safe distance without having to count it out every time.

SOLUTIONS TO COMMON PROBLEMS
New drivers at times count the seconds too fast and do not foresee changes in the road as swiftly as they should. They may find themselves concentrating on following so much that they lose sight of pedestrians and other vehicles. They may also tend to follow certain vehicles too closely. With practicing continually, your driver may realise that they need to follow larger vehicles at a greater than two-second distance because of the inability to see around them.

IMPORTANT LESSON
Your driver must communicate with the drivers of the vehicles behind you when being followed.

THE TWO-SECOND RULE
When following, keep at least a two-second distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. Increase this distance to four seconds, under adverse conditions.

WHERE TO PRACTICE?
Opt for the correct time of day and make use of an open road with a reasonable amount traffic.

Teach your Teen to drive : Part 2

ASSIST YOUR NEW DRIVER TO OBSERVE

OBSERVING
Aim to have your teen look far ahead at all times while driving. Driving in town requires observation up to one block ahead. The skill to look frequently in both the inside and outside mirrors and look over their shoulder prior to turning or changing lanes will help them observe behind and the road ahead.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU PLAY?
To improve your drivers’ observation skills, ask them to inform you as soon as they become aware of something, for e.g. a traffic light, intersection, or stop sign. You can ask the driver to point out areas where their vision might be restricted as well, for e.g. the crest of a hill and blind intersections. If you ask the driver whether there is a vehicle behind them, you can better understand whether they are attentive of what is happening behind the vehicle. You could also question your teen to see if they know the speed which they are traveling at without them looking at the instrument panel first.

GENERAL PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
A sign that your inexperienced driver is not scanning to the sides or checking the mirrors and instruments enough is when they stare straight ahead for a long time. When they drive through intersections without slowing down can in addition mean that they have not been observing properly. Wandering in the lane is another sign that they may not be paying attention.
Encourage your new driver to not become fascinated by the road, but to be ready to react to everything in the driving path or anything that could cross or end up in that path. Also try to encourage your teen to look beyond the vehicle ahead and notice brake lights in any lane as a sign that traffic is slowing and, thus, they may have to slow down as well.
Teach your new driver to watch for things such as exhaust, front wheels turned toward the road, a driver behind the wheel, turn signals, and brake lights as a sign that a parked vehicle may pull out suddenly.

IMPORTANT LESSON
Recap with your new driver that they must observe all sides of the vehicle—front, rear, left, and right and the instrument panel as well, to have all the information necessary to ensure the making of good decisions.

WHERE TO PRACTICE?
The best places to start to practice observing on all sides of the vehicle are Quiet residential streets. Make sure your teen looks out for special hazards for e.g. vehicles pulling out of driveways, children playing, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Intersections require scanning from left to right. Looking all around the vehicle is critical as your teen moves on to heavier traffic and higher-speed roads.