- Hi, this is Smart Drivers Rick
with "Smart Drive Test" talking to you today
about five tips to keep you safe
after you get your driver's license.
Because remember, you can be right,
or you can be dead right.
Stick around.
We'll be right back with that information.
(upbeat music)
Space Management.
Tip number one.
Staying safe after you get your driver's license.
Social driving is going to get you
to stay close to other traffic,
it's going to get you closer
to fixed objects along the roadway
and that puts you in danger.
You can always control the space in front of your vehicle.
For your following distance,
you want to maintain a two to three second
following distance in a passenger vehicle.
If you're driving a bigger vehicle,
if you pull a trailer or graduate to an RV unit,
or something like that,
you probably want to go four or five seconds.
Two to three seconds.
Pick a fixed object.
The green sign.
1001,
1002,
1003.
Good following distance.
If you can keep that habit,
after a while, it'll just become innate.
You'll know exactly how far
behind the other vehicle you have to be,
to follow a two to three second following distance.
And the other reason we measure in time,
is because it's relative to speed.
Therefore, the faster you go,
the more distance you have
behind the vehicle in front of you,
when you're measuring your speed in time
and get your vehicle up to speed as quickly as possible.
And the speed limit here, along this multi-lane road
inside the city is 50 kilometers an hour but,
we're doing closer to 60 kilometers an hour,
usually it's 30 miles an hour,
but it's going to be 40 miles an hour.
Most people are going to do the traffic flow.
So keep up with the traffic flow.
That way you're going to be much more predictable
on the roadway and greatly reduce
your chances of being involved in a crash.
So stay with the traffic flow.
If you're insisting on driving the speed limit
because you're not comfortable,
then drive in the right-hand lane.
Slower traffic stay right
and that way you're not going to impede traffic flow.
As well, when you get out on the highway,
make sure that you drive between the clusters of vehicles,
because for whatever reason, (laughs)
motorists like driving together,
which is not your safest option.
When you're driving, you want to be the lone wolf.
You want to be by yourself.
You want to have lots of space around your vehicle.
So right-hand turn here,
we're shoulder checking.
We're making sure that there's no cyclists
or people on scooters or motorcycles
or those types of things.
Again, seeing the tires of the vehicle in front of us
making clear contact with the pavement.
Especially when you're in a queue
and the traffic is moving slowly.
Never get closer than that.
Because if you get closer than that
and you get distracted,
especially in slow moving traffic,
rush hour congestion,
those types of things,
you're going to get distracted
because you're paying attention to something else
or your mind wanders.
Turning lanes.
Get right into the left turning lane
as soon as it starts.
Traffic is clear.
We can proceed.
Light is gone yellow.
We're already committed.
We're making a left turn.
If you turn your steer tires to the left
in preparation for making the turn
and you're sitting there waiting,
especially if you're on a highway at higher speeds
and you get rear-ended,
you're going to be driven into oncoming traffic,
and you're going to have two crashes instead of one.
And again, when you're stopping in traffic,
for stopping positions,
make sure you stop back,
so you can see the tires of the vehicle in front of you
making clear contact with the pavement.
That is critical for staying safe
and preventing yourself from getting rear-ended,
after you get your driver's license
and you want to be a safe defensive driver.
Stopping behind the stop line,
just as it rolls under the front of the vehicle.
You want to stop at the stop line
because if you don't,
you can see here
that I'm farther back than the vehicle behind me.
For left turning vehicles through the intersection,
if I'm not farther back,
they're going to cut the corner off
and they could potentially strike the front of my vehicle.
Especially if it's a larger vehicle.
And when we prepare to go, we move up,
front steer tires on the front crosswalk line.
That way we're committed to the intersection,
but we're not in the intersection,
we're waiting for the gap.
And what we're going to do, is when the gap presents itself
from the other side, then we'll move forward
and we'll meet that gap
and we'll have a bit of speed going.
Now, the other thing is,
here I'm probably going to have to go on the yellow because
there's a big line of traffic coming.
And as soon as the light turns yellow,
I proceed to clear the intersection.
Remember you own the intersection.
So clear the intersection expediently.
Make sure, double check, that the traffic on the other side
of the intersection, has in fact, come to a stop
before you commit to the left hand turn.
Because that's where new drivers get into trouble.
As they commit to the left hand turn,
there's still a vehicle coming through on the other side
and they end up in a collision.
And if you have a passenger
on that side of the vehicle,
they are the ones that are probably going to sustain the
most damage, because it's a T-bone crash
and there's very little
in the vehicle over there to protect yourself.
So shoulder checking.
No vehicles coming.
Shoulder check immediately before turning
and left lane to left lane
and then move over to the right lane.
Mirror, signal, shoulder checking
and moving over, keeping your signal on
until you're completely in the other lane.
And lots of times I'll get drivers saying,
"oh, the other driver won't let me over,
"when I'm lane changing" and whatnot.
Use your signals.
Okay?
If you don't ask, they don't know.
We're not mind readers.
It's like being in a relationship when you're fighting with
your significant other.
They don't know.
You have to communicate with them.
If you don't communicate effectively,
you're not going to do well in driving
and you're probably not going to do well
in your relationships either.
Scanning intersections,
controlled and uncontrolled intersections.
While you're driving and out on the highway,
you want to figure out where your intersections are
because 40% of crashes occur at intersections.
So, you want to scan the intersection.
You want to determine where other vehicles are
and you want to map out where those vehicles
and road users are in relation to your vehicle.
I've got yellow light up here.
I'm scanning the intersection.
And again, there you saw with the intersection
with the vehicles coming out of the mall there.
Lots of activity going on.
There were vehicles turning right,
vehicles turning left
and it could be a bit confusing.
You've got to kind of figure out what's going on there.
Not just a conventional intersection
that's controlled or uncontrolled.
It's also entrances to malls,
entrances to services
and off-ramps on freeways, on-ramps with freeways.
Those are all intersections.
Intersection means someplace that you're going to intersect
with another road user or another vehicle on the roadway.
So if you can locate those.
Figure out what's going on there.
Predict the traffic patterns.
Then you can be proactive
and do what you need to do before you even get there.
And that way you can continue to manage space
around your vehicle
and greatly reduce the chances of you being involved
in a crash, after you get your license.
Intersection here.
Streets.
Intersection signs.
Those will allow you to locate intersections.
And remember our eyes are attracted to light and movement.
Most vehicles in this day and age
are going to have daylight running lights
and as well, they're going to be moving.
So you want to locate them at intersections,
to make sure that you can cover the break or come to a stop,
if you determined that they're not going to stop
and they're going to move into your path of travel.
Stopping behind the stop line,
just rolls under the front of the vehicle.
Come to a stop.
Scan the intersections.
Four way stop, there's no one else here
and we proceed.
And we're looking far down the road.
Keep your vision up, as you're driving,
after you get your driver's license.
That will allow you to interpret traffic patterns
and what other people are doing.
Inebriated and fatigue.
Those three things can affect your ability to drive safely.
If you are on prescription medication
or you're taking over-the-counter medication,
make sure you talk to the pharmacist
and figure out what effect it's going to have
on you physically.
If you feel the least bit off,
in terms of your ability to operate normally,
then don't operate a motor vehicle.
As well, drinking and driving.
I just don't need to say enough about that.
Because if you're out and you start drinking,
you need to call somebody to come and get you
or take a cab.
Remember,
even if you're found not guilty
in a criminal charge,
because in Canada it's a criminal charge,
it's a very serious charge.
Even your defense is going to cost you eight to $12,000.
So think of that eight to $12,000
makes it pretty cheap to take a cab home,
not to mention the risk to other people in society.
You could have a crash,
injure, maim or kill somebody else or yourself.
So, think about all of that
and for those young people
look down in the description there
and find the Contract For Life.
It's from MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Sign that with somebody you trust
that will come and get you.
You have a reciprocal agreement,
that if you've been out drinking
and you need a ride home,
no matter where you are,
no matter what time it is,
they'll come and get you.
So I really advocate that.
The last one is fatigue.
I know that some of you are going to want to drive tired.
You're going to drive overnight.
You've got places to be, places to get to.
If you're tired, pull off in a rest area
and get 20 minutes of sleep.
Sometimes that'll help.
Talk to somebody else on the phone
or a passenger in the vehicle.
That will help to keep you awake.
Or eat something,
rice cakes or carrots or something like that.
All of that will help to keep you awake while you're tired.
But nothing fixes tired, like getting a bit of sleep.
So, think about that before you go out on long trips,
or you're driving overnight or those types of things,
and I'll put a card up in the corner for you
on night driving.
So I have a look at that as well.
You know, if you can't keep away from your phone
while you're driving,
put it in the trunk or something like that.
And for those of you in your early twenties,
remember you're facing the four D's:
distracted driving, drinking, dating, and driving.
And you have very little experience with those things.
I know that you probably think otherwise (laughs)
because for some young people, we think we're immortal
and nothing's going to happen to us.
But know that you don't have the experience
to deal with two or three of those things
all at the same time.
So, if you're dating with your girlfriend
and you got some drama, or your boyfriend or whatnot,
and they're texting you on the phone all of the time,
and you're driving
and the phone is going off
and your mind is completely into
what's going on with your significant other.
Then maybe stop and deal with that issue
before you get back in the car and start driving.
Because that could
potentially lead to a crash.
And remember, one thing in your life
can change the rest of your life.
So don't risk it.
It's just not safe.
Pull into a parking lot.
Deal with your significant other.
Deal with the drama and whatnot.
We know as driving authorities,
that new drivers are at a higher risk
of being involved in a crash
in the first year, first 18 months of solo driving,
after they get their driver's license.
So, employ these skills, abilities, and techniques
and greatly reduce your chances
of being involved in a crash.
Stick around to the end, funny bits,
and remember, pick the best answer,
not necessarily the right answer.
Have a great day!
Bye now.
And again, having, and again, blah-blah-blah,
I can't talk. (laughs)
Can't get that out.
And again two to three second following distance.